Communication Sciences & Disorders

Rena Krakow, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Program Director
Weiss Hall 267
215-204-8407
rkrakow@temple.edu

Dr. Lisa Bedore, Chair
Weiss Hall 110
215-204-4482
lisa.bedore@temple.edu

https://cph.temple.edu/commsci/home

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a major in Speech, Language & Hearing Science. In addition to the major, the department also offers a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, a certificate in Linguistics, and a certificate in American Sign Language. Enrollment in departmental courses of students pursuing minors and certificates is subject to availability.

  1. The total number of credit hours required for graduation may be greater for some students, depending on initial placement exams, transfer evaluations, individual curricular choices, and academic progress.
  2. Certain courses fulfill multiple requirements. In consultation with an academic advisor, students will be able to plan their curriculum more effectively.
  3. Students must fulfill the necessary prerequisites for any given course or course sequence. See the Prerequisites and Co-requisites Policy in the Academic Policies section of this Bulletin.

The Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language & Hearing Science may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty upon the satisfactory completion of 122 credit hours. A grade of C is the lowest acceptable final grade for courses required by the major. A grade of C- (C Minus) is the lowest acceptable grade in GenEd courses. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders requires that students show a basic level of proficiency in a language other than English. This requirement may be met by taking college-level courses up to or beyond the equivalent of the 1002-level or by showing similar knowledge through a placement examination. Students may take American Sign Language to satisfy this requirement.

Distinction in the Major

Students who complete the Speech, Language & Hearing Science major may graduate with distinction in the department if they meet the requirements outlined below:

  1. GPA of 3.50 or better in the major and overall;
  2. No grade below B in the major;
  3. Completion of an honors paper at the end of a 3-credit independent study (CSCD 4979) during which the student will engage in an empirical study or library research in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders under the supervision of a faculty advisor;
  4. Completion of 20 hours of volunteer work, internship, or fieldwork in consultation with the advisor.

Programs

Courses

CSCD 0815. Language in Society. 3 Credit Hours.

How did language come about? How many languages are there in the world? How do people co-exist in countries where there are two or more languages? How do babies develop language? Should all immigrants take a language test when applying for citizenship? Should English become an official language of the United States? In this course we will address these and many other questions, taking linguistic facts as a point of departure and considering their implications for our society. Through discussions and hands-on projects, students will learn how to collect, analyze, and interpret language data and how to make informed decisions about language and education policies as voters and community members. NOTE: This course fulfills the Human Behavior (GB) requirement for students under GenEd and Individual & Society (IN) for students under Core. Students cannot receive credit for this course if they have successfully completed any of the following: ANTH 0815/0915, Asian Studies 0815, Chinese 0815, EDUC 0815/0915, English 0815, Italian 0815, PSY 0815, Russian 0815, or Spanish 0815.

Course Attributes: GB

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 1001. American Sign Language I. 3 Credit Hours.

The linguistic structure of American Sign Language is taught in this course. Students learn about American deaf culture and the history of the deaf in the United States. This course assumes no prior knowledge of American Sign Language or deaf culture. NOTE: Check school/college policy regarding the use of this course to fulfill the degree's foreign language requirements, if applicable.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 1002. American Sign Language II. 3 Credit Hours.

This is the second semester of a two semester sequence in American Sign Language. This class teaches students to reach an advanced beginner level of proficiency in providing and understanding American Sign Language. The course also discusses deaf culture in a global framework. Students must have successfully completed American Sign Language I (CSCD 1001) to enroll in this course. NOTE: Check school/college policy regarding the use of this course to fulfill the degree's foreign language requirements, if applicable.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1001|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 1003. American Sign Language III. 3 Credit Hours.

This intermediate level ASL course focuses on interactive experiences with language structures, functions, and vocabulary necessary for building narrative and conversational skills that enable efficient communication in ASL and Deaf Cultural contexts. The course also aims to expand students' range of cultural and personal topics of discussion, and to use the target language meaningfully and creatively.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1002|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently
OR CSCD 1902|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 1004. American Sign Language IV. 3 Credit Hours.

This is the fourth in a sequence of ASL courses, which focuses on expanded interactive experiences with language structures, functions, and vocabulary necessary for efficient communication in ASL and Deaf Cultural contexts. Particular attention is given to enhanced fluency in the use of ASL classifiers, non-manuals, role shift, and spatial mapping within both conversational and more formal situations. Attention is also given to expanding the range of cultural and personal topics of discussion in meaningful and creative ways.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1003|Minimum Grade of C-|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 1108. Introduction to Linguistics. 3 Credit Hours.

