To identify and develop the talents of students whose prior educational and cultural experiences have heretofore prevented them from participating in allied health careers. The curriculum requires approximately two years of full-time study beyond an acceptable Bachelor's degree. Students entering the program may be required to enroll in undergraduate or prerequisite courses. The curriculum emphasizes comprehensive understanding of normal communicative processes, including reception, integration, and expression. They also emphasize in-depth analyses of communicative disorders, giving special attention to techniques for diagnosis, remediation, and management.
Students plan their curricula in consultation with an advisor.
The Department supplements classroom instruction with required, supervised, clinical observation and practicum experiences in speech-language pathology and audiology. Practicum experiences, applicable toward ASHA certification, are provided by the on-campus Speech and Hearing Center. The Center provides diagnostic and clinical services to children and adults in the Nashville-Davidson County area. To further accomplish training objectives, students are assigned to off-campus practicum sites for diagnostic and clinical experiences and involvement in interdisciplinary team approaches to case management. The Department of Speech Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.