Communication Sciences and Disorders — B.S.

Program director
Eric Reid

The curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in communication sciences and disorders begins Autumn Quarter of the junior year. The freshman and sophomore years, which have been taken at an accredited college or university prior to coming to Loma Linda University, provide the fundamentals of a liberal arts education. Junior and senior years focus on pre-professional courses and include optional clinical experience.

Students may complete the program either on campus or online. Online classes are synchronous, with in-person and online students participating together in real time. Professors are also widely available for one-on-one interactions, either online or in person. 

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science degree, students are prepared to seek admission to a graduate program in speech-language pathology or related disciplines. Both online and in-person students whose GPA is 3.0 or above are encouraged to take CMSD 267, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Fieldwork during their senior year in order to qualify for the speech-language pathology assistant license, issued by the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board. Students may need to take the SLPA fieldwork course more than once to complete the clinical hours required for the California SLPA license.

In-person fieldwork students are matched to clinical sites where they complete their hours.

Online fieldwork students go through a different process:

1. Students find their own clinical placement in a location that suits them.
2. They communicate the name of the site and supervisor to the Director of Clinical Education for Loma Linda University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dr. Jennifer St. Clair.
3. The Director of Clinical Education determines whether the university has an affiliation agreement with the entity in question. If there is one, Dr. St. Clair assigns the student to the site for SLPA Fieldwork.
4. If the university does not have an existing contract with the entity, Dr. St. Clair seeks one. Once there is an affiliation agreement in place, she assigns the student to the site for SLPA Fieldwork.

SLPA license requirements in other states may be different from those in CA. Out-of-state students who take CMSD 267, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Fieldwork, are responsible for determining whether the course can be applied toward licensure in their state.

Program learning outcomes

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in communication sciences and disorders will meet the University outcomes.

By the end of the program, graduates should be able to:

1. Articulate characteristics of typical human speech, language, hearing, communication, and swallowing processes—including their biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural bases.
2. Articulate characteristics of atypical human speech, language, hearing, communication, and swallowing—including etiological, biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural correlates.
3. Implement knowledge of basic clinical processes for the remediation of human speech, language, hearing, swallowing, and communication disorders and differences, considering caregivers, family, professional team members, and client/patient environment in remediation planning. 
4. Incorporate cultural responsiveness to diversity (e.g., linguistic, neurological, economic, age, sexual, gender, ability, professional, and racial) within academic and/or professional environments.
5. Use logical reasoning skills to evaluate, research, and solve problems in communication sciences and disorders.
6. Incorporate basic components of professional ethics when treating, counseling, advocating for, and documenting care for clients.

Minimum grade required for graduation

A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required for a course to qualify for graduation.

Clinical experience

A supervised clinical practicum is recommended but not required in the curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science degree (see CMSD 267, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Fieldwork). Completion of specific courses precedes placement for a practicum and is available for students who have GPAs of 3.0 or above in the major courses.

Wholeness portfolio

Undergraduate students in the School of Allied Health Professions develop portfolios during the junior and senior years. Students register for AHCJ 328 Wholeness Portfolio I during the junior year and AHCJ 498 Wholeness Portfolio II during the senior year. The purpose of the portfolio is to allow students to demonstrate achievement of outcomes set by the University. These outcomes were developed to aid students in achieving personal and professional balance in the spiritual, intellectual, social/emotional, and physical domains.

CLEP

CLEP tests must be taken within one quarter of receiving the degree compliance report; otherwise, the course must be repeated.

Student progress review

Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to ensure regular standing in the program. A student may disqualify themselves from the program if any of the following occur:

• Student has a quarterly GPA below 3.0 in any two quarters. 
• Student receives two or more unsatisfactory grades (i.e., U or C-).

Each student's progress in the bachelor's degree curriculum is reviewed quarterly. Students are provided with written feedback including recommendations for remediation if there are concerns about their academic or clinical performance.

Speech-language pathology assistant

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology assistant degree may work toward meeting eligibility requirements for registration in the state of California as a speech-language pathology assistant.

In addition to Loma Linda University and School of Allied Health Professions admissions requirements, the applicant must also complete the following requirements:

Application deadline

Applications for the Bachelor of Science degree close June 1.

Prerequisites

Listed by general education domains:

Domain 1: Religion (8 quarter units)

(completed during enrollment at LLU)

Domain 2: Arts and humanities (minimum 16 quarter units)

Units must be selected from at least three of the following content areas: civilization/history, art, literature, language, philosophy, religion, or general humanities electives. A minimum of 3 quarter units in an area are required to meet a “content area.”

Domain 3: Scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning (minimum 12 quarter units)

• Statistics required: One course in introductory or basic statistics
• Natural Sciences: At least one natural science course must include a lab component
• One physical science required: must be physics or chemistry 
• One biological science required: (human anatomy and/or physiology, general biology, microbiology, and life science are examples of biological sciences)

Domain 4: Social sciences (minimum 12 quarter units)

Must include two (2) content areas: Choose from anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, and sociology

Must have one course (or components integrated into several courses) dealing specifically with issues of human diversity.

Domain 5: Written and oral communication (minimum 9 quarter units)

English: Coursework must include a complete sequence in English composition that meets the baccalaureate degree requirements of a four-year college or university (e.g., English 101 and 102)

Additional course may include information systems, critical thinking, and public speaking

Domain 6: Health and wellness (minimum 2 quarter units)

Health or nutrition (e.g., personal health, personal nutrition, population health, global health, and community nutrition) One course required

Physical activity: Must include at least two separate physical activity courses totaling a minimum of one quarter unit or have military discharge papers (DD214)

Electives

The student begins the bachelor's degree curriculum in communication sciences and disorders with 96 quarter units (64 semester units) taken at a college or university other than Loma Linda University. Students who transfer from a community college may transfer a maximum of 105 quarter units (70 semester units). All other credits must come from a senior college. Acceptance into the degree program does not guarantee that students possess all the academic credits needed to graduate. Some students may need to complete additional academic coursework in general education to bring their overall course unit total to a minimum of 96 quarter units while enrolled at this University in order to meet graduation requirements.

For total unit requirements for graduation, see LLU General Education Requirements.

Students who have completed a bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders may qualify for the California state-issued SLPA registration after achieving a grade of "P" (Pass) in CMSD 267 Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Fieldwork (two units), offered at Loma Linda University.

Students generally make arrangements to register for CMSD 267 Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Fieldwork in their last year of undergraduate study (senior year).  Further information about SLPA registration can be obtained on the web at http://www.speechandhearing.ca.gov. Select "Applicants," then "SLP Assistants."

¹

Can be taken junior or senior year

²

 Course must be registered each quarter: 

• 0 units in autumn
• 0 units in winter
• 1 unit in spring

³

Available for students who have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or above in the major courses.

⁴

Fulfills service learning requirement.

Normal time to complete the program

Four (4) years — two (2) years (six [6] academic quarters) at LLU — full-time enrollment