Speech Communication Disorders Major
Good communication skills affect all areas of our lives—but effective and effortless communication is a gift that not everyone shares. By studying speech communication disorders, you can be the person who helps 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.
The undergraduate major in Speech Communication Disorders at the University of Virginia (a) introduces students to the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology and (b) 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 in Speech Communication Disorders.
The undergraduate curriculum prepares students to choose from three career paths at the graduate level:
- Audiology
- Speech-language pathology
- Speech and hearing science
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.
To learn what Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists do, where they work, what the job market looks like and what salaries you might expect, please visit For Undergrads Looking for a Major.
Program Details
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Prerequisites and Admission Requirements
An applicant for this major must be a student in good standing with a GPA of 2.5 or greater.
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Application Due Date
Students interested in the undergraduate major in Speech Communication Disorders must apply for admission to the School of Education and Human Development by February 1 of their second year in the College.
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Degree Requirements
Degree requirements and required course information can be found in the Undergraduate Record
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Funding Opportunities
Students may apply for federal financial aid, including work-study. Information about federal aid programs, including applying using the FAFSA, can be found through Student Financial Services. Additional financial aid information can be found on the School of Education and Human Development's Financial Aid webpage.
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Typical Length of Study
Two academic years after admission into the Program
Full or Part Time:
Students in this major are full-time.
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Sample Jobs After Graduation
For a clinical career as a speech-language pathologist or as an audiologist, bachelor's degree graduates enter into a graduate degree program.
ASHA Links:
- A career as an SLP — http://www.asha.org/Students/Speech-Language-Pathologists/#careers
- Certification - http://www.asha.org/certification/
- Licensure — http://www.asha.org/advocacy/state/
NSSLHA: https://www.nsslha.org
The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found at http://records.ureg.virginia.edu/index.php.