It is my pleasure to welcome you to the website of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center! My name is Andrew John and I have the privilege of serving as chairman of the department that enables individuals like you to develop the knowledge and skills to practice as an audiologist or speech-language pathologist. Our department is located in the College of Allied Health on the OUHSC campus in Oklahoma City. The OUHSC is a constantly expanding and comprehensive medical campus known for excellence in healthcare provision, clinical education, and basic and applied research. We are proud to partner with professionals in every field of medicine and healthcare to train the next generation of professionals treating patients with disorders of hearing, speech, language, balance, and swallowing.
Our primary goal is to offer the best education and training possible in the disciplines of audiology and speech-language pathology. To this end we offer an undergraduate, pre-professional bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, which prepares students for graduate school in either audiology or speech-language pathology.
For students wishing to undertake a professional career in speech-language pathology, we offer the MA degree in speech-language pathology. Our wide variety of clinical practicum sites for the MA degree, both on and off OUHSC campus, make it the premier clinical degree in speech-language pathology in the state of Oklahoma. Our program is also the only one in the state of Oklahoma to offer the AuD, the clinical doctorate in audiology. Students seeking the AuD also enjoy access to clinical training in a variety of settings, including a full-year placement at an externship site at the conclusion of the degree. Finally, our program offers the only PhD programs in audiology and speech-language pathology in the state of Oklahoma. In these programs, students seeking careers in research and academia are provided rigorous training to prepare them as scientists and teachers.
Another major goal of any department on an academic health sciences center, including ours, is to engage in cutting-edge research. We are fortunate to have research faculty who are constantly pushing the envelope in their areas of interest, including childhood language development and disorders, aural rehabilitation, and motor speech disorders. Students at all levels work as research assistants in many of the department labs. Be sure to check further into our website for detailed information regarding faculty research interests.
Professional services in audiology and speech-language pathology are provided to the public in the John W Keys Speech and Hearing Center. These activities not only help fulfill our goal of service to the people of Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, but also account for a large number of clinical practicum hours for our students. The quality of supervision in the Keys Center is second to none. As can be seen in our website, we offer services for all ages and with all different types of communication disorders.
Please contact me or any of our program coordinators if you would like to visit the department and take a tour. We are proud of the achievements of our students and hope you will join us!