SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCE
WHAT IS SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCE?
Also called speech pathology and audiology, speech and hearing science is a field that examines the science of hearing and speech as well as ways to help people with speech and hearing problems. Focusing on the study of the auditory system, language processing, and the vocal mechanism, speech and hearing science is a subject area that incorporates a wide range of other disciplines including anatomy, physiology, education, psychology, technology, and linguistics.
WHAT COURSES DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE?
With advances in technology and developments in our understanding of how speech and hearing work, this is a dynamic area of study. Combining classes in technology, engineering, the sciences, psychology, and linguistics, speech and hearing science is an interdisciplinary degree designed to prepare you to work in this growing and changing field. In addition to your liberal arts core curriculum, you will take a range of classes that might include:
- Audiology
- Biology
- Hearing Science
- Language and Language Acquisition
- Mathematics
- Phonetics
- Physics
- Psychology of Learning
- Speech and Language Disorders
- Speech Science
- Statistics
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCE?
The study of speech and hearing science will prepare you for a career as an audiologist (a specialist who helps diagnose and treat hearing problems in children and adults) or as a speech pathologist (an individual who assesses and treats speech and communication disorders). Most speech pathologists and audiologists obtain master's degrees in order to pass a national examination and obtain critical credentials. Once you have those certifications, you can work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, home health care, and private practice.