About the Department

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is about:

Human communication,
The disorders that can affect that communication, and
The research and science that underpin normal and impaired communication.

The Department is committed to:

offering comprehensive, state-of-the-art undergraduate pre-professional coursework
providing quality graduate-level coursework and practicum experiences for those wanting to enter professional practice in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology
advancing the state of knowledge in both basic and applied aspects of communication sciences and disorders through its

master’s and Ph.D. research programs,
research and scholarly activities of both faculty and students, and
research laboratories

providing clinical and consulting services to the community, particularly through its on-campus Speech, Language and Hearing Applied Laboratory
supporting the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology and the discipline of communication sciences and disorders at the local, state, national and international levels

Accredited Programs

The graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) and graduates of the programs meet certification requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, as well as relevant Virginia licensure.

High National Rankings

U.S. News and World Report on “America’s Best Graduate Schools” has consistently ranked the Department’s graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology as among the top programs in the United States. http://www.jmu.edu/cisat/news/csd_honors.html

High Achieving Students and Graduate

The National Examination (“Praxis II”): From 2004-2005 through 2008-2009 students in Speech-Language Pathology have achieved a 99.5% pass rate on their first attempts at the national examination for an average score of 723. For each year 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009, the average SLP score has been 723 with 100% passing on the first attempt, 743 with 100% passing on the first attempt , and 728 with all passing on first attempt, respectively. From 2004-2005 through 2008-2009, students in Audiology have achieved a 93% pass rate on their first attempts at the national examination, with all passing on their second attempt. The average Praxis II score over these years was 649. For each year 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009, the average Audiology score was 644, with 100% passing on the first attempt, 655 with all passing on the first attempt, and 646 with all but one student passing on the first attempt and then passing on the retake, respectively.
Program Completion Rates: Data available for 2006-2007 through 2008-2009 indicate an average completion rate in Audiology of 100% and in Speech-Language Pathology of 95%.
Post-graduation Employment Rates: 89% within one year of graduation for Audiology and 99% for Speech-Language Pathology from data available from 2006-2007 through 2008-2009.

Student Organizations

Two active student associations, the JMU chapter of the National Student Speech, Hearing, Language Hearing Association (NSSHLA) and the JMU chapter of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA), provide support for students and assist the Department in its many activities.

Degree programs offered in the Department:

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Doctor of Audiology (Au.D) – an accredited professional preparation program in Audiology
Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology – an accredited professional preparation program in Speech-Language Pathology

o James Madison University, in conjunction with Hampton University, Longwood University and the University of Virginia, is also able to provide access to its accredited JMU Master’s degree in speech-language pathology through distance education technologies. This program is designed for persons interested in earning a Masters degree in speech language pathology on a part time basis through online technology. "Career changers" and educators are encouraged to apply. For more information you can explore the Distance Learning in Virginia Educating Speech Language Pathologists (DLVE-SLP) website at the following address: http://dlve-slp.cisat.jmu.edu

Master of Science (M.S.) in Communication Sciences and Disorders – a research master’s program
An undergraduate major (Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts) in Communication Sciences and Disorders
An undergraduate minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Communication Sciences & Disorders