The B.S. Ed. degree, awarded upon completion of the four-year, 120-credit program, is a pre-professional degree. It is not adequate preparation for the provision of clinical services to children and adults with communicative disorders or for professional certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The undergraduate curriculum prepares students for one of three career paths in communication disorders: audiology, speech-language pathology, or speech and hearing science. Completion of an accredited graduate program in speech-language pathology or audiology is required for ASHA certification and state licensure. General education requirements for applicants are 12 credits in humanities, including English composition and English literature (required) with the balance from any of the following fields: foreign language, public speaking, fine arts, music, or philosophy; 12 credits in social sciences, including one class in American history (HIUS required), two classes in psychology and/or sociology, with the balance from psychology, sociology, history, anthropology, economics, political science, or geography; 15 credits in natural sciences and mathematics, including a course in college level mathematics (MATH 111 or above), statistics, PHYS 105 or 106, and 2 other science courses with at least one in the biological sciences, one in the physical sciences, and one in the behavioral or social sciences; EDHS 450, one credit in physical activity (PHYE), and six credits in professional education (EDLF 315 or PSYC 250 and EDLF 316). The program includes a minimum of 35 credits of approved course work in the nature, prevention, evaluation, and treatment of speech, language, hearing, and related disorders (EDHS 501, EDHS 502, EDHS 505, EDHS 508, ASL 101, EDIS 521, EDIS 302, EDIS 504, EDIS 512, EDIS 510 or 511, EDLF 545 and a psycholinguistics course). This pre-professional course work addresses issues pertaining to normal and abnormal human development and behavior across the life span as well as issues related to culturally diverse populations. Consult the
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/commdis website for more information.