Human language is the primary and unifying theme of the department.
It brings to students an opportunity to explore the richness and diversity of this unique phenomenon. Students are provided with a solid background in linguistics, speech, hearing, and language science disciplines thoroughly grounded in the liberal arts. They are also able to study first, second, and atypical language acquisition and use, examining similarities and differences in these processes. The department houses programs in Linguistics and in Communication Sciences and Disorders, which are designed to provide the necessary preparation for students who are interested in careers in Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and related scholarly and professional disciplines. Through the exploration of human speech and language, we hope to impart to the student a deep appreciation and understanding of human nature.