BS in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences/MS in Speech-Language Pathology

The combined BS/MS-SLP program is designed for highly motivated and academically talented students who are ready to commit to a career in speech-language pathology and to complete an undergraduate degree in speech, language, and hearing sciences with a master’s degree in speech-language pathology in less time than the customary six years of study.

The program includes 166 credits overall with 128 for the baccalaureate (BS) degree and 38 for the MS-SLP. In the first semester of their junior year, students who have achieved an overall GPA of 3.6 (or better) at the end of their sophomore year with a GPA of 3.75 (or better) in SLHS courses and have completed all of their natural science (biology and physical science) requirements, at least four SLHS courses, and both of the required psychology courses with a minimum of 54 credits earned at Boston University will be invited to apply to the BS/MS program. At least one biology course must be taken at BU; if the student receives AP, IB, or other external credits for BI 105, 107 and/or 108 then BI 210 or BI 211 must be completed. A sample course plan is included below.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• Show measurable progress in the basic foundation knowledge that underlies research and clinical work in speech, language, and hearing sciences.
• Apply hearing science, disability awareness, and audiological testing to an analysis of the effects of hearing loss on a specific individual that includes remediation recommendations.
• Analyze clinic patients, research lab experiences, or other in-depth data to develop skills that can apply directly to their graduate school and/or post-BS employment opportunities.
• Interpret data from a speaker with a phonological disorder and support their conclusions by justifying the scope of their analyses, using primary journal articles and providing a coherent summary of their thought process.
• Apply their coursework in an integrative way to situations in a clinical, research, and/or other professional setting to complete a project or other duties assigned by the internship supervisor.

Requirements

All first-year, first-time students will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, a general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements are flexible and can be satisfied in many different ways, through coursework in and beyond the major and, in some cases, through co-curricular activities. Students majoring in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Quantitative Reasoning, Communication, Scientific and Social Inquiry, Diversity, Civic Engagement and Global Citizenship, and some elements of the Intellectual Toolkit. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, co-curricular experiences.

Freshman Year

First Semester

• CAS BI 105 Introductory Biology for Health Sciences
• CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar
• CAS PS 101 General Psychology
• SAR SH 531 Introduction to Communication Disorders
• SAR HP 150 Freshman Experience

Second Semester

• CAS BI 210 Human Anatomy
• CAS WR 150, 151, or 152 Writing, Research & Inquiry
• SAR HP 151 Introduction to Health Professions (2 cr)
• BU Hub requirements or general elective

Sophomore Year

First Semester

• Quantitative Reasoning (CAS MA 118, 120, 121, 123, or CS course, SAR HS 300, or ENG EK 127)
• SAR SH 522 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
• SAR HP 252 Health and Disability Across the Lifespan
• BU Hub requirements or general elective

Second Semester

• SAR SH 221 Phonetics
• Physical Science (CAS PY Physics or CAS CH Chemistry) 
• Cognition/Neuroscience (CAS NE 101, PS 205, 231, 332, 333, 336, or 345)
• SAR SH 524 Normal Language Acquisition
• BU Hub requirements or general elective

Junior Year

First Semester

• SAR SH 535 Introduction to Audiology
• SAR SH 523 Introduction to Speech Science
• SAR HP 353 Organization and Delivery of Health Care in the US or SAR elective
• CAS LX 250 Introduction to Linguistics

Second Semester

• SAR SH 547 Introduction to Clinical Process
• CAS MA 113, 115, 213 Statistics or CAS PS 211 Introduction to Experimental Design
• BU Hub requirements or general elective
• BU Hub requirements or general elective

Senior Year

First Semester

• SAR SH 542 Aural Rehabilitation
• SAR SH 605 Speech Sound Disorders (3 cr)
• SAR SH 700 Research Methods (1 cr)
• SAR SH 709 Language Sampling Analysis (2 cr)
• SAR SH 733 Voice and Resonance Disorders (3 cr)
• SAR SH 737 Evaluation and Diagnosis in Speech Pathology (2 cr)
• SAR SH 748 Hearing Practicum I (1 cr)
• SAR SH 756 Cognition and Neural Bases (3 cr)

Second Semester

• SAR SH 729 School-Age Language Disorders (3 cr)
• SAR SH 735 Preschool Language Disorders (3 cr)
• SAR SH 736 Aphasia (3 cr)
• SAR SH 738 Dysphagia (3 cr)
• SAR SH 740 Clinical Practicum (2 cr)