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Master of Science - Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Elizabeth A.
Power-deFur, Chair The major in Communication Sciences and Disorders will begin offering courses in the fall of 2006 leading to the Master of Science degree. This program will provide in-depth course work and practicum experiences designed to provide students a scholarly foundation and expertise in areas of articulation-phonology, infant and child language disorders, voice disorders, craniofacial anomalies, motor speech disorders, stuttering, aural rehabilitation, dysphagia, and aphasia. Advanced training will involve practicum experiences with a diverse population of adults and children, in a minimum of three different practicum settings. The Master’s degree is the entry-level degree for employment as a speech-language pathologist and prepares students for the remediation of communication disorders. Successful completion of the program meets current eligibility requirements for the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology, the Commonwealth of Virginia Professional Licensure, and Virginia Department of Education Teacher Licensure with an endorsement in Speech and Language Disorders. ADMISSION Applicants to this program must have either an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders or an undergraduate degree in an unrelated discipline plus completion of the following speech-language pathology prerequisites: Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms, Phonetics (Transcription), Speech Science, Introduction to Audiology and Hearing Science, Language Development Across the Lifespan, Phonology and Language Disorders, Introduction to Clinical Practice, and Neurology of Human Communication. In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must have a 3.00 undergraduate GPA and complete the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). CLINICAL EXPERIENCE All students are required to participate in the Longwood University Speech-Language Clinic Program. To meet ASHA accreditation requirements, all students must complete a minimum of 325 hours of supervised clinical experience at the graduate level and a minimum of 400 hours, including 25 observation hours, from the combined undergraduate and graduate programs. The 400 hours will include experience in the evaluation and treatment of children and adults and with a variety of types and severities of disorders of speech, language and hearing. Completion of at least 30 graduate clinic hours is recommended in the Longwood University Speech-Language clinic prior to off-campus practicum placement. Students must complete a minimum of two off-campus practicum experiences approved by the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. Admission to the graduate program does not guarantee admission to off-campus practicum placements. Admission to these placements depends on the quality of the graduate student’s academic record, clinical performance in the University clinic, and possession of characteristics necessary to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. Permission to engage in an off-campus practicum or externship requires application by the student, 25 hours of approved observation, and will be the decision of the CSDS Clinical Affairs Committee based on the criteria developed for off-campus practicum placement. Students must complete an application and 150 clinical clock hours prior to initiation of an externship.A minimum letter grade of B- must be earned in each CSDS practicum and externship course in order to count the clinical clock hours. To graduate with a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, a minimum of 13 credit hours of practicum/externship must be completed with a maximum of 16 credit hours allowed. Each student will plan practicum experiences with an advisor; however, each student will assume responsibility for the accumulation of the necessary ASHA clock hours. TEACHER LICENSURE OPTION Speech-language pathologists seeking public school employment in the Commonwealth of Virginia are required to earn teacher licensure. The complete requirements for licensure, which include a Master’s degree, are described on the Virginia Department of Education web page under Licensure Regulations for School Personnel at http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE. All majors are strongly encouraged to take Praxis I as well as the specific courses that are required for teacher licensure as part of their undergraduate studies. Certain courses not completed during the undergraduate experience may be completed at the graduate level. In addition to the undergraduate course recommendations for teacher licensure, the following course must be taken at the graduate level: SPED 545 – Psychoeducational Assessment.COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION The comprehensive examination will be of the essay type, consisting of several broad question areas. It is designed to evaluate the student's competency in written expression and the ability to reason. In addition, the student's knowledge of and ability to apply specific theory and research relating to his/her area of study will be evaluated. The grading system for the evaluation of the comprehensive examination will be pass/fail. Two of the three members of the committee must agree for a "Pass" grade. The student’s comprehensive examination committee will be composed of three graduate faculty members; adjunct faculty will not serve on this committee. The committee will be responsible for the preparation and evaluation of the comprehensive examination. Students must have completed or be enrolled to allow for completion of 40 semester hours of course work, students must have a B average (3.0 GPA) in all courses completed for the degree, and students must have already filed the Application for Graduate Degree to be eligible to enroll in the comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination in Communication Sciences & Disorders will be administered two times a year from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of October and the first Saturday of March by the Office of Graduate Studies on the main campus in Farmville. Students must register for the comprehensive examination (CSDS 699) no later than the last day to add a course in the semester in which they wish to take the examination. The Office of Graduate Studies will send written notification after the last day to add a course in a semester to all students registered for the comprehensive examination. The notification will include specifics about administration of the exam. Some programs provide study guides, which will be included with the above notification. Students who fail the examination shall be allowed one re-examination. The Communication Sciences & Disorders re-examination can be administered at a time set by the Dean of Graduate Studies within the same semester with a fee of $35.00 required prior to administration of the re-examination. Alternatively, the re-examination can be administered at the next scheduled exam date with the student registering for CSDS 699 in that term and paying the $35.00 course fee. Failure of the examination for a second time will be final, and students will be dismissed from the graduate program. For general requirements on the comprehensive examination, consult the "Academic Regulations" section of this catalog. COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
CSDS 520 Language
Disorders in Infants and Preschool Children (3)
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