Speech-pathology and audiology programs are designed for students with effective communication skills and an ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients. Students also need to be prepared to dedicate extensive periods of time and energy to study and master the material. To obtain certification to start a career in the pathology or audiology field, most students need to acquire a master's degree, and gaining acceptance into a graduate program can be very competitive. To gain admission into most master's programs, applicants must possess a bachelor's degree related to pathology and audiology, must submit official transcripts demonstrating a good GPA related to pathology and audiology classes, and must achieve superior scores on the GRE or MAT tests. Applicants are also typically required to provide a resume, multiple letters of recommendation and a written personal statement describing their background, personality, relevant experience regarding pathology and audiology, and their reasons and motivations for wanting to enroll in the program.
Although the particular curriculum is slightly different for each school and for each program, students in most pathology and audiology programs need to successfully complete certain classes to graduate. Many programs feature an anatomy and physiology course to enhance the student's knowledge of the anatomy and physiology regarding speech and language. The beneficial lessons in the course address important topics such as auditory and vestibular systems, speech functions and structure, and the chemical and physical impact of the nervous system on communication abilities.
Students in most programs must also successfully complete courses covering child language disorders. Although some classes discuss all areas of pediatric speech, many divide the lessons into specific age groups from pre-school to adolescence. The course typically equips students with a comprehensive understanding of relevant speech disorders, effective techniques to assess and treat language disorders, and a thorough knowledge of phonology, language intervention, normal speech development in children and pediatric speech disorders. Other courses offered by most programs include voice disorders, speech pathology, audiology, hearing disorders, aural rehabilitation, dysphagia, phonetics, articulation disorders and voice and diction improvement.
Speech-pathology programs provide students with the required knowledge and necessary skills to thrive in a career as a speech therapist diagnosing, treating and researching various speech and language disorders in clinics, private offices, hospitals or schools. Specific obligations of many speech therapist positions include treating communication and swallowing impediments, planning and implementing treatment in language or voice disorders, facilitating accent reduction, designing augmentative and alternative communication techniques, and consulting patients and clients regarding language stimulation, inclusion strategies and effective teaching methods for students challenged with language impairments.
Professionals concentrating in audiology can also achieve successful careers working as therapists or researchers in hospitals, clinics, schools or private offices. The jobs of audiology professionals typically entail diagnosing hearing impairments, designing and implementing rehabilitation techniques for clients with hearing disabilities, selecting and fitting appropriate hearing aids and consulting clients pertaining to noise exposure and hearing conservation.
In 2008, "U.S. News and World Report" ranked the University of Wisconsin as the fourth-best school in the nation for studying speech pathology. The school offers bachelor's degree programs in communicative disorders that prepare students to continue their education through the school's graduate program. The school's master's degree program in speech-language pathology qualifies students to begin their careers as certified speech pathologists. The coursework in the graduate program teaches students to competently and effectively diagnose and treat communication abnormalities such as cognitive, traumatic and swallowing disorders.
Kent State University in Ohio has numerous programs in speech pathology and audiology that educate and prepare students to obtain successful careers in a diverse range of settings as pathologists or audiologists. The degrees provided by the school include a bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology, a master's degree in speech-language pathology, a Ph.D. in speech-language pathology and in audiology and an AuD in Audiology. The curricula incorporate informative lessons and valuable laboratory assignments into the programs, and classes teach students to accurately diagnose, treat and provide information about communication disorders. Students also learn to successfully conduct research pertaining to the nature, treatment and prevention of a wide variety of communication disorders.