Communication Disorders

Welcome to the Department of Communication Disorders!

“Of all the gifts bestowed upon humanity, the ability to communicate is one of the most important. Any impairment of this ability can have far-reaching consequences,
affecting every aspect of a person’s life, from learning, to work, to interactions with family, friends, and community. ...speech-language pathologists provide services to prevent, diagnose, evaluate, and treat communication disorders.”
(American Speech-Language Hearing Association)

Simply put, a degree in Communication Disorders will provide you with the opportunity to help individuals communicate.

As its principal responsibility, the Department of Communication Disorders prepares students to make positive contributions to the professional community of speech-language pathology. Our students are life-long learners who understand and appreciate their civic and professional responsibilities. 

We offer a pre-professional baccalaureate degree and a master’s degree in speech pathology. Our master’s program is nationally accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

We are proud to report a 100% pass rate on the national certification examination for our 2012 master’s graduates. This was not surprising as our average 3 year pass rate is also 100% which is above the national pass rate.

Our readily accessible faculty is committed to student success. We offer small classes, and have faculty ready to assist you on your journey into the exciting field of communication disorders!

If you have an interest in our program please give us a call or stop by Smith Hall 143 to schedule an appointment. We would love for you to visit us!

Karen McNealy, Au.D.
Chair/Program Director
Phone: (304) 696-3634
mcnealy@marshall.edu

National Accreditation

Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
2200 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850-3289
USA

Mission Statement

In keeping with the missions of the university and college, the Department of Communication Disorders has identified the preparation of students to make positive contributions to their world at large, their local community, and their professional community as its principal responsibility. Central to this task is the development of students as life-long learners who understand and appreciate their civic and professional responsibilities on a cognitive, social, and interpersonal level.

To that end, the mission of the program is to focus its efforts on structuring the student experience so that students will develop critical thinking skills and strategies, develop excellence in both oral and written communication skills, develop interpersonal skills appropriate for a variety of contexts, develop an appreciation for and an understanding of cultural differences, and develop an understanding of the process and use of pertinent research in the discipline and related disciplines. These efforts are evidenced by (1) the program’s commitment to ensuring quality in the undergraduate and graduate programs, (2) the program’s commitment in the processes of transmitting knowledge, advancing knowledge and applying knowledge, (3) the program’s participation in and sponsorship of community service activities, (4) the program’s efforts to promote diversity through recruiting efforts for faculty and students and the infusion of learning outcomes relating to diversity throughout the curriculum, (5) the program’s support for academic freedom and shared governance and (6) the program’s maintenance of and adherence to rigorous standards and high expectations for student achievement.

More specifically, the program has instituted and applied a number of policies and procedures to ensure successful efforts toward meeting the mission of the program. Examples of these include, but are not limited to: ongoing curricular review and revision, support for faculty development activities, frequent participation in and sponsorship of activities for the community at large (e.g., hearing screening activities) and the professional community (e.g., providing access to continuing education activities), compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines and admission to the graduate program of students from other undergraduate training programs, weekly faculty meetings in which programmatic and departmental decisions are made by the full faculty, and admission standards to both the undergraduate and graduate programs which recognize excellence in student achievement and professional development.