About | Applying | Registration | Courses and Textbooks | Proctored Exams | Graduation | FAQ
General Education Requirements
You will complete Communicative Disorders (COMD) classes and other non-COMD courses as part of your degree program. It is very important that you work closely with your academic advisor in planning the courses you need to take.
Breadth and Depth Courses are included in the requirements for graduation. Breadth courses are generally freshman and sophomore level courses that cover a fairly broad area of education. If you have completed courses in these areas at another college or university they may or may not transfer to USU depending on the COMD-DE Department and the USU Admissions Office. USU will assure transfer students with an associate degree will be posted and evaluated for general education requirements. Your advisor will check to see that you have completed courses in the following areas as part of your associate's degree:
- ENGL 1010 Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose (CL1)
- ENGL 2010 Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode (CL2)
- Any course Communicative Intensive (CI)
- PSY 1010 General Psychology (BSS)
- MATH 1010 Intermediate Algebra or MATH 1050 College Algebra (QL)
- BIOL 1010 General Biology (BLS)
- Any American Institutions Course (BAI)
- STAT 1040 Introduction to Statistics (QL)
Depth Courses: The depth courses, Depth Life Science (DSC), Depth Humanities/Arts (DHA), and Quantitative Intensive (QI), are upper level general education courses required by the university. The requirements for these classes are very specific, and it is rare that a student transfers with a class that meets these requirements. To find depth courses online you will need to search for the classes with the correct designation that will fulfill the requirement. You can search for these by going to the distance education search page (distance.usu.edu), not selecting any subjects, and clicking "search.” This will bring up all of the courses offered online for the semester. As you scroll through them, if you see a course with one of these designations next to the course title, it will fulfill that requirement. Once you have selected a depth course, confirm with your advisor that it will meet the correct requirement.
Prior CPR/First Aid Certification: One of the requirements for our program is that all students be familiar with first aid. If you have ever been first aid certified and can provide your advisor with proof of your certification, this will fulfill the requirement. Even if your certification is not current, as long as you can provide proof of being certified at some point you will fulfill this requirement. If you have not been first aid certified you can become certified at a local Red Cross or other place of certification local to you. A copy of your certification will need to be provided to your advisor.
Extra Departmental Requirements:
- SPED 4000 Education of Exceptional Individuals
- Human Anatomy OR Human Physiology (Not available online through USU. Please contact your advisor.)
- PSY 1100 Lifespan Development OR FCHD 1500 Development Across the Lifespan (BSS)
- COMD 3010 Sign Language I
Electives Relating to COMD: The COMD program requires that you complete 9 credits of upper-level electives. This includes courses that you feel would pertain directly to your learning and development as an SLP/AuD. If you find an upper level course that may benefit you in your learning, you may submit it to your advisor for review to ensure it fulfills the elective requirements. You may also take any courses from the following list of prior-approved electives:
| COMD 3330 | Introduction to Blindness and Visually Impaired |
| COMD 3320 | The Human Eye and Visual System |
| COMD 3330 | Introduction to Low Vision |
| COMD 3340 | The Role of Paraeducators with Individuals Who are Blind or Visually Impaired |
| COMD 3350 | Introduction to Multiple Disabilities |
| COMD 3360 | Introduction to Braille |
| COMD 3910 | Sign Language II |
| COMD 4660 | Introduction to Deaf-Blindness |
| COMD 4840 | Children with Combined Vision, Hearing Loss and Multiple Disabilities |
| COMD 4910 | Sign Language III (CI) |
| ENGL 3030 | Perspectives in Literature (DHA) |
| ENGL 3070 | Perspectives in Folklore (DHA) |
| FCHD 2610 | Child Guidance |
| FCHD 3100 | Abuse and Neglect in Family Context |
| LING 4100 | The Study of Language |
| MGT 3110 | Managing Organizations and People (DSS) |
| PSY 1400/1410 | Analysis of Behavior: Basic Principles/Basic Principles Lab |
| PSY 3500 | Scientific Thinking and Methods in Psychology (DSS/CI) |
| PSY 4420/4430 | Cognitive Psychology (DSS)/Cognitive Psychology Lab |
COMD Courses
Below is a list of required COMD courses with their required prerequisites It is recommended that courses are taken in the order listed below. Degree-seeking students are required to take all 12 courses in the sequence listed. Students will not be able to take prerequisites concurrently with courses that require them.
All courses are taught online every semester.
All required COMD courses and Human Anatomy / Human Physiology courses must be taken for a letter grade and must not be taken pass/fail.
COMD 2500 Language, Speech, and Hearing Development; 3 credits (no prerequisites)
COMD 3100 Fundamentals of Anatomy for Speech and Language; 3 credits (no prerequisites)
COMD 3500 Phonetics/Developmental Phonology; 3 credits (no prerequisites)
COMD 5100 Language Science; 3 credits (no prerequisites)
COMD 3120 Disorders of Articulation and Phonology; 3 credits (prerequisites: COMD 2500 & 3500)
COMD 3400 Acoustics and Anatomy of the Ear; 3 credits (prerequisite: COMD 3100)
COMD 5070 Speech Science; 3 credits (prerequisite: COMD 3100, 3400 & 3500)
COMD 5900 Observation/Grad Prep; 2 credits (prerequisite: COMD 2500)
COMD 3700 Basic Audiology; 3 credits (prerequisite: COMD 3100 & 3400)
COMD 4450 Assessment and Treatment of Children with Communicative Disorders; 3 credits (prerequisites: COMD 2500, 3100 & 3500)
COMD 5200 (Filimoehala), or COMD 5200 (Elsweiler) Language Assessment and Intervention for Preschool Children; 3 credits (prerequisites: COMD 2500 & 5100)
COMD 5330 Aural Rehabilitation; 3 credits (prerequisite: COMD 3100 & 3400)
Course Descriptions and Textbooks
COMD 2500
Description: Introductory Course: Language, Speech, and Hearing Development-- Language, speech, and hearing development throughout life and strategies for facilitating development. Requisite for human communication and language learning. Theoretical models of language acquisition and intracultural/intercultural differences. Nature, causes, and prevention of language, speech, and hearing disorders.
