Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Boston University

Overview

It is designed for students interested in studying human language from a variety of perspectives and in gaining an understanding of language acquisition and communication disorders. The program provides a solid grounding in linguistics through examination of the structure, use, acquisition, and development of languages of the world. The intercollegiate joint major focuses on experimental approaches to the study of language as well as interactions between theoretical study of language and clinical applications.

The Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences joint major prepares students for graduate study in any of a number of related areas (e.g., linguistics, psychology, neurolinguistics, cognitive science) and for graduate/professional work in speech-language pathology, audiology, or more generally, for future careers in medicine, neuropsychology, language technology (e.g., speech recognition or speech synthesis), or areas of child development and education. Students completing this program who choose not to continue their education will be well prepared to pursue careers in research, education, medicine, public health, or the law. Students work with advisors in both colleges to design individual programs of study that match each student’s interests and professional goals.

Undergraduates should note that employment as a certified speech-language pathologist or audiologist is not possible with only a bachelor’s degree. An advanced degree in speech-language pathology or audiology is required for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as for licensure in most states. Boston University’s master of science program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). The BU master of science program in Speech-Language Pathology enables students to fulfill the requirements for professional certification from ASHA as well as Massachusetts state licensure and teacher certification.

Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a major in Linguistics and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences are expected to attain:

• An understanding of the fundamental questions that drive modern linguistic research concerning formal structure, universals, acquisition, historical change, variation, and social dimensions of use, along with foundational knowledge in the core areas of linguistic theory.

• Foundational knowledge in the areas that form the basis for research and clinical work in speech, language, and hearing sciences.

• The ability to identify and describe with precision the empirical patterns found in sets of language data, and to construct well-reasoned analyses by formulating, testing, and refining hypotheses about these patterns.

• The ability to apply their coursework in Linguistics and SLHS either in research or in clinical or other professional experiences, demonstrating integrative reasoning to interpret data in relation to published research, justifying the scope of their analyses, supporting their conclusions, and presenting a coherent summary of the relevant facts and of their reasoning.