Are you interested in studying the various ways an infant acquires language? Helping an elderly person regain the power to connect with family and friends after a stroke? Conducting research on the causes of hearing loss or better treatments for swallowing disorders? By pursuing a career in speech-language pathology or audiology—whether in clinical practice, research or both—you can help people overcome difficulties in the most fundamental human activity of all: communication. If that’s your goal, our BS in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences  program will prepare you well for the advanced study required for clinical certification in these fields.

Maybe you have a different career in mind or haven’t chosen one yet, but you’re fascinated by human communication, linguistics, and language acquisition. In that case, the Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences program will let you study subjects that intrigue you and gain a deeper understanding of the processes basic to any career field. Because of the broad applications of the study of communication, you’ll find graduates of this program in everything from public health to marketing to law.

Going to graduate school? You’ll have an advantage

Most students who complete the program and apply to graduate school are accepted into excellent graduate programs, both at BU and elsewhere. One reason is the reputation of Boston University. Another is that the College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College ranks in the top 5% in the nation for our graduate Speech-Language Pathology Program as reported by U.S. News & World Report—and our graduate-level instructors also teach undergraduates.

The BS-SLHS curriculum gives you an edge, too. Along with fundamental courses in communication, linguistics, phonetics, anatomy, and physiology, it gives you a broad liberal arts foundation in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

You’ll have countless opportunities to gain experience and get involved

As part of your coursework, you’ll observe and assist at Sargent College’s Academic Speech Language & Hearing Center and the Aphasia Resource Center. At these in-house clinics, you’ll be exposed to a wide range of patients and communication disorders.

Our students also volunteer at top medical facilities like Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Boston Medical Center. They participate in dozens of volunteer programs on campus, too, from Health Leads to BU’s outstanding Community Service Center. In fact, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences majors are often recognized for their service and leadership.

We are a small school at a major university in a world-class city

Since our undergraduate class is small, you can develop close relationships with your professors, advisors, and classmates. Because you’re at Boston University, you’ll have access to the academic resources, campus life, student organizations, study abroad options, and endless activities of a renowned, urban university and research institution. And living in the heart of Boston, you’re minutes away from all the history, culture, and arts of one of America’s most exciting cities.