Be someone who makes meaning in the world

Professor Tiffany Hutchins
Professor Barry Guitar with student

UVM’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program provides in-depth study of human communication and guided exploration of the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology that will prepare you to assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

As a graduate of UVM’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program, you will be equipped to pursue graduate study to become a speech-language pathologist or audiologist, or for a career as a speech-language pathology or audiology assistant in schools, healthcare facilities, and private practices.

Why Choose UVM?

In-depth coursework. UVM provides the breadth of a liberal arts education plus an introduction to typical and disordered communication, the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology, and the health sciences.

Hands-on practice. You will gain skills and experience through guided speech-language pathology and audiology observations in the on-campus Eleanor M. Luse Center for Communication: Speech, Language and Hearing. Some clinical internships are also available.

Professional experience. Students are encouraged to pursue research through collaboration in ongoing faculty projects that encompass normal and disordered communication throughout the lifespan.

Strong foundation for graduate study. Students often pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology or a doctorate in audiology.

What You Will Learn

As a student in UVM’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program, you will be introduced to communication development and a variety of communication disorders through classes, observations, and clinical activities, and develop a deep understanding of how communication disorders impact people's lives. A minor is required as part of the degree.

View a model curriculum in Communication Sciences and Disorders >>

Major requirements

Concentrations

A concentration in Communication Sciences and Disorders is available to students in the College of Education and Social Services.

Beyond the classroom

UVM is home to the non-profit Eleanor M. Luse Center for Communication, which provides hearing health care, voice, speech and language therapy, and treatment for stuttering in children and adults.

UVM Communication Sciences and Disorders facilities include:

  • Eleanor M. Luse Center for Communication

Learn more about the Eleanor M. Luse Center for Communication >>

Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program (VT LEND)

The Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities prepares leaders across the health and education professions to serve children with special health needs and their families. LEND provides a 9-month graduate level interdisciplinary training that focuses on the following competencies:

  • Family-centered care
  • Interdisciplinary collaborative teaming 
  • Cultural competence
  • Neurodevelopmental disabilities 
  • Leadership 

LEND is intended for seniors with a fall start date. Submit applications in the spring semester of junior year.

Learn more about VT LEND >>

Meet our Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty

As a student in UVM’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program, you will develop personal connections with professors who are professionals in the field. Many of the faculty invite students to assist in their research or clinical practice.

Meet UVM’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program faculty >>

Research Opportunities

Outside of the classroom, students are encouraged to collaborate in ongoing faculty projects. Faculty research encompasses normal and disordered communication throughout the lifespan and includes the following topics:

  • Interaction patterns in families contributing to the development of stuttering and its effective prevention and treatment
  • The nature and treatment of autism
  • The use of eye-tracking technology to examine the visual attention allocation strategies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders
  • The development of psychometrically sound measures of social cognition and of speech production skill
  • The role of temperament in stuttering
  • Speech development and disorders in children with neurodevelopmental syndromes
  • Typical and atypical changes in communication and cognition associated with aging and central nervous system disorders
  • The assessment and treatment of communication challenges following traumatic brain injury

Further Opportunities

The Speech and Hearing Club, a certified local chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, offers opportunities for community service and facilitates connections across the different cohorts of Communication Sciences and Disorders majors. Through activities such as apple picking, movie and popcorn night, cookie delivery, a book drive, a letter writing campaign to newly accepted CSD students, and raising awareness of elevated noise levels in personal listening devices, students have a chance to bond while solidifying and applying knowledge gained in the classroom.

In addition, the club provides extra connections between CSD faculty and CSD students. Faculty contact club officers to recruit volunteers and provide unique opportunities such as participating in a panel discussion between students from historically black colleges and universities and students from predominantly white institutions, hosted by a regional chapter of the National Black Association of Speech Language and Hearing Professionals.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders Honors Society also offers professional development and volunteer opportunities for high-achieving undergraduates. Students are invited to apply in their junior year based on their academic performance. The application process includes a review of the student's campus involvement including any research experience, club participation, and community outreach.

Meet Kaitlin Vogen '23

Kaitlin Vogen

As a research assistant on a project investigating motor speech, Kaitlin explores how individuals on the autism spectrum move their arms and mouths when communicating.

Read more success stories

Graduate employment rate

98%

Careers

  • Audiologist or audiologist assistant
  • Speech-language pathologist (SLP) or SLP assistant
  • Certified occupational therapy assistant
  • Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapist
  • Audiology assistant
  • Certified child life specialist
  • Hippotherapist
  • Language consultant
  • Music therapist
  • Foreign language/ASL interpreter
  • Vocal coach
  • Speech recognition software developer
  • Special education paraprofessional

Where alumni work

  • Public schools, as speech-language pathology assistants or other paraprofessionals
  • Private schools or programs for children with autism (ABA) or other special needs
  • Hospitals, as child life specialists

Graduate Schools

  • University of Vermont
  • University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • Boston University
  • University of Connecticut
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • MGH Institute of Health Professions
  • UMass – Amherst
  • Syracuse University
  • University of New Hampshire
  • Sacred Heart University
  • Adelphi University
  • College of Saint Rose
  • Northeastern University