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Undergraduate Advising Recommendations for 2009-1010 (4 pages - pdf format - revised November 2009)
CMSI Course Descriptions (source: UVM online catalogue 2009-2010)
Communication Sciences majors at UVM study the form and structure of speech and language, and how speech and language skills are learned, produced, perceived and understood. Students also have rich opportunities to increase their knowledge and experience through observations in a campus based professional clinic and to pursue faculty-mentored research in topics ranging from the nature and treatment of autism to the role of temperament in stuttering. Although some careers in communication sciences are available with a bachelor's degree, most students continue on to earn an advanced degree with the clinical certification necessary to become scientist-practitioners in communication disorders. UVM offers an excellent graduate program in Communication Sciences.
Individuals with a B.A. degree in Communication Sciences usually consider a career as a Speech-Language Pathologist or an Audiologist. Most positions in these professions require a Master's degree and clinical certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Employment opportunities for fully qualified speech-language pathologists and audiologists exist in public schools, medical centers, home health center, clinics, and private practice. The profession is a growing one with good opportunities for future employment. Employment as a speech assistant is possible in many settings without a Master's degree. Many students, even those firmly committed to the idea of eventually doing graduate work, take interim jobs upon graduation as speech assistants in schools or medical centers.
A Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences can also provide a good foundation for graduate work in other fields such as psychology, linguistics, or medicine.
The first aim of Communication Sciences is to provide undergraduate students with expertise in a uniquely human endeavor -- the use of complex systems of communication (language) across the life span, from early childhood through older adulthood. How language is learned, how it is produced, and how it is perceived and understood are topics that make up the primary subject matter of Communication Sciences. Another part of the discipline concerns disorders in the ability to learn, produce, or perceive language. The study of these disorders is part of the foundation needed for a career in speech-language pathology or audiology.
The second aim of Communication Sciences is to help students acquire critical thinking, reading, writing, and problem-solving skills. These are the skills that enable one to meet current and future challenges in ever-changing academic and real-world environments.
Beginning Your Studies in Communication Sciences
To begin, students are introduced to the discipline through a series of courses dealing with the normal processes of speech, language, and hearing. These courses deal with physical, neurophysiological, cognitive, and linguistic bases of normal speaking, hearing, and language use, with the acoustics of sound and of speech, with the development of language in children, and how communication is affected throughout the lifespan.
Students are encouraged to work with faculty members on research. Some of the topics of interest are:
Clinical Experience
Students are exposed to guided speech language pathology and audiology observations in the E.M. Luse Center for Communication: Speech, Language and Hearing (the clinic is housed within the CMSI Department).Internships
Internship opportunities are available to undergraduates on a limited basis.Research Funding Opportunities at UVM for Undergraduates
UVM offers several funding opportunities for research, including the McNair Scholars Summer Internship.Undergraduate Spotlight - CMSI Senior Erin Maskell-Ferland '09 , of Franklin, Vermont: She was awarded a McNair Scholarship in her junior year. This April, Erin presented her senior honor research at the second annual UVM Student Research Conference.
Each year the faculty of the Communication Sciences Department select three senior CMSI undergraduate majors as recipients of honor awards. Presentation of these undergraduate awards occurs at the UVM Arts and Sciences Honors' Day Ceremony in the spring.
Read about CMSI's 2009 Honors Day Students!
Questions for the Department of Communication Sciences Email - CMSI Department
Last modified November 18 2009 03:23 PM
