About Us

Highlights of Hofstra's Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences include:

• Accredited graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, a professional doctorate program offered by the Long Island Consortium of Hofstra, Adelphi, and St. John’s Universities.
• Undergraduate students can observe therapy and participate in the volunteer program at the on-campus Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, which serves members of the surrounding communities.
• A dual-degree program lets qualified undergraduates finish both their BA and MA degrees in less time and put their skills into practice more quickly.
• Numerous on-campus learning facilities such as separate laboratories for speech and hearing science, psycholinguistics, child language development, and language and literacy, as well as a laboratory space dedicated to the use of Audiology students.
• Active student organizations include a campus chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and a chapter of the national speech honor society, Sigma Pi.

Why this profession?

The BA in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences prepares students for graduate study in careers in speech-language pathology, audiology, and other sciences.

Graduate study options:

Our students most-often pursue graduate/doctoral studies in the following areas:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Audiology
• Special Education
• Teacher Education

Excellent Career Outcomes: 100% of SHS graduates report being employed, in graduate school, or both.

Image

We invite you to explore our webpage to learn more about the clinically rich preparation provided by the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences.

The Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences is committed to scholarship in the area of human communication and its application to the diagnosis and treatment of diverse populations demonstrating communication disorders across the lifespan. Students are engaged in academic and clinical experiences that require critical thinking, application of theory, use of technology, and scientific writing. Students are guided to interpret and integrate theoretical and applied concepts in order to develop the analytic tools needed for problem solving.

The mission of the undergraduate program is to provide students with an allied health education, while introducing them to theories, methods, research and clinical practices in communication sciences and disorders. Students are introduced to the core knowledge of speech science, language science, and hearing science and the nature of communication disorders across the lifespan. The B.A. degree prepares majors for graduate study in speech-language pathology and audiology and provides background relevant for advanced study in related disciplines such as education, special education, linguistics, cognitive science and neuroscience. Students may also choose to apply their background to work in the field of rehabilitation or other allied health professions.

The mission of the graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology is to advance knowledge of human communication and its disorders, and to contribute to the advancement of the professions of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology through clinical practice, research and professional development. Through a wide variety of academic and clinical experiences, students are prepared to become professional, competent educators and clinicians who provide services to children and adults with communication disorders. The graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology has been designed to meet the teacher certification standards of the New York State Department of Education. The graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology have been designed to meet the standards of the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Undergraduate Program

1. Students will develop an understanding of the basic components of human communication including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic, social and cultural bases.

a. Students will represent the sounds of English using the IPA.

b. Students will identify the anatomical landmarks and basic functions of the systems of speech, language and hearing.

c. Students will identify the psychological, sociological and linguistic properties of language.

d. Students will identify the major developmental milestones of communication through the lifespan.

e. Students will identify and measure the physical and perceptual properties of sound and speech.

2. Students will understand the nature of communication disorders and communication differences.

a. Students will be able to identify language differences from disorders.

b. Students will be able to identify the normal variations that exist among speakers of a language.

c. Students will identify major disorders of speech, language and hearing, their associated etiologies, developmental impact and progression.

d. Students will be able to identify major disorders of speech and language in childhood, and discuss their associated etiologies, developmental impact and progression.

e. Students will identify major disorders of hearing, associated etiologies, developmental impact and progression.

3. Students will be able to integrate principles of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences with principles of clinical practice.

a. Students will apply knowledge of communication development and disorders to the assessment and treatment of individuals with communication disorders.

b. Students will apply knowledge of communication development and disorders to the assessment and treatment of children with communication disorders.

c. Students will observe and record aspects of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

d. Students will complete 25 hours of clinical observation.

e. Students will apply knowledge of hearing impairment to the treatment of individuals with hearing disorders.

4. Students will have increased knowledge and understanding of people with disabilities in their socio-cultural context.

a. Students will identify issues facing individuals with disabilities in society including developmental, social and educational aspects.

5. Students will analyze data and integrate their findings within existing frameworks and/or theories in the Speech- Language-Hearing Sciences.

a. Students will apply knowledge of theories of language development and disorder to models of assessment and treatment.

b. Students will transcribe samples of speech and language and interpret their developmental and clinical significance.

c. Students will evaluate and interpret measures of sound.

d. Students will demonstrate the ability to integrate theoretical information into a case study presented orally.

e. Students will interpret audiometric information and discuss the psychological and social impact of the hearing disorder.

6. Students will evaluate research in the Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences.

a. Students will integrate information from primary sources into a review of the literature. 

b. Students will demonstrate proficiency in accessing information about communication sciences and disorders.

7. Students will have increased knowledge and understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity.

a. Students will identify cultural differences in child rearing, belief systems, educational values and familial and community characteristics.

8. Students will have increased knowledge of instrumentation and technology in the field of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences.

a. Students will identify instrumentation used to analyze acoustic information.

b. Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of computerized methods of transcription and analysis.

c. Students will identify instrumentation used to measure various aspects of hearing.

9. Students will have an increased understanding of professional practices in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

a. Students will identify the major professional organizations that promote the professions of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

b. Students will identify the role of the Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist.

c. Students will identify the major components of the Code of Ethics for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

d. Students will identify and maintain procedures for client confidentiality.

e. Students will demonstrate professional behavior in a clinical setting, including timeliness, respectfulness and sensitivity to clients and family.