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Undergraduate Catalog Archive: Fall 2010 - Summer 2011
Base Catalog

Undergraduate Catalog F10-S11 Base Archive

COMD Degree Information

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Degree Information

Who's Who in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Department Overview
B.A. or B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders
General Requirements for the B.A. or B.S. Degree
Communication Sciences and Disorders Minor
American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) Program Overview
General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in ASL Interpreter Program
ASLI Degree Plans

Courses: American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI)
Courses: Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD)

Who's Who in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Chair:
Lynn M. Maher

Professors:
Martin R. Adams (Emeritus), Lynn S. Bliss (Emeritus), Susann Dowling (Emeritus), Donna Fox (Emeritus), Lynn M. Maher

Associate Professors:
Michael Bienenstock, Margaret Blake, Stephanie Daniels (Visiting), Monica McHenry

Assistant Professors:
Rachel Aghara, Ferenc Bunta, Laura Cizek, Martha Dunkelberger, Kelly Higgins (Adjunct), Michelle Ivey (Adjunct), Barbara Snelling (Adjunct), Catherine Turk (Adjunct), Kristine Wilson (Adjunct)

Lecturers:
Melissa Bruce, Katherine Ermgodts, Kareena Heath (Adjunct), Michelle Mekky (Adjunct), Carol Stach (Adjunct)

Department Overview

The mission of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) is to advance the understanding of normal and disordered speech, language and hearing through teaching, scholarship and service to the community.

We offer preprofessional training in communication disorders for undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students, professional and research training for graduate students, and continuing education opportunities for professionals. The Department fosters an environment that encourages and supports students and faculty to participate in scientific inquiry regarding normal and impaired communication processes. The goal of the service component is to provide high quality speech, language and hearing services to the community which are available to individuals from all cultures, ages, and abilities on the University of Houston campus and at outreach centers.

An undergraduate student with a major in Communication Sciences and Disorders is preparing for a career as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Professional speech-language pathologists and audiologists provide diagnostic and therapeutic services to individuals who present a variety of communication disorders.

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in communication sciences and disorders (speech-language pathology and audiology). A baccalaureate degree or equivalent semester hours of approved courses in communication sciences and disorders must be completed in order to enter a master's degree program. The master's degree is required for professional certification and membership in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The department offers a Master of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders for speech-language pathology only. For more information about admissions to the graduate program, consult with the Chair of the department.

General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree

In addition to successful completion of the university core requirements and CLASS college requirements, students must:

  1. Complete 47 semester hours within COMD for the major. Additional courses outside the major are also required as listed below:

The following courses are required by the Council of Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). Both of these requirements can be met through University Core Courses.

  • A college level Biology course;
  • A college level Physical Sciences (chemistry, geology, or physics) course.
  1. All COMD majors will be advised by COMD undergraduate faculty and staff advisor(s).
  2. Acceptance into the COMD major will only occur upon successful completion of the departmental core. The departmental core is successfully completed when the student has earned a grade of B- or better in these four classes:
  • COMD 2338: Phonetics
  • COMD 2339: Speech and Language Development
  • COMD 2139: Speech and Language Development Lab
  • COMD 2376: Anatomy and Physiology for Communication
  1. All COMD courses must be completed with a grade no lower than B. A student may earn no more than one grade below a B- in a COMD major course.
  • Enrollment in the major will not be permitted after a second grade  below B- is earned.
  • A single course may be repeated ONCE to resolve a grade below a B-
  • Grades below B- in a prerequisite course must be resolved before enrollment in subsequent courses.
  • Students who earn more than one grade below a B- may petition the faculty to remain in the major:
    • A meeting to consider petitions is scheduled at the end of the fall and spring semesters.
    • Please see the COMD Academic Advisor for guidance in writing a strong petition letter and to determine specific dates for submission.
  1. Students must file a degree plan once the following requirements are completed:
  • 60 credit hours must be completed with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a COMD major cumulative of not less than 2.67.
  • University Core requirements must be completed as follows:
    • 6 core credits Communications
    • 6 core credits Math or Math Reasoning
    • 6 core credits Natural Science (3 credits Biology must be included with a grade of C or better)
    • 6 core credits U.S. History
    • 6 core credits Political Science
    • 3 core credits Social Science
    • 3 core credits Visual and Performing Arts
  • 21 major hours must be completed in COMD
  • All completed courses that are required by the major must have a grade of B- or better.
  • Only one required COMD course may be repeated to achieve this standard.
  1. Clinicial Procedures, COMD 4489, is a required class and is one of the final courses taken as part of the COMD sequence. This course introduces students to the clinical process and has a strong hands-on component. There is no substitute for this course. The following eligibility requirements are strictly enforced.
  • Only students with senior status may enroll in Clinical Procedures
  • Students must have a COMD degree plan filed and approved prior to enrollment.
  • Students must have a GPA of 2.67 in the COMD major. This includes grades for all COMD courses taken. If a course has been repeated, both grades enter into the calculation.
  • Ideally, Speech and Language Disorders in Children, COMD 3375, should be completed prior to enrollment in Clinical Procedures. However, it may be taken concurrently with Clinical Procedures, with instructor approval.
  1. Students who enroll (register) for advanced classes in COMD without successful completion of the prerequisites will be dropped by the instructor. Neither the department nor the instructor will be responsible for tuition refunds.
  2. Courses in the major that are seven or more years old may not count toward a degree whether taken at the University of Houston or transferred to the University of Houston. A minimum of twelve hours of advanced COMD courses must be taken in residence in the department.
  3. All COMD majors must pass a speech, voice, and language proficiency test.

