A teacher and a child working together at a classroom table

Speech Communication Disorders: B.S.Ed. - Bachelor of Science in Education

Help bring the gift of communication to those who need it. This undergraduate major is a first step to a career as a speech-language pathologist, an audiologist, a deaf educator or a speech, voice or hearing scientist.

At a Glance

Program Results

B.S.Ed. - Bachelor of Science in Education

Speech Communication Disorders

Best Suited To

Current UVA undergrads or transfers from external institutions.

Career Outcomes

For a clinical career as a speech-language pathologist or as an audiologist, graduates of this Bachelor's program enter into further study in a graduate degree program.

Program Type

  • Full Time

Location

  • In-Person

Estimated Length

2 academic years after admission into the program

Application Deadline

  • Current UVA undergraduates: Feb. 1
  • Students transferring from another institution: Mar. 1

Credits

120

About This Program

The undergraduate major in Speech Communication Disorders (SCD) at the University of Virginia introduces students to the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology and provides pre-professional learning experiences to prepare students for graduate studies in either profession by emphasizing math, biological and behavioral sciences, basic human communication sciences and critical thinking.

This major leads to a Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Speech Communication Disorders. 

The undergraduate curriculum prepares students to choose from three career paths at the graduate level: 

  1. Audiology 
  2. Speech-language pathology 
  3. Speech and hearing science 

 

  • Students must transfer into this program and are invited to apply to this program as first or second-year student at UVA or if transferring from another institution.
  • Completion of an accredited graduate program is required for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification, state licensure, and professional practice in audiology or speech-language pathology. 
  • Graduates with an undergraduate major in Speech Communication Disorders also go on to careers in other fields requiring good analytical and communication skills as well as a solid grounding in behavior science.

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

An applicant for this major must be a student in good standing with a GPA of 2.5 or greater.

Current UVA undergraduates interested in this major must apply to transfer to the School of Education and Human Development from the College of Arts and Sciences by February 1 in either their first or second year in the College. Transfer students from other institutions should apply by March 1 and refer to the transfer student admission process to determine course requirements needed for your transfer application. This program does not accept applications from current high school students. For high school students interested in pursuing this major, application is first made for regular admission to UVA through the College of Arts and Sciences. Once at UVA, Students can then apply for transfer into this program in their second year of study.

Explore our Undergraduate Admission page to explore the application process specific to your background.

Undergraduate Admission

Application for admission is made to the School of Education and Human Development Office of Admission & Enrollment. For more information about the undergraduate admission process, please visit our Undergraduate Admission page.

Coursework

To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the Undergraduate Record website which represents the official repository for academic program requirements. 


A total of 120 credit hours are required for graduation

General Education Requirements (36 credits)

Competency Requirements

  • First Writing, 3 credits
  • Second Writing, 3 credits
  • Cultural Literacy, 3 credits
  • Data Literacy/Statistics, 3 credits

Area Requirements

  • Mathematics and Natural sciences, 9 credits
    • One Physical Science or Chemistry course is required
    • One Biology course is required
  • Humanities, 6 credits
  • Social Sciences, 9 credits
    • One Psychology or Sociology course is required

Major Requirements

  • SCD Core Courses (21 credits)
  • Special Populations (minimum of 12 credits)
  • Developmental Communication Sciences & Skills (minimum of 12 credits)

Speech Communication Disorders Course Descriptions

Information on courses that are part of the B.S.Ed. in Speech Communication Disorders curriculum can be found on the UVA Undergraduate Record website.

B.S.Ed. in Speech Communication Disorders News

Program Faculty

Michaela DuBay

Michaela DuBay

  • Assistant Professor
Margie Halinski heashot

Margaret Halinski

  • Assistant Professor
  • Doctor of Audiology
Jane Hilton

Jane C. Hilton

  • Associate Professor, Clinical Faculty
LaVae M Hoffman

LaVae M. Hoffman

  • Associate Professor
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders Program Director
Filip Loncke headshot

Filip T. Loncke

  • Professor
Randall R Robey

Randall R. Robey

  • Associate Professor

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