Those who study communication and swallowing disorders are focused on people of all ages who demonstrate difficulty developing effective and appropriate communication and swallowing skills or who have lost their ability to communicate and/or swallow because of strokes or traumatic brain injury or other physical problems. Earning a degree in speech-language pathology from The University of Tulsa allows you to take the first step toward reaching your goals.
Students who choose to study speech-language pathology must earn an undergraduate degree (or take prerequisite coursework) as well as a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, since the master’s degree is the entry degree into the field of speech-language pathology. Undergraduate students follow a strict sequence of basic science and pre-professional courses during their undergraduate study and participate in a clinical practicum at the onsite speech, language and hearing clinic during their senior year. Graduate students study communication sciences and disorders in their graduate coursework and participate in clinical practicum on-site as well as off-site in a hospital/rehabilitation center and a public school setting. Speech-language pathologists facilitate the development or rehabilitation of speech, language and swallowing skills with people with communication and swallowing disorders throughout the lifespan in a variety of settings such as early intervention programs, hospital/rehabilitation facilities, schools, clinics and private practices.