Speech & Hearing Science: Neuroscience of Communication, BS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Speech & Hearing Science, Neuroscience of Communication Concentration
The Neuroscience of Communication concentration provides an interdisciplinary understanding of the neurological systems that underlie human communication. Students will study the biological basis of communication in order to understand brain-behavior correlates of typical and disordered speech, language, and hearing function. In addition, students will benefit from faculty research that utilizes innovative technologies to study the structure and function of the sensory-motor systems that underlie human communication abilities. This concentration is intended to help prepare students for health and science-related careers, including medicine and neuroscience. In addition, undergraduates interested in pursuing careers as an audiologist or speech-language pathologist can combine this concentration with pre-certification requirements.
More information about the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology may be found on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s website.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Speech & Hearing Science, Neuroscience of Communication Concentration
General Education: Students are advised to select their General Education course requirements from the University’s approved list of courses and to work in close consultation with their academic advisor to ensure graduation requirements are addressed.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Skills | ||
| Composition I | ||
| RHET 105 | Writing and Research | 4-6 |
| or CMN 111 & CMN 112 | Oral & Written Comm I and Oral & Written Comm II | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| One course in Advanced Writing/Composition II from university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning I | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Data Science Discovery | ||
| Statistical Analysis | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning II | 3 | |
| One course from the university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| Humanities and the Arts | 6 | |
| Minimum of two courses from university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 6 | |
| Minimum of two courses from university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| Natural Sciences and Technology | 6 | |
| Choose one from the following and one from the university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| Introductory Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I | ||
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Lab II | ||
| Chemistry, Everyday Phenomena | ||
| Accelerated Chemistry I and Accelerated Chemistry Lab I | ||
| Accelerated Chemistry II and Accelerated Chemistry Lab II | ||
| College Physics: Mech & Heat | ||
| College Physics: E&M & Modern | ||
| Physics Made Easy | ||
| How Things Work | ||
| Physics of Societal Issues | ||
| University Physics: Mechanics | ||
| University Physics: Elec & Mag | ||
| Univ Physics: Thermal Physics | ||
| Univ Physics: Quantum Physics | ||
| Cultural Studies | 9 | |
| One course from Western Cultures university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| One course from Non-Western Cultures university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| One course from U.S. Minority Cultures university approved Gen Ed list. | ||
| Foreign Language | 0-12 | |
| May be satisfied if had three years of one non-English language in high school or completed the equivalent of three semesters of college level foreign language (through the intermediate level). | ||
| Total Hours | 40-54 | |
Speech and Hearing Science Professional Core Requirements
All students must complete a series of SHS core classes regardless of their area of concentration. Students are advised to work with the undergraduate academic advisor to ensure courses are taken in proper sequential order. One area of concentration (Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, Neuroscience of Communication, or Cultural-Linguistic Diversity) must be declared prior to the senior year.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SHS 170 | Intro Hum Comm Sys & Disorders | 3 |
| SHS 191 | Freshmen Seminar | 1 |
| SHS 200 | General Phonetics | 3 |
| SHS 240 | Intro Sound & Hearing Science | 3 |
| SHS 300 | Anat & Physiol Spch Mechanism | 4 |
| or LING 300 | Anat & Physiol Spch Mechanism | |
| SHS 301 | General Speech Science | 4 |
| or LING 303 | General Speech Science | |
| SHS 320 | Development of Spoken Language | 3 |
| SHS 385 | Interpreting Clinical Research in Speech & Hearing Science | 3 |
| SHS 450 | Intro Audiol & Hear Disorders | 4 |
| General Education Hours | 40-54 | |
| Professional Core Hours | 28 | |
| Concentration Hours | 19 | |
| Electives | 27-41 | |
| Total Hours | 128 | |
Electives
All students are encouraged to take electives inside and outside the department that will count towards the 128 required hours for graduation (the total number of electives students may take may vary with each individual). Students are encouraged to select electives that will complement their areas of interest and future goals. Areas listed below are only a sampling of possibilities; they are not to be considered as requirements and students are not limited to these choices. All students are responsible for addressing course pre-requisites, and course availability may vary.
Relevant areas include: Anthropology (ANTH), Communications (CMN), Kinesiology and Community Health (KIN, CHLH), Educational Organization and Leadership (EOL), Curriculum & Instruction (CI), Educational Policy Studies (EPS), Educational Psychology (EPSY), English (ENGL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS), Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), Library and Information Science (LIS), Linguistics (LING), Neuroscience (NEUR), Psychology (PSYC), Recreation, Sport, & Tourism (RST), Rehabilitation Counseling (REHB), Special Education (SPED ), Sociology (SOC), Social Work (SOCW). Additional areas to explore may include: courses in a foreign language beyond the completion of the University’s requirement, as well as additional courses in science, such as Biology (IB, MCB), Physics (PHYS), microcomputer applications (e.g. ACE), and courses in cultural studies.
Neuroscience of Communication Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SHS 280 | Communication Neuroscience | 3 |
| SHS 389 | Neuroplasticity and Communication | 3 |
| SHS 427 | Language and the Brain | 3 |
| SHS 470 | Neural Bases Spch Lang | 4 |
| Students must also take 6 hours from the following specified electives: | 6 | |
Any Chemistry or Physics 100-level class | ||
| Biology in Today's World | ||
| Intro to Brain and Cognition | ||
| Child Psych | ||
or EPSY 236 | Child Development in Education | |
| Perception & Sensory Processes | ||
| Cognitive Psych | ||
| Learning and Memory | ||
| Communication and Aging | ||
| Research Lab Experience in SHS 1 | ||
| Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across Communication Contexts | ||
| Communication Partners and Health | ||
| Individual Study 1 | ||
| Honors Individual Study 1 | ||
| Augmentative & Alt Comm | ||
| Prepracticum in SHS | ||
| Total Hours | 19 | |
- 1
No more than 3 credits from SHS 291, SHS 390 and SHS 395 may be counted toward the 6 credits of specified electives.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Speech & Hearing Science, Neuroscience of Communication Concentration
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. The minimum number of hours required for the BS degree is 128. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. This may require up to three semesters of language depending on high school coursework or placement. See the corresponding section on the Degree General and Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| SHS 170 | 3 | SHS 200 | 3 |
| SHS 191 | 1 | Language Other than English (3rd level) | 3 |
| Composition I or General Education Course | 3 | Composition I or General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 1 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| SHS 280 | 3 | SHS 240 | 3 |
| SHS 320 | 3 | SHS Specified Elective | 3 |
| General Education Course - choose Natural Science & Technology course from departmental list | 3 | General Education Course - choose Quantitative Reasoning I course from departmental list | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | Elective | 1 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| SHS 300 | 4 | SHS 301 | 4 |
| SHS 450 | 4 | SHS 385 | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | SHS 389 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 2 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| SHS 470 | 3 | SHS 427 | 3 |
| SHS Specified Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 1 | Elective | 1 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 128 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Speech & Hearing Science, Neuroscience of Communication Concentration
The Department of Speech and Hearing Science
Speech and Hearing Science faculty
College of Applied Health Sciences
College of Applied Health Sciences catalog page