The goals of the program in Communication Sciences and Disorders are to train professionals to conduct research and be consumers of research in communication sciences and disorders and to prepare competent professionals to habilitate and rehabilitate individuals who have speech, language, and/or hearing problems. The program also serves to provide students in other curricula at Penn State with orientation toward and information about communication sciences and disorders.
Facilities for student training and research include in-house clinical therapy and diagnostic services, laboratories in speech science and audiology, and affiliated schools and clinics. The program enjoys academic, research, and clinical relationships with a number of related programs at Penn State and draws upon academic work from related areas as part of the graduate training in communication sciences and disorders. Preparation is given for school and professional certifications and licensure. The CSD M.S. program is accredited by the Council of Academic Affairs of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Master's-level graduate study requires a full-time externship experience, ordinarily occurring during the final semester of study.