Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems. The Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders provides students with a strong foundation to enter a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. UA Little Rock is the only public university in Central Arkansas that offers a bachelor’s degree, an advanced certificate for post-baccalaureates, and post-baccalaureate courses that prepare students to pursue an advanced degree.
The courses align with the 2020 American Speech, Language, Hearing Association (ASHA) academic and clinical guidelines for speech-language pathologists (SLPs).
We also offer a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders that includes 18 hours of coursework.
Working as a Speech-Language Pathologist
Speech-language pathologists provide services in such areas as speech sound production, fluency, receptive and expressive language, literacy, impacts of hearing loss on speech and language, swallowing, feeding, and cognition.
Clients may have conditions like aphasia, autism spectrum disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, developmental language impairments, acquired brain injury, intellectual disability, and reading and/or writing impairments.
SLPs work in hospitals, preschools, schools, veteran care sites, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and universities.
Admission Requirements
Freshmen and sophomore students may be pre-admitted to the major, and upper-level students may be admitted to the major. Pre-admission requires a meeting with the Education Counselor, Dechantria Wallace.
Upper-level students may be admitted to the program if they meet these requirements:
- A cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 (includes ALL previous college-level coursework)
- Completion of approximately 50 hours of college coursework
- A meeting with the Undergraduate Coordinator, Dr. Stephen Kintz, sgkintz@ualr.edu
Minimum Qualifications to Practice as an SLP
To practice as an SLP, you must have a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, successful completion of the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association (ASHA) national praxis examination, successful completion of a 9-month Supervised Clinical Fellowship Experience (post M.S.), and receipt of the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competency.
Course Sequence
The course sequence begins in the fall semester and each class is taught once per year. No courses are offered during the summer, and no online courses are offered. Students may attend full-time or part-time.
AUSP Fall Courses:
- 2360 Introduction to Speech and Language Impairments
- 3340 Introduction to Audiology
- 3350 Applied Phonetics
- 3360 Language Acquisition
- 3361 Speech Anatomy and Physiology
- 4162 Practicum I
- 4310 Neural Processing
- 4372 Research in Speech Language Path (Elective)
AUSP Spring Courses:
- 3364 Speech & Hearing Sciences
- 3363 Speech Sound Disorders
- 3365 Clinical Management
- 3366 Children with Language Impairments
- 4163 Practicum II
- 4364 Assessment in Spch Lang Path
- 4369 Aural Rehabilitation
- 4370 Cultural Competence in CSD (Elective)
- 4371 Adults with Cog Lang Disorders
Additional Coursework Required by the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requires students preparing for a degree in speech-language pathology to successfully complete non-degree coursework in four areas (biological science, statistics, social sciences, and physical science). Please contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for additional information. These courses are not prerequisite courses for entry into the B.S. and are not required for the B.S. degree.