Stern College for Women
""

Speech Pathology and Audiology

Program Chair
Elyse R. Granik
elyse.granik@yu.edu

The Speech Pathology and Audiology Program at Stern College for Women is an exciting baccalaureate degree program designed to prepare students for advanced graduate programs in speech pathology and audiology, with the goal of qualifying for national certification and appropriate licenses so that they may help children and adults with speech, language, voice, swallowing, balance and hearing disorders.

Speech pathology and audiology professionals work closely with their clients and families who have a range of communication disorders, from varying degrees and etiologies of hearing loss, developmental speech, language, learning and processing delays as well as acquired disorders of balance, speech production, language and memory loss. 

The courses at Stern College are presented sequentially, with a natural progression from basic sciences to clinical coursework introducing the tools for evaluative and rehabilitative strategies. Courses include a unique combination of introductory sciences, developmental stages, clinical knowledge and techniques as well as client counseling needed for preparation for graduate school and clinical practice. 

The program has an active Speech Pathology-Audiology Club that presents speakers on various topics, provides public information to the general school population and offers a forum from which our students can address other issues of interest. Stern College students are also invited to participate in Yeshiva University's NSSLHA chapter alongside the Katz School graduate students in speech-language pathology.

Students from the Speech Pathology and Audiology Program at Stern College for Women are proud to organize, write, edit, and publish the Speech Pathology/Audiology Journal. This experience allows students to add to their own credentials and enhances their Stern College experience. A recent edition of Speech Pathology/Audiology Journal may be found here (PDF)

Mission Statement

The mission of the Speech Pathology and Audiology Program at Stern College for Women is to prepare students for admission to advanced, graduate study in the fields of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology by helping students develop a knowledge of the underlying anatomy, physiology, physics and philosophies of the speech, hearing and language mechanisms. The program's curriculum focuses on the development and practical application of clinical skills as well as equips students to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse patients and their families.  

Program Student Learning Goals

  1. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of typical language development.
  2. Students will be able to evaluate language and hearing function (at an introductory level).
  3. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the speech, voice, and hearing mechanisms.
  4. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the processes resulting in atypical speech, language and hearing. 
  5. Students will be able to demonstrate professional written and oral communication skills.

Yeshiva University offers a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology. The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology residential and distance education at Yeshiva University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Program Information

Please see the Schedule of Classes for the current semester’s offerings.

Speech Pathology/Audiology (SPAU)

  • SPAU 3000 Survey of Communication Disorders 3 credits
    Overview of the scope of speech-language pathology/audiology practice and professions, including pediatric phonological, motor-speech, and language development and disorders; adult neurogenic communication disorders; disorders of voice, fluency, and hearing, and an introduction to counseling. Orientation to research in the field of communications disorders and to writing in APA research style.

    SPAU 3001 Speech and Language Development 3 credits
    Processes and products of typical language development from infancy to childhood; the development of early communication in the context of cognitive, social, physical, and emotional growth before and after first words, first sentences, and nascent conversations. Cultural and individual differences in language development. Continuation of student experience with research and academic writing in the field of communications disorders.  Relevance of basic research and developmental "norms" to assessing and treating children with disabilities.   Initial clinical experience interacting with a typically developing child, collecting a professional language sample, and analyzing it as a clinician.
    Prerequisite or CoRequisite: SPAU 3000

    SPAU 3009 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing 3 credits
    This course explores the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the hearing mechanism and speech mechanism.  Students will be able to identify pertinent anatomical structures important for the production of speech and the sensation of hearing, describe the physiology thereof, and be able to define/describe various pathologies of these systems that may affect hearing, communication, feeding, and swallowing.
    Prerequisite or CoRequisite: SPAU 3000

    SPAU 3112 Phonetics 3 credits
    This course serves as an introduction to speech sound classification and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).  Students will gain speed and accuracy in the transcription of both normal and disordered speech and identifying articulation and phonological disorders.
    Prerequisite or CoRequisite: SPAU 3000

    SPAU 3201 Speech Disorders 3 credits
    This course covers various clinical presentations of articulation and phonological disorders across the lifespan and their treatment.  Disorders include, but are not limited to: articulation errors (e.g. substitution, omission, distortion, and addition), phonological processes, and dysarthria.  The course will also include a unit on fluency disorders (i.e. stuttering and cluttering).  Various intervention approaches for these disorders will be discussed.
    Prerequisite: 3001, 3009, 3112

    SPAU 3205 Language Disorders 3 credits
    This course various clinical presentations of language disorders across the lifespan and their treatment.  Disorders include but are not limited to: receptive and expressive language delays, developmental language disorders, and aphasia.  The course will also include a unit on feeding and swallowing disorders.  Various intervention approaches for these disorders will be discussed.
    Prerequisite: 3001, 3009, 3112

    SPAU 3210 Counseling for Health Professionals 3 credits
    This course will introduce students to theories and techniques of both informational and emotional counseling for medical and allied health practitioners.  Students will gain skills in interdisciplinary collaboration as they examine the ways in which patients and families navigate the healthcare system and grapple with life-changing diagnoses.  The course will include an examination of culturally relevant practice, grief and resilience, and healthcare literacy.

    SPAU 3015 Introduction to Speech Science 3 credits
    Acoustical components of speech and their physiological correlates; information-bearing elements in the speech signal and their acoustic/auditory perceptual processing; theories of voice production; speech spectrography and other instrumentation as analysis tools.
    Prerequisites: SPAU 3001, 3112.

    SPAU 3031 Audiology 3 credits
    This course covers screening, assessment, and diagnosis of conditions of hearing and balance, administration and interpretation of behavioral and physiological tests, and hearing technology.

    SPAU 3938 Clinical Methods 3 credits
    This course equips aspiring clinicians with the knowledge and skills necessary to assess, plan, and implement effective interventions for people with communication disorders.  The course will cover assessment tools, clinical writing (e.g. progress reports, daily charting, etc.), and intervention planning.  The Clinical Methods course includes an observation component (25 guided observation hours).
    Prerequisite: SPAU 3009, 3201, 3205

    3320 Aural Rehabilitation 3 credits
    This covers the (re)habilitation of people with various degrees and types of hearing loss.  The course covers the variety of communication modalities and languages used by people who are deaf and hard of hearing with a particular focus on Auditory Verbal Therapy, a family-centered listening and spoken language intervention.
    Prerequisite: SPAU 3033.

    SPAU 3999 Professional Issues in Communication Sciences & Disorders 3 credits
    This course covers explores professional issues in communication sciences and disorders, including: insurance/reimbursement, evidence-based practice, and culturally-relevant care.
    Prerequisite: SPAU 3938

    SPAU 4925 Linguistics 3 credits (Elective)
    This course explores the science behind human language development and language structure, and various theories thereof.  Students will compare and contrast various theories of language acquisition and examine the structure of English as well as other language systems.  This course is an elective for students in the SPAU major.

Major

Thirty-six credits in SPAU courses as follows:

3000, 3001, 3009, 3112, 3015, 3201, 3205, 3210, 3031, 3938, 3320, 3999

Additional required courses:

BIOL 1005C; PSYC 1010; STAT 1021; and a physical science course. Psyc 1107 is highly recommended.

For more details about the Speech and Audiology major - see the factsheet at the Academic Advisement webpage.

Elyse R. Granik, M.S. CCC-SLP;  Program Chair

·       Heidi Fuld, M.S., CCC SLP; Instructor

·       Lindsay Merkel, M.S., CCC-SLP TSSLD; Instructor

·       Dani Weingarten M.S., CCC-SLP; Instructor