BHS in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Degree Program Description
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) includes the study of typical language, speech and hearing processes across the lifespan, as well as communication disorders that result from a variety of factors. The SLHS undergraduate major is the first step in preparing for careers in the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology. Speech-language pathologists evaluate the speech and language of children and adults to determine whether problems exist in such areas as voice, articulation, fluency, and receptive or expressive language. Speech-language pathologists develop and implement treatment plans to address these problems. Audiologists evaluate hearing, identify hearing loss, and participate in the rehabilitation of persons with decreased hearing abilities. The SLHS undergraduate curriculum fully prepares students for graduate study in either of these fields. The professions of speech-language pathology and audiology require master's or doctoral degrees. The SLHS undergraduate coursework provides students with a broad understanding of the scientific bases of speech, language, and hearing, the different types of communication disorders, and the types of diagnostic and therapeutic methods utilized in the field. Undergraduate students in the SLHS department at MU benefit from a low student-faculty ratio, practical clinical experience in our language preschool, our accent modification program, and our research labs led by outstanding faculty, and a well-established student organization.
Major Program Requirements
Students are required to apply to the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences major. Applications for admission into the BHS program are considered once a year, and they must be submitted by February 1 of the student’s sophomore year. (Note: Later applications will be considered if open seats remain in the upcoming junior class). In most cases, applicants will have completed at least 42 hours of college credit before applying, and students who are admitted will have completed 60 hours of college credit before beginning coursework as Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences majors. A minimum GPA of 2.75 on a four-point scale and a composite score of 22 or above on the ACT are strongly recommended. However, meeting the minimum criteria and declaring a major of pre-Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences do not guarantee acceptance into the program. A grade of C- or higher is required in the program and major core requirements.
Students must complete the following course requirements, as well as university and general education requirements for graduation with a bachelor's degree from the College of Health Sciences and the University of Missouri:
| Program Requirements | ||
| COMMUN 1200 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| ENGLSH 1000 | Writing and Rhetoric | 3 |
| or ENGLSH 1000H | Honors Writing and Rhetoric | |
| PSYCH 1000 | General Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 2410 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| STAT 1200 | Introductory Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| or STAT 1300 | Elementary Statistics | |
| or ESC_PS 4170 | Introduction to Applied Statistics | |
| or STAT 2500 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics I | |
| Biological Science Requirement | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
| General Principles and Concepts of Biology | ||
| Introduction to Biological Systems with Laboratory | ||
| Physical Science Requirement | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
| Atoms and Molecules with Lab | ||
| College Chemistry I | ||
| Concepts in Physics | ||
| College Physics I | ||
| At least one lab associated with above courses in biology, chemistry, or physics is required, e.g., BIO_SC 1020 is required with BIO_SC 1010 if no lab is taken with physical science course options. | 0-2 additional hours | |
| Major Core Requirements | ||
| SLHS 1060 | Human Language | 3 |
| SLHS 2120 | Survey of Communication Disorders | 3 |
| SLHS 3010 | American Phonetics | 3 |
| SLHS 3020 | Normal Language Development | 3 |
| SLHS 3210 | Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism | 3 |
| SLHS 3220 | Speech Acoustics | 3 |
| SLHS 3230 | Hearing Science | 3 |
| SLHS 4020 | Language Disorders in Children | 3 |
| SLHS 4030 | Language Disorders of Adults | 2 |
| SLHS 4100 | Introduction to Interprofessional Practice | 1 |
| SLHS 4210 | Fluency Disorders | 2 |
| SLHS 4220 | Voice Disorders | 1 |
| SLHS 4320 | Speech Sound Disorders | 3 |
| SLHS 4330 | Introduction to Audiology | 3 |
| SLHS 4340 | Aural Rehabilitation | 3 |
| SLHS 4430 | Neurophysiology for Speech, Language, and Hearing | 3 |
| SLHS 4900 | Clinical Observation in Communication Disorders | 2 |
Semester Plan
Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BIO_SC 1010 | 3 | CHEM 1100 | 4 |
| ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | COMMUN 1200 | 3 |
| PSYCH 1000 | 3 | MATH 1050 | 3 |
| Humanities | 3 | MO State Law Requirement | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLHS 1060 | 3 | SLHS 2120 | 3 |
| PSYCH 2410 | 3 | STAT 1200 | 3 |
| Humanities | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLHS 3010 | 3 | SLHS 3020W | 3 |
| SLHS 3050 | 3 | SLHS 3230 | 3 |
| SLHS 3210 | 3 | SLHS 4320 | 3 |
| SLHS 4430 | 3 | SLHS 4950 | 2 |
| SLHS 4950 | 2 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | Elective | 1 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SLHS 4020W | 3 | SLHS 4100 | 1 |
| SLHS 4330 | 3 | SLHS 4800 | 3 |
| SLHS 4030 | 2 | SLHS 3220 | 2 |
| SLHS 4945 | 1-3 | SLHS 4210 | 2 |
| Elective | 3 | SLHS 4220 | 1 |
| Elective | 3 | SLHS 4340 | 3 |
| SLHS 4900 | 2 | ||
| 15-17 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits: 120-122 | |||
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Career Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.