Communication Sciences and Disorders

Do you see your career as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist, or working in the field of speech-language or hearing science or health care? If yes, Augustana is your place.

Every year, 95-100% of Augustana Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduates who apply to graduate programs are admitted. Half received teaching or research fellowships, because they know what they’re doing (and they love what they do). Career paths for CSD majors.

It comes down to substantial clinical experience, research and service, with the supervision of devoted faculty.

You’ll be trained in working with clients in Augustana’s on-campus clinic: The Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing. Supported by faculty, students provide intervention to about 90 families each semester.

With the new $3.75 million expansion to the CSD department’s home in Brodahl Hall, you’ll have the benefit of the new and the original — new facilities and technology, with the reputation as one of the nation’s first and finest college-based speech and language clinics.

Based on our longstanding excellent program, and in response to the need for more high-quality speech pathology graduate programs around the country, Augustana added a master of science program in speech-language pathology (MS-SLP) in 2020.

Distinctions

• Augustana offers a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. A one-year, non-degree post-baccalaureate course sequence is also offered for students with a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than CSD who would like to apply for graduate study in speech-language pathology.

• For nearly 80 years, Augustana has been serving community clients with speech, language, and hearing disorders. Our clinic clients reflect the linguistically diverse community of the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities (pop. 450,000) along the Mississippi River.

• Augustana's undergraduate and graduate programs include substantial clinical experience, research and service learning, all with the close support of the faculty. CSD majors and MS-SLP students perform clinical services while they are supervised by faculty who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

• Along with hands-on clinical experience, Augustana CSD grads are successful because of their experience performing data-based research. Every year for nearly 25 years, Augustana CSD majors have been selected to present their research findings at the national convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. For more than 25 consecutive years, CSD majors have presented at annual state conventions.

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Augustana College is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. Candidacy is a “preaccreditation” status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of 5 years.  

Recent grads

Ella Aldridge '23 is pursuing a master's in speech-language pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rebecca Smuck '23 is pursuing a master's in speech-language pathology at the University of Kansas.

Kathryn Boyle '21 is pursuing a master’s in speech-language pathology at Purdue University.

Molly Bastida '21 is attending Illinois State University for a Doctorate of Audiology (Au.D.).

Courtney Baker '20 is pursuing her doctorate in audiology at Northwestern University.

Claire Benisch '19 is a speech-language pathologist at the Children’s Therapy Center in the Quad Cities.

Michelle Johnson '17 is a speech-language pathologist at Young & Well in Washington, D.C.

Natalie Tomerlin '16 is a clinical assistant professor at Northwestern University and a speech-language pathologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.