The communication disorders academic program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

Communication Sciences and Disorders Minor

Minor Requirements:

  1. 16 hours of specified course work must be completed, 9 of which are advanced.
  2. 9 semester hours must be in residence of which 6 must be advanced.
  3. Students who are completing a  minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders must earn a minimum grade of C in each minor course.
  4. The following courses are required for the COMD Minor ( total 15 credits):
  • COMD 2339: Speech and Language Development
  • COMD 2139: Speech and Language Development Lab
  • COMD 3381: Fundamentals of Audiology
  • COMD 3301: Deaf Culture
  • COMD 4382: Aural Rehabilitation
  • Choice of:
    • COMD 2376: Anatomy and Physiology for Communication OR
    • COMD 2385: Speech Science

 

 

American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) Program Overview

The University of Houston American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) program is designed to prepare undergraduates to be certified Interpreters for the Deaf. Interpreters for the Deaf facilitate communication between the Deaf and typically hearing individuals and groups in a vast array of settings such as: schools, courtrooms, hospitals, television and video relay stations.

Courses are taught by both deaf and hearing instructors. Students interact with professional interpreters and the deaf community throughout their program of study in a variety of interpreting experiences. Graduates of the ASLI program must be proficient in both English and American Sign Language and will complete all University of Houston requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The goal of the program is for graduates to be qualified to pass the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (national) and/or Board of Evaluation of Interpreters (Texas) certification exams and gain employment in a growing field of high demand.

General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in ASL Interpreter Program

To obtain a bachelor's degree in ASL Interpreting (ASLI) the following requirements must be completed in addition to university core requirements as well as the requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science for the Bachelor of Arts Degree:

The following 43 credits constitute the required courses for the major in ASLI: COMD 2301, 2302, ASLI 1310, 2311, 2322, 3311, 3333, 3334, 4335, 4346, 4357, 4489; either ENGL 4300 or ASLI 4368 and either ENGL 4303 or PSYC 4397.

For those planning to major in ASL Interpreting:

  1. All students are required to meet with the undergraduate advisor prior to declaring the major.
  2. To be accepted into the major, students must a) complete COMD 2301 or its equivalent with a grade of B or better b) pass a departmental written examination and c) pass an ASL Language Proficiency test with a grade of B+ or better. These admission tests may be repeated only once.
  3. Degree plan should be filed once the student has reached junior status and have been accepted in the major. The degree plan must be filled the semester prior to enrollment in ASLI 4489 Internship in ASL Interpreting.
  4. ASLI students will take one of the following courses to complete their Writing in the Discipline (WID) requirement for the core. PSYC 2344 Cultural Psychology; SOC 2310 Social Problems, SOC 2325 American Minority People or SOC 3330 Introduction to Social Psychology. The course taken for WID must be completed with a grade of B- or better.
  5. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of B- or better.
  6. A satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree is required throughout a student's enrollment. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (B) for all ASLI courses attempted is required for continuation in the program. Failure to maintain a 3.00 GPA may result in a warning. If student is unable to improve GPA in a specified time period, removal from the program is possible.
  7. Prior to enrollment in a class any prerequisites must be completed successfully (grade of B- or better). If a student enrolls in a class for which they are not eligible they will be dropped. Neither the department nor the university will be responsible for any tuition refunds.
  8. Only two courses in the major can be repeated, and they may be repeated only once.
  9. All undergraduate students must attend all mandatory undergraduate advising meetings. It is recommended that students meet with their advisor at least once a year.
  10. Students whose latest ASL class was over 12 months prior must be evaluated for placement in the appropriate ASL level.
  11. Courses in the major that are seven or more years old may not count toward a degree, whether taken at the University of Houston or transferred to the University of Houston, unless successfully petitioned.
  12. A minimum of twelve hours of advanced ASLI courses must be taken in residence at the University of Houston.

Degree Plans:

To file a degree plan:

  1. The student must complete COMD 2302 or equivalent and 15 hours in the department, with a minimum grade of B- for each course.
  2. Student must have achieved Junior status having completed at least 60 credits. Overall GPA must be 2.5 or better.
  3. The following core classes must have successfully been completed:
  • 6 credits Communications
  • 6 credits math or core reasoning
  • 6 credits core natural science
  • 6 credits core U.S. History
  • 6 credits core Political Science

All students should see their ASLI advisor for assistance in determining their full program of study which includes university and college core course requirements. ASLI and COMD courses are typically offered once a year and must be taken in sequence to accommodate prerequisites.

 

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Catalog Publish Date: August 19, 2010
This Page Last Updated: November 1, 2010
Effective Date of Archive: January 13, 2011