A survey of methods and results in the study of natural language syntax, phonology, semantics, historical change, and dialect variation. English is the primary language of investigation, but facts from other languages are introduced as appropriate. NOTE: Only one of the following two courses may be credited toward the baccalaureate degree: CSCD 1108 (0108); English 2821 (0111).

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 1901. Honors American Sign Language 1. 3 Credit Hours.

This is an introductory course in American Sign Language that emphasizes beginning receptive and expressive skills. The linguistic structure of American Sign Language (ASL) is emphasized as students gain practical skills. The honors course also emphasizes the ways in which ASL differs from other signed languages used around the world and explores Deaf culture and history. This course assumes no prior knowledge of American Sign Language or Deaf culture. NOTE: Check school/college policy regarding the use of this course to fulfill the degree's foreign language requirements, if applicable.

Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.

Course Attributes: HO

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 1902. Honors American Sign Language 2. 3 Credit Hours.

This is the second semester of a two-semester Honors sequence in American Sign Language. Students in this class achieve an advanced beginner level of expressive and receptive skills in American Sign Language. This course emphasizes genetic and social factors that lead to and follow from a high incidence of deafness within selected communities. Students must have successfully completed Honors American Sign Language 1 (CSCD 1901) to enroll in this course. NOTE: Check school/college policy regarding the use of this course to fulfill the degree's foreign language requirements, if applicable.

Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.

Course Attributes: HO

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1901|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 2011. American Deaf Culture. 3 Credit Hours.

This course addresses the difference between the medical view of deafness as a disability, focusing on hearing loss, and the cultural view, focusing on the language and culture of the Deaf. The course explores the relation between language and culture, the history of the Deaf in America, Deaf art, literature and folklore in addition to issues surrounding deaf education, bilingualism, and how cochlear implants are viewed by the Deaf community. Students need not have any experience with American Sign Language to take this course.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 2049. Language and the Brain. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to the major issues and results in neurolinguistics, the study of the representation of language in the brain. Major topics include localization of language function in the brain, the use of linguistic knowledge in producing and comprehending words and sentences, and the effects of brain damage on language behavior.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 2111. Language and Race. 3 Credit Hours.

This course investigates the relationship between language and race in order to accurately and objectively evaluate many common beliefs about the connections between the two. How all languages systematically organize sounds, grammar, and meanings with a special emphasis on the structure of African American English is demonstrated. Also investigated is how particular ways of speaking may or may not affect thought patterns or social identity. Public policy issues involving language and race are also examined. NOTE: This course can be used to satisfy the university Core Studies in Race (RS) requirement. Although it may be usable towards graduation as a major requirement or university elective, it cannot be used to satisfy any of the university GenEd requirements. See your advisor for further information.

Course Attributes: RS

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 2197. Communication Deviations and Disorders. 3 Credit Hours.

This introductory course to the field of speech-language pathology examines the impact of communication deviations and disorders on the individual and society, including the disabling nature of various disorders; their prevention, identification, assessment, and treatment; and the ways in which individuals deal with the social, educational, and vocational effects of these disorders. Includes observations within the scheduled class periods.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 2201. Research Methods in Communication Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

Introduces quantitative research methods in the communication sciences. Covers a variety of study domains including field/descriptive, correlational, survey, clinical, ethnographic, and experimental research designs. Students learn various research methods for addressing particular types of research questions. Concepts covered include types of variables, parametric and nonparametric inferential statistics, sampling designs, hypothesis testing, and publication policies.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 2202. Sociolinguistics. 3 Credit Hours.

Sociolinguistics connects languages with the societies and social situations in which they are used. We study regional and social dialects and the judgments listeners make when they hear language and its variations. This course includes the study of African American Vernacular English as well as other dialects and variants of English. We also study pidgins and creoles and the social situations in which they evolve and their relation to so-called "full-fledged" languages.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 2209. Phonetics and Phonology. 4 Credit Hours.

This course examines the subsystems of language that govern (1) the physical properties of speech sounds and (2) the cognitive representation and function of speech sounds in the grammatical system that underlies spoken language. The course also focuses on (1) the acquisition of a body of knowledge relating to phonetic taxonomy, (2) the mastery of techniques of data description and analysis in phonetics (the study of speech production & perception), (3) analytical reasoning skills, and (4) techniques of data description and analysis in phonology.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1108|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently
OR ENG1 Y|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 2219. Psycholinguistics. 4 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is a basic functional knowledge of the lexical and syntactic structure of natural language and an understanding of what is currently known and suggested about how our subconscious knowledge of lexical and syntactic structure is put to use in the comprehension and production of language. The course also focuses on basic linguistic structure underlying human communication, including lexical structure, morphological analysis, syntactic phrase structure, and constituent deletion and displacement.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1108|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently
OR ENG1 Y|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3231. Principles of Syntax. 3 Credit Hours.

