The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) offers two pre-professional undergraduate majors focusing on the evaluation, treatment, and research of human communication and its disorders. Students in SLHS gain a firm foundation for future graduate studies in audiology, speech-language pathology, and many other fields, as well as a well-rounded education that prepares them for life.
Pre-professional Major: provides students with the foundational, pre-requisite courses needed to enter a graduate program in speech-language pathology or audiology, including advanced coursework in speech disorders, aural assessment and rehabilitation, and clinical methods. The Pre-professional Major is suitable for students who wish to work in a clinical setting as speech-language pathologists or audiologists.
Pre-research Major: provides students with the opportunity to pursue specialized research interests within the field of communication sciences. After completing foundational courses in communication disorders, linguistics, anatomy, acoustics, and language development, students take an additional course in research methods and design a program of coursework and research related to their specific field of interest, under the supervision of a faculty advisor. The Pre-research Major is a non-clinical track, suitable for students who wish to pursue research in speech, language, or hearing science at the graduate level or within a university or corporate environment.
Points of Pride
- The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Purdue is internationally recognized as having one of the leading programs in communication science and disorders, with a faculty whose expertise covers the full scope of the profession.
- Purdue’s graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology are consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally.
- The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences runs a speech-language and audiology clinic that provides services to individuals with all types of communication disorders. The department also offers extensive research facilities, including an anechoic chamber, equipment for measuring brain function, and sophisticated motion analysis and video equipment for research on sign language.