The Communication Science and Disorders program, which began in May, teaches students how to improve the communicating abilities of people who experience speech and language deficits due to developmental disabilities, illness or surgery.
Students also learn to assess and treat cognitive and communicative and swallowing disorders.
Program director Elise Davis-McFarland, Ph.D., said that the course work is designed to prepare students for work in a medical setting, such as a hospital or a long term care facility. This has been an extremely popular program right from the start, Davis-McFarland said. She added that because of the stiff competition for admittance, many of the students already have advanced degrees in other disciplines. She said plans for growth include raising the class size to 20 next year and 25 the third year. Then we ll hold it at that level for awhile.