The overarching and ambitious goal of syntactic theory is to provide an account of human language, specifically the structure of sentences. As an introductory course in syntax, CSCD 3231 utilizes the scientific method in its study of the formal properties of language - in this case sentence structure. In this course you will be exposed to and will utilize the syntactic, morphological, and sometimes, phonological tests that argue for the modules that comprise contemporary syntactic theory. These tests form the basis of syntactic argumentation.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1108|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3232. Introduction to Aphasia and Evidence-Based Communicative Interventions. 3 Credit Hours.

Approximately one million Americans have aphasia, which is a language and communication impairment that sometimes results from strokes. This course will provide the opportunity to learn about aphasia, including treatment approaches for this population. Students will learn about the etiology, characteristics, and types of aphasia as well as evidence-based strategies that can be used to facilitate communication with this population. Students will complete a field project in which they will work with people who have aphasia. Students will be assigned to specific field projects based on availability, schedules, and preferences. All field projects will be carried out on Temple's campus at sites such as The Philadelphia Aphasia Community at Temple (PACT) and Temple's Speech-Language-Hearing Center (TUSLHC). Registration is by permission only; registration is restricted to students with an overall GPA of 3.0 and above.

Class Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Classes: Junior 60 to 89 Credits, Senior 90 to 119 Credits, Senior/Fifth Year 120+ Credits.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 3233. Basic Speech Science. 4 Credit Hours.

An in-depth study of speech production, including respiration, phonation, articulation, and acoustics. An introduction also to the domain of speech perception. Includes classroom and laboratory instruction, basic readings, and current theoretical papers.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 2209|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3234. Basic Hearing Science. 4 Credit Hours.

The physics of sound, acoustics, sound measurement, anatomy, and physiology of the auditory periphery, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology of the auditory central system, and an introduction to psychoacoustics.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 3235. Human Neuroscience. 4 Credit Hours.

Introduction to the anatomy, organization, and function of the human nervous system, with an emphasis on the disorders that result from damage to the brain.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Fields of study: Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 3236. Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Focus on Autism. 3 Credit Hours.

Autism occurs across all cultural and linguistic groups, but services to diverse populations are notably limited. This course will provide the opportunity to learn about autism, including treatment approaches for this population, and about service to the under-served immigrant community in Philadelphia. We will begin the semester by covering information about cultural and linguistic competence and the services provided by a range of professionals. We will also discuss the types of strategies that can be used to facilitate communication. Students will complete field projects in which they will work with families where a child has been diagnosed with autism. These projects will occur in community settings and at Temple University.

Department Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Departments: CPH:Communication Science.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 2197|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3297. Syntax. 3 Credit Hours.

This course investigates the structure of sentences in natural language, drawing data from a number of languages including English. Theoretical issues related to the analysis of a variety of sentence patterns are explored.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

CSCD 3301. Speech and Language Development. 3 Credit Hours.

The acquisition of language by children is investigated and related to broader issues in cognitive science, development, and the theory of knowledge. Students are required to conduct observations of language behavior in preschool children.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
(CSCD 2209|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently)
AND (CSCD 2219|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently)

CSCD 3302. Readings and Research in Multilingualism. 3 Credit Hours.

This course explores topics related to multilingualism and research on multilingualism such as K-12 education, the challenges of identifying language delay and disorder, cognitive development, and code-switching. A variety of language pairings are incorporated into the course, including both spoken and signed languages. Students select a focus: (1) Readings in Multilingualism or (2) Multilingualism Research Project. Course content is the same, but the assignments differ with option (1) allowing students to investigate the readings in greater detail through response papers and investigations of related literature, and option (2) providing students with the opportunity to experience real research ongoing in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Students do not need to be multilingual to take this course. The research focus requires instructor approval.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1108|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3304. Clinical Phonetics. 3 Credit Hours.

This course engages students in the scientific study of speech sounds with a focus on clinical application. The course will involve transcription of different types of speech, including adult and child speech, and typical and disordered speech. The emphasis will be on English (including its dialectal variants), but other languages will also be discussed at various points. The course will include both lecture format and lab format. Lectures will cover important knowledge relevant to clinical phonetics. Class activities will be devoted to transcription practice and further illustration of concepts discussed in lecture.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 2209|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3305. Teaching and Learning: The Preceptor Experience. 2 Credit Hours.

