Speech-Language Pathology | Department of Linguistics

Speech-Language Pathology for Linguistics Majors

Thinking about an exciting career in communication sciences and disorders (CSD)? Careers in audiology, speech-language pathology, and speech and hearing sciences offer a variety of work settings and patient/client populations. Working with the full range of human communication and its disorders, speech-language pathologists are professionals who evaluate, diagnose, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages, from infants to the elderly. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are excellent employment opportunities for speech-language pathologists. Employment of speech-language pathologists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Many speech-language pathologists begin their education with undergraduate degrees in Linguistics. Linguistics majors are particularly well trained for graduate programs in CSD, and we invite you to major in Linguistics to prepare for graduate study and career in CSD. A combination of required and elective courses form an SLP focused path within the Linguistics major.

The table below summarizes the requirements for the major, and the major path with focus on Speech Language Pathology. Course descriptions are available in the undergraduate bulletin.

Major requirements	LIN major with SLP path
Required LIN courses: (21 credits) Offered Fall and Spring	LIN 101 Human Language (3 credits) LIN 201 Phonetics (4 credits) LIN 301 Phonology (4 credits) LIN 311 Syntax (4 credits) LIN 431 Structure of an Uncommonly Taught Language (4 credits) LIN 405 ²Writing in Linguistics (2 credits)
Language requirement (number of credits may vary)	Language requirement: 1 year beyond LANG
Electives (18 credits) One may be lower division	Various LIN electives are offered every term See semester class list for current offerings Upper division LIN electives for SLP: LIN 330 ^1,2 Language Acquisition LIN 350 ^1,2 Experimental Phonetics LIN 380 ² Anatomy and Physiology of Speech LIN 381 ² Language and Speech Disorders LIN 382 ²Audiology
Other path-specific activities	25 observation hours or research experience (EXP+)

¹ = available either Fall or Spring
² = also available in Summer/Winter

In addition to these classes, The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) recommends that students who wish to apply for a graduate program in CSD also consider taking a course in each of the following foundational areas:

Biological Science - Acceptable courses emphasize content related to human or animal sciences, and include the areas of biology, anatomy & physiology, neuroanatomy & neurophysiology, human genetics, or veterinary science. A lab component is not required.
Social/Behavioral Science - Acceptable courses are in the areas of psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.
Physical Science - Acceptable courses are either in physics or chemistry. A lab component is not required.
Statistics - Acceptable courses include any college-level, stand-alone statistics course that is computational versus remedial, historical, or methodological in nature.

MS in SLP at SBU

For students applying to or preparing to begin the MS program in SLP in the School of Health Professions at Stony Brook University, the chart below provides information on how the required courses can be taken in the Department of Linguistics at Stony Brook University.

SHP required courses	corresponding LIN courses	prerequisites for LIN courses	Semester offered
“Applied Phonetics of English”	LIN 201 “Phonetics”	C or better in LIN 101, or permission of instructor for SLP students	Fall2022 Spring2023
	LIN 522 “Phonetics” ^[1]	none	Summer 2022 Fall2022
“Speech & Language Development”	LIN 330 “Language Acquisition”	C or better in LIN 101 (or LIN 530) and LIN 201 (or LIN 522), or permission of instructor for SLP students; prereqs not enforced in summer and winter	Fall2022 Winter2023
“Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech, Language & Hearing Mechanism”	LIN 380 “Anatomy & Physiology of Speech & Hearing”	C or better in LIN 101 (or LIN 530), or permission of instructor for SLP students; prereqs not enforced in summer and winter	Summer2022 Summer2023
“Speech Science”	LIN 350 “Experimental Phonetics”	C or better in LIN 101 (or LIN 530) and LIN 201 (or LIN 522), or permission of instructor for SLP students	Fall2022

^[1] Undergraduate students will need special permission to take graduate level courses.

NSSLHA

The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is the only national student organization for pre-professionals studying Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

The Chapter at Stony Brook is an extension of a larger group of people under the same name of NSSLHA. This group works to inspire, empower, and support students who have interest in the field of CSD, helping them develop the tools to navigate their academic career while preparing for their professional one.

Other useful resources:

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Prof. Marie Huffman ( marie.huffman@stonybrook.edu )

B.A. Program