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:
Margaret Blake, Stephanie Daniels (Visiting), Monica McHenry

Assistant Professors:
Rachel Aghara, Ferenc Bunta, Laura Cizek, Martha Dunkelberger, Sharon Hill (Instructional), Michelle Ivey (Adjunct), Byron Ross (Clinical), Catherine Turk (Adjunct)

Lecturers:
Melissa Bruce, Michelle Mekky (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 Program Coordinator (713-743-2897).

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:

• COMD 1333, 2338, 2439 (COMD 2439 is the combination of formerly available COMD 2139 and COMD 2339), 2376, 2385, 3375, 3380, 3381, 4333, 4382, 4489, and;
• 6 hours of Social Sciences (must include 3 hours of 2000+ level Psychology courses). A list of suggested courses is available from the COMD advisor

2. The following courses are required by the Council on 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.

3. All COMD majors will be advised by COMD undergraduate faculty and staff advisors(s).

4. Any incoming freshman, college transfer, international, or current UH student with an overall GPA of 2.67 interested in majoring in COMD must apply first as a PRE-COMD Major. Pre-COMD majors are required to complete the following prerequisites prior to being approved as COMD majors.

• Completion of COMD 1333 Introduction to Communication Disorders or its equivalent
• Completion of COMD Core Courses with grades of B- or better:
  • COMD 2439: Speech and Language Development
  • COMD 2338: Phonetics
  • COMD 2376: Anatomy
• Completion of a speech, language and hearing screening
• Earned a minimum overall GPA of 2.67

Once Pre-COMD requirements are completed, students must file a general petition to declare a COMD major. The general petition is subject to evaluation by the advisor, the undergraduate coordinator and the department chair. Students are NOT considered COMD majors until the petition has been approved.

Why is there a COMD Core?

The COMD Core courses (COMD 2439, COMD 2338 and COMD 2376) are foundational courses for our major. They (or their approved equivalents) are required for all Pre-COMD Students in order to ensure that each student has a solid basis on which to build knowledge in later classes. These courses must be completed with a grade of B- or higher and may not be repeated.

Students who have not completed the COMD Core successfully will not be allowed to declare COMD as a major.

5. All COMD courses must be completed with a grade no lower than B-.

• Students may repeat one (1) COMD course once in order to resolve a grade below B-.
• Grades below B- in a prerequisite course must be resolved before enrollment in subsequent courses.
• Enrollment in the major will not be permitted after a second grade below B- is earned.
• 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.

6. Students must file a degree plan once the following requirements are completed:

• A minor must be declared.
• A minor degree plan must be completed and approved.
• 60 credit hours must be completed with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a COMD major cumulative GPA 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

• 18 COMD major hours must be completed.
  • 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.

7. Clinical 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 COMD majors with senior status may enroll in Clinical Procedures.
• Students must have a COMD major degree plan filed and approved prior to enrollment.
  • Filing a major degree plan is a lengthy process and is dependent upon completion of multiple previous steps.
  • Students are strongly advised to submit a COMD major degree plan for approval in the summer before their fifth semester in COMD.

• 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.
• Students must have completed 22 hours of COMD Major classes prior to enrolling in COMD 4489.

8. 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.
9. Courses in the major that are seven or more years old may not count toward a degree whether taken at the University of Houston of transferred to the University of Houston. A minimum of twelve hours of advanced COMD courses must be taken in residence in the department.
10. 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 16 credits):

• COMD 2439: Speech and Language Development (COMD 2339 and COMD 2139 are now COMD 2439)
• 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: ASLI 2301, 2302, 1310, 2311, 2333, 3332, 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 both ASLI 2333 and ASLI 2301 or its equivalent with a grade of C or better and apply to the program by the set deadline.
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 C or better.
5. All courses in the major must be completed with a grade of C or better.
6. A satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree is required throughout the student's enrollment. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 (C) for all ASLI courses attempted is required for continuation in the program. Failure to maintain a 2.00 grade point average may result in a warning. If a student is unable to improve their GPA within one semester, removal from the program is possible.
7. Prior to enrollment in a class any prerequisites must be completed successfully (grade of C or better). If a student enrolls in a class for which they have not successfully completed the prerequisites, 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 18, 2011
This Page Last Updated: August 1, 2011
Effective Date of Archive: August 20, 2012