RockhuRst univeRsity 2012–2014 catalog

Demonstrate knowledge of basic human communication and swallowing processes,including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental,linguistic and cultural foundations.Provide evidence-based prevention, assessment and intervention services to childrenand adults from diverse backgrounds across the range of etiologies served within thescope of practice of Speech-language Pathologists.Engage in professional development and scholarly activity to advance the scienceand knowledge base of the profession of speech-language pathology.Demonstrate knowledge of state and national certification, specialty recognitionand other relevant professional credentials.Demonstrate knowledge and skill in oral and written communication with consumers,professionals and the general public.Graduation RequirementsThe Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders consists of a minimumof 48 credit hours, including 37 credit hours of required coursework, a minimum of 4credit hours of elective coursework, and 7 credit hours of clinical practicum experiences.The required coursework provides a broad and solid foundation in both the theoreticaland applied aspects of the discipline of communication sciences and disorders. Electivecoursework affords opportunities for more specialization or the pursuit of special interests.The clinical phase of the curriculum introduces students to the clinical, educational,and rehabilitation process. Supervised experiences in evaluation, treatment, prevention,and consultation with children and adults are provided. Clinical experiences will includeweekly class discussions on topics that support the development of knowledge and skillsimportant to successful clinical experiences and professional practice. Students complete375 supervised clinical clock hours in a variety of clinical sites. Students participate inclinical experiences in a minimum of three different settings. The academic and clinicalcurricular sequence has been designed to provide continuity and progression of learningexperiences. Coursework related to clinical populations will be a pre- or corequisite toclinical practice in that area.Student progression through the program is documented with the Knowledge andSkills Acquisition (KASA) form that identifies (a) the knowledge and skills to be acquiredduring the program and (b) courses and/or practicum experiences identified for deliveryof content or experiences for each area of knowledge and/or skill. The Basic KnowledgeExam will be administered during the first semester of the graduate program. This examwill provide evidence of student mastery of foundational knowledge attained in undergraduatecoursework. Students not able to demonstrate mastery of each knowledge and/or skill will need to successfully complete remediation procedures. Before the degree isconferred, students must meet all standards outlined in the KASA.The academic culmination of the program will be the culminating project thatreflects integration of content across the curriculum. The project involves preparation ofa systematic review research project, electronic portfolio, and comprehensive examination.Students who plan to pursue a doctoral degree will be encouraged to engage in a traditionallystructured research project.298