The preprofessional, undergraduate major places primary emphasis on the general area of communication sciences and disorders. The major involves a combined curriculum in speech-language pathology and audiology. Students should work closely with advisors to ensure proper course selection for certification and degree. A check sheet of requirements is available from the College of Health Professions and the department office, 401 Ahlberg Hall, or by email request to csd@wichita.edu.

All students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in this field (a Master's degree in speech-language pathology or a Doctor of Audiology degree) must have coursework in biological sciences (content area related to human or animal sciences), physical sciences (physics or chemistry), social/behavioral sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology or public health), and statistics (stand-alone course required). These courses must have received a letter grade of C (2.000 points per credit hour) or higher to meet the certification requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and state licensure requirements (for Kansas and beyond). Consult an advisor for appropriate coursework.

Admission

Admission requirements include:

1. An overall GPA of 3.000; and
2. Completion of two of the following four courses with a grade that generates at least 3.000 credit points per credit hour in each course:

   Course List

   Course	Title	Hours
   CSD 111	Disorders of Human Communication	3
   CSD 301	Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms	3
   CSD 304	Early Language Development	3
   CSD 306	Applied Phonetics	3

After a student has completed two of the four courses above with a grade in each course of B (3.000 points/credit hour) or better, an internal departmental review will begin implementing the student's admission to the major. In addition to completing two of the four courses above (the remaining two courses will be taken as part of the major sequence), a student also must complete the following:

• Complete a criminal background check (at one’s own expense) and all of the requirements on the College of Health Professions requirement checklist¹;
• Set up a student health portal¹ to track all of the medical requirements; and 
• Complete in-class annual HIPAA training.

Completion of these steps is required for enrollment in  CSD 425. A student will not be permitted to enroll in this course prior to completing these requirements. Students also should consult the beginning of the College of Health Professions section of the undergraduate catalog for additional requirements which may be needed to participate in clinical settings.

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Program Requirements

A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BA in communication sciences and disorders program and includes the 45 credit hours of major courses that must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.500. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of the College of Health Professions, students in the BA in communication sciences and disorders program must take the following courses:

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Required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.

Graduation

Students in the communication sciences and disorders program are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.500, with no individual course grade in the major having a grade that generates less than 2.000 points per credit hour.

To be eligible for graduation from Wichita State University, students must have credit for 120 acceptable credit hours toward their degree and a GPA in the major of 2.500. Students transferring from a two-year college must complete at least 45 credit hours of upper-division coursework in order to qualify for graduation.

Honors Program

Scholarship and research are encouraged at the undergraduate level. Students who meet the qualifications should explore adding the honors program to their undergraduate major. Students who are not CSD majors and are involved in the Cohen Honors College, should contact the CSD department for permission to enroll in these courses, as appropriate.

Honors Program Admission

Admission requirements include:

1. Status as a CSD major;
2. An overall GPA of 3.500 in CSD coursework;
3. A one-page, double-spaced letter describing reasons for applying to the honors track, goals and potential benefits to participating in the program; and
4. Agreement by a CSD faculty member to mentor the final project.

Honors Program Requirements

Students admitted to the CSD honors track must complete the following:

1. Maintain a 3.500 cumulative GPA in CSD coursework;
2. Enroll in and complete the honors assignments with a minimum of 12 credit hours of CSD coursework selected from the following options:

   Course List

   Course	Title	Hours
   CSD 504H	Aural Rehabilitation Honors	3
   CSD 506H	Acoustic and Perceptual Phonetics Honors	3
   CSD 512H	Communication in Special Populations: Children Honors	3
   CSD 517H	Communication in Special Populations: Aging Honors	3
   CSD 519H	Genetic and Organic Syndromes Honors	4

3. Actively participate in facilitated meetings with other CSD honors students;
4. Be a participating member of the WSU Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (WSUSSLHA) student organization;
5. Maintain a portfolio of assignments, activities and reflections throughout the honors track; and
6. Complete and present a mentored scholarly activity during the last year of the program by enrolling in 1 credit hour of CSD 490H Directed Study in Speech and Language Pathology or Audiology Honors.

Applied Learning

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in CSD program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by successfully completing  CSD 425 Introduction to Clinical Processes.