Undergraduate Overview

Admissions
Admission to the University of Arizona is accomplished in two phases, admission to the University and admission to freshman standing in a particular college, school division, or department. If you are interested in applying to the University, you can complete an online application through the Office of Admissions.

If you want to meet with an advisor to discuss the profession or registration, an appointment can be made at the Reception Desk in Room 214 or by calling 520-621-1644. You can schedule a campus tour with the Student Ambassador Tours and sign up for New Student Orientation. Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid to find out about scholarships and aid packages, and Residence Life to find out about housing options.

Email Denise Minopoli at minopold@email.arizona.edu for more information.

Undergraduate Program
Our undergraduate program is designed to provide you with foundational information concerning one of the most uniquely human traits, the ability to convey information from one individual to another. The program in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences involves the study of human communication sciences and its disorders, including normal and abnormal speech processes, language processes, and hearing processes. In addition, we designed our curriculum to help you develop critical thinking skills, the ability to evaluate scientific information, and to facilitate the development of your professional writing skills. It is our aim that you, as a successful student in our undergraduate program, will graduate with core skills that will promote achievement in the career of your choice.

For those of you wishing to pursue clinical or research careers in Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology, the undergraduate degree provides the prerequisite coursework required for graduate study. A Master’s Degree is required for practice as a speech-language pathologist and a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree or PhD is the entry-level degree for clinical practice in audiology. A speech-language pathologist is concerned with speech and language disorders (for example, stuttering, delayed language and articulation, aphasia, voice disorders, and many others). Audiologists are involved primarily with prevention and assessment of hearing loss, and habilitation/rehabilitation of individuals with hearing impairment. Both speech-language pathologists and audiologists work with patients and clients ranging from infants to the elderly and work in a variety of settings, including public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private practices, and universities. A PhD is typically required for a research career. Research provides the foundations for advancing the state of knowledge in the field as well as providing the means to improve clinical practice.  Those of you who follow the basic science track and obtain a PhD degree will most likely seek employment in a university, private industry, or a private research institution. An undergraduate major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences also provides a strong background for the pursuit of certain other careers, including teaching and health-related areas.

For those of you wishing to complete a pre-health major (e.g., in preparation for medical school), the undergraduate major can easily accommodate the pre-health prerequisites. Moreover, many of the courses in the major provide complementary content, including anatomy and physiology, normal development, and insights into disorders that disrupt human communication.

A detailed description of courses offered by our department is here.

Undergraduate Program Requirements »