This course offers students the opportunity to learn about both teaching and learning in a hands-on environment. Each student is assigned to work as a preceptor for an undergraduate class in which the student has previously earned an 'A.' Preceptors will provide review sessions and tutoring support (during preceptor office hours) to students enrolled in the class. In addition, preceptors will attend all meetings of the class for which they are precepting, as well as weekly 1-hour lectures focusing on learning styles, pedagogical methods (such as collaborative learning), and ways of modifying information presented to different individuals. These skills are critical to working with people with communication disorders.

Department Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Departments: CPH:Communication Science.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

CSCD 3382. Independent Study in Communication Sciences. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.

Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.
Class Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Classes: Junior 60 to 89 Credits, Senior 90 to 119 Credits, Senior/Fifth Year 120+ Credits.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

CSCD 3730. Topics in Linguistics. 3 Credit Hours.

CSCD 3730 is a 3-credit undergraduate elective that will challenge students to think critically and analytically about pressing issues and questions in Linguistics. Topics will change from semester to semester, enabling students to take the course up to 3 times in order to explore the range of offerings. This course will be of special interest to students in Speech-Language-Hearing, Linguistics, Foreign Languages, English, and Anthropology. The course is also open to those in other disciplines.

Class Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Classes: Junior 60 to 89 Credits, Senior 90 to 119 Credits, Senior/Fifth Year 120+ Credits.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 1108|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently
OR ENG 2821|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 3900. Honors Special Topics in Communication Sciences and Disorders. 3 Credit Hours.

This Honors Elective course in CSCD will challenge students to think critically and analytically about pressing issues and questions in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The topics will change from semester to semester, enabling students to take the course up to 3 times in order to explore different topics.

Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.

Course Attributes: HO

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

CSCD 4301. Principles of Audiology. 3 Credit Hours.

An introductory course in the field of audiology, including assessment of disorders of the auditory system, acoustic measurements, testing environment and testing protocol, electrophysical measurements, test interpretation, and professional development.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.
Class Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Classes: Senior 90 to 119 Credits, Senior/Fifth Year 120+ Credits, Graduate 0 to 17 Credits, Graduate 18 to 35 Credits.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
CSCD 3234|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently.

CSCD 4396. Orientation to Clinical Management. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to provide information about the principles underlying the diagnostic and therapeutic processes in communication disorders, with particular reference to speech and language disorders, and to begin to train students in the application of these principles. The application of principles is accomplished in two-hour laboratory sessions held periodically throughout the first half of the semester and weekly during the second half of the semester. NOTE: The labs will be conducted in individual two-hour blocks that complement students' schedules.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.
Class Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Classes: Junior 60 to 89 Credits, Senior 90 to 119 Credits, Senior/Fifth Year 120+ Credits, Graduate 0 to 17 Credits, Graduate 18 to 35 Credits.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
(CSCD 2209|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently
AND CSCD 2219|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently
AND CSCD 3301|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently)

CSCD 4397. Fieldwork in Linguistics. 3 Credit Hours.

This is a project course in which students conduct guided research on a topic in the structure of some language. It is taken in the last year of undergraduate study and is the capstone course for the Linguistics major.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics.
Class Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Classes: Junior 60 to 89 Credits, Senior 90 to 119 Credits, Senior/Fifth Year 120+ Credits.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites:
(CSCD 2209|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently
AND CSCD 3297|Minimum Grade of C|May not be taken concurrently)

CSCD 4730. Topics in Communication Sciences and Disorders. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.

Special topics in Communication Sciences and Disorders will change from semester to semester. Topics and instructors for a specific semester will be announced by the department and posted on the CSCD Department's web site and undergraduate listserv. This course is variable credit ranging from 1 to 3 credits.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

CSCD 4979. Honors in Communication Sciences. 3 Credit Hours.

Students are expected to write and support a major paper under the supervision of a designated honors advisor. The work must be of honors quality and accepted by the honors advisor and a second reader. Students who complete this course satisfactorily, perform 20 hours of volunteer work in consultation with the departmental honors advisor, and meet the other requirements describedin the Bulletin about CSCD programs will graduate with distinction in Communication Sciences and Disorders. NOTE: Registration in CSCD 4979 requires a GPA is 3.50 or better both within the major and overall, and having no grade below B in the major. Eligible seniors should consult the Undergraduate Program Director, Dr. Krakow, for details.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: Linguistics, Spch Lang Hearing Science.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: SCHONORS, UHONORS, UHONORSTR.

Course Attributes: HO

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.