Textbook: Language Development From Theory to Practice, 2nd Edition, Khara L. Pence Turnbull & Laura M. Justice, Allyn & Bacon, 2012.
ISBN-10: 013707347X
ISBN-13: 9780137073474
COMD 2500 Syllabus
COMD 3100
Description: Fundamentals of Anatomy for Speech and Language-- Basic study of the structures and functions associated with the sub-processes of speech and hearing, including respiration, phonation, resonation, articulation, neurology, and hearing.
Textbook: Anatomy & Physiology for Speech, Language, and Hearing (fourth edition). Authors Seikel, King, Drumright. ISBN10: 1-4283-1223-4, ISBN13: 978-1-4283-1223-4 Delmar Publishing (Division of Cengage Publishing).
COMD 3100 Syllabus
COMD 3120
Description: Disorders of Articulation and Phonology-- Introduction to articulation and phonological disorders and related problems. Emphasis directed at evaluation, management, and measures of success. Principles of programming are presented.
Textbooks: (Required): Pena-Brooks, A. & Hegde, M.N. (2007). Assessment and Treatment of Articulation and Phonological Disorders in Children-2nd Edition. Pro Ed, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1-4164-0230-5
(Optional): Secord, W. (2007). Eliciting Sounds - Techniques for Clinicians 2nd Edition. ISBN-13: 978-1-4018-9725-3
COMD 3120 Syllabus
COMD 3400
Description: Acoustics and Anatomy of the Ear-- Principles of physical acoustics as applied to Communicative Disorders. Course includes anatomy, physiology, and metabolism of the human auditory system.
Textbook: Anatomy & physiology for speech, language, and hearing. J. Anthony Seikel, Douglas W. King, David g. Drumright. 2010, 2005 Delmar, Cengage Learning. Fourth edition
ISBN-13:978-4283-1223-4
ISBN-10:1-4283-1223-4
COMD 3400 Syllabus
COMD 3500
Description: Phonetics/Developmental Phonology-- Study of the development of the phonological subsystem in English and the acoustic and physiological characteristics of speech sounds.
Textbook: Fundamentals of Phonetics by Larry Small, 3rd edition
COMD 3500 Syllabus
COMD 3700
Description: Basic Audiology-- Study of pure tone audiometry, including clinical masking, speech audiometry, and clinical immittance measures.
Textbook: Introduction to Audiology, Martin & Clark, 11th Edition, The Allyn & Bacon Communication Sciences and Disorders Series
ISBN-10:0132108216 | ISBN-13: 978-0132108218
COMD 3700 Syllabus
COMD 4450
Description: Introduction to Speech and Language Assessment and Intervention in Children will allow students to develop awareness of the relationship between speech, language, and communication; review models of speech and language development; identify causes and characteristics of speech and language disorders in children; learn about assessment procedures for children with speech and language disorders; and learn about intervention strategies for children with speech and language disorders.
Textbook: Hegde, M. N. & Pomaville, F. (2008). Assessment of Communication Disorders in Children. Resources and Protocols. San Diego CA: Plural Publishing.
COMD 4450 Syllabus
COMD 5070
Description: Speech Science-- Explores contemporary theory, research findings, clinical applications, and laboratory experiences in measurement and analysis of normal speech production. Speech subsystems of respiration, phonation, articulation, and resonation are examined in detail through the collection and analysis of physiologic data.
Textbook: Ray Kent and Charles Read: Acoustic Analysis of Speech (2nd edition). Singular Publishing, 2002. ISBN-10: 0-7693-0112-6, ISBN-13: 978-0-7693-0112-9
COMD 5070 Syllabus
COMD 5100
Description: Language Science-- Study of clinical analysis of syntactic and morphological properties of speech.
Textbook: Discovering English Grammar by Richard Veit, 1999. 2nd Edition ISBN: 0-205-28483-3
COMD 5100 Syllabus
COMD 5200
Description: Language Assessment and Intervention for Preschool Children-- Preschool assessment and intervention, including language sampling and analysis procedures, test administration and interpretation, informal language assessment, intervention goals and objectives, planning clinical management, language facilitation strategies, teaching approaches, classroom-based language intervention, and enhancing emergent literacy.
Textbook: Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence, 4th Edition Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Communicating. Paul & Norbury ISBN: 9780323071840
COMD 5200 Syllabus
COMD 5330
Description: Aural Rehabilitation-- Ramifications of hearing loss among children and adults and rehabilitative audiological techniques and programs.
Textbook: Introduction to Auditory Rehabilitation, by Carole E. Johnson and published by Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN-13 = 978-0-205-42417-7
COMD 5330 Syllabus
COMD 5900
Description: Observation/Grad Prep-- Selected work individually assigned, handled, and directed. Problems of mutual interest to students and the instructor are investigated and reported.
No textbook
COMD 5900 Syllabus
Note: The acquisition of the 25 hours of observation required by ASHA takes place as part of the Capstone course. If students are not intending to take all the courses in this program they will likely not take the Capstone course. In that case, they will be responsible for completing the 25 hours of observation on their own in conjunction with the requirements of the graduate program(s) they plan to attend.