Curriculum

Program Requirements 

Course work for the PhD program is informed by student interests and background and determined in consultation with their mentor. The PhD program requires 36-48 credits of course work. The 48-Credit curriculum is designed for students who do not have a master's degree in a related field prior to matriculation. Based on transcript review, students entering the PhD program with a students with a master's degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders or a field-appropriate master's degree may receive advanced standing for up to 3 credits in Graduate Methods Courses, and up to 9 credits in Specialization and Cognate courses, enabling completion of the program in 36 credits. 

Additional Program Information

The program is structured around the completion of the following milestones:

Qualifying Papers (QPs)

Students complete two QPs of the quality expected in peer-reviewed research journals. Each QP investigates a different area of CSD research, and is conducted, written, and orally defended by the student under faculty mentor guidance. We expect that this work will form the basis of conference presentations and journal submissions, and it is strongly encouraged that the two papers incorporate different methodological approaches to address questions of interest to the field. It is expected that both papers will be completed within the first three years of the program.

Lab Rotation

To fulfill the lab rotation requirement, doctoral students must spend a minimum of one semester in a lab other than that of their primary mentor. During this semester, students will work toward a goal (e.g., learning a new methodology, supporting a project in process) identified jointly by the student and the lab rotation mentor.

Teaching

Students must teach a minimum of one full course as instructor of record. Courses must be taught at a Masters or Undergraduate level that is appropriate to the student’s experience.

Dissertation

In the final years of the degree, students will develop, write, and defend a dissertation proposal and ultimately a dissertation. The dissertation is supervised by a faculty mentor, but reflects the student’s novel ideas and empirical contribution to the field. There are two possible formats for the dissertation: the three-paper format and the traditional ‘monograph’ format. Students are expected to work closely with their advisor and thesis committee to determine which option is the most appropriate. The thesis proposal and dissertation will be reviewed by a committee and readers, both in written format and in an oral defense.