Overview
Communication Sciences Graduate Students Receive Interdisciplinary Training to Apply to a Wide Range of Careers
The School of Communication Sciences at Northwestern U offers a Masters in Speech Language Pathology, Masters in Learning Disabilities, Doctor of Audiology, and Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Any graduate student interested in pursuing a career that will allow them to diagnose and/or treat speech, swallowing, and language disorders will typically be well served in the Masters in Speech Language Pathology program. Esteemed by various college review catalogs and accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Council on Academic Accreditation, this course of study will prepare students for a career in a clinical setting found in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation facilities, and medical clinics and other practices.
Fully 100 percent of graduates from the M.S.L.P. degree program find employment within three months after completing the 7 to 10 quarters of study.
Coursework and research in the M.S.L.P. degree program includes fieldwork and observation that is directly applicable to the professional working environment. Studying normal and abnormal functions of swallowing, vocal development, articulation, phonology, fluency, neurological substrates, language, and literacy are at the forefront of these courses. Further clinical studies later in the program may be completed at the Swallowing Center on the Chicago campus. Interdisciplinary studies are also encouraged in neuroscience, linguistics, language, and cognition.
The Master of Arts in Learning Disabilities prepares students who want to work with children and adults suffering from language and learning difficulties. Upon graduation, most students find work in a clinical, educational, or community setting. The core curriculum consists of theory and research, integrated with clinical experience. Studying normal and abnormal development is achieved through courses covering oral language, reading, writing, mathematics, and nonverbal motor functions.
The Northwestern University Learning Clinic in Evanston provides the learning atmosphere needed for most of the research opportunities with faculty members, but certification may be accomplished through a teaching position at a nearby school.
Doctor of Audiology students complete their course and research requirements within 12 quarters, and find employment within three months of graduation. This program may lead to a career as a practitioner in private practice or with a local clinic or hospital. Job duties may include supervising clinical practitioners or overseeing service programs, as well as teaching. A very small student to faculty ratio allows very close working relations with the on-site experts in specific fields of concentration.
The Northwestern University Audiology Clinics provide an ideal learning setting where many clinical trials are conducted by both students and faculty members. Off-campus sites also provide ideal settings in hospitals and clinics, schools, private practices and centers that specialize in balance disorders and hearing conservation.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Sciences and Disorders prepares students for a career in academia, research, and teaching. These careers allow former students to examine communication forms, processes, and associated disorders. This Ph.D. program focuses on extensive research in clinics and campus laboratories, as well as scientific writing, publishing and gaining research funding from external sources. Interdisciplinary coursework in music, cognitive science, language, linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience is also encouraged.
Financial Aid in the Form of Assistantships, Fellowships, Internships, and Outside Funding for Graduate Students
Graduate students at Northwestern U pursuing a Ph.D. are usually offered four years and three summers of funding to aid with tuition costs. Additional support and assistance may vary between degree programs, and include scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, traineeships, and loans. External research funding achieved by requests and proposals written by the students themselves is also strongly encouraged.
Northwestern University Offers Students Easy Access to Nearby Metropolitan Areas of Evanston and Chicago, Illinois
Graduate students seeking a master's or doctorate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech and Language Pathology, or Audiology enjoy a wide range of activities on Northwestern's campus and in surrounding cities.
Evanston is a smaller city that provides a hometown feel among its residents and local organizations, but Chicago is not too far away. Designer shopping, upscale dining, and cosmopolitan museums and art galleries attract NU students on a weekly basis. The surrounding areas of Illinois offer access to the Great Lakes and summer water sports, hiking on the sand dunes, and an ideal mix of both urban and rural lifestyles throughout the state.
On campus, guest speakers visit almost daily to talk to students about a variety of subjects. Student art is also on exhibit, and live musical and theatre shows are ideal entertainment for many. Resident students are encouraged to join and take part in activities with one of many student-run organizations that make up the Graduate Leadership Council, such as the Graduate Student Association, Chicago Graduate Student Association, Black Graduate Student Association, Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Graduate Student Association for Latino and Spanish Activities, and the Queer Pride Graduate Student Association.
