Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) is designed to provide undergraduate students with a clinical science foundation that is rigorous and appropriate preparation for a wide range of clinical, educational, and related fields such as nursing, kinesiology, physical therapy, dietetics, orientation & mobility, counseling, and teaching in primary, secondary, and special education. The SLHS undergraduate degree also prepares students to acquire the prerequisites necessary to apply for graduate study in speech-language pathology and audiology.
Undergraduates enter the program in their junior year, usually after having completed most or all of the general education requirements for a Bachelor's degree. Students who have questions regarding general education requirements need to contact a general education advisor in the Undergraduate Advising Center. All undergraduate students must complete 120 units to graduate from the university. Undergraduate students may (upon advisement) take up to 6 units of SLHS graduate coursework, beyond the 120 units required for graduation, during their final semester as an undergraduate. For specific requirements to enter the SLHS major, contact the SLHS department office at (415) 338-1001 or slhsinfo@sfsu.edu to make an appointment with a SLHS advisor to go over the what you need to know before declaring the SLHS major.
For more about the undergraduate program: See the Undergraduate Advising Handbook.
A change of major can be completed by following the instructions on this page.
Required Academic Courses
Course Listing & Sequence
SLHS Major Course Listing for Bachelor of Science (Effective Fall 2017)
Students who Details about the courses below can be found in the university course bulletin, which provides descriptions of the courses and specifies their prerequisites, units, and latest offerings.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SLHS 300 | Introduction to Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences | 3 |
| SLHS 651 | Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism | 3 |
| SLHS 652 | Audiology | 3 |
| SLHS 654 | Audiometry | 3 |
| SLHS 655 | Language Development | 3 |
| SLHS 656GW | Diagnosis of Communicative Disorders - GWAR | 3 |
| SLHS 657 | Aural Rehabilitation | 3 |
| SLHS 658 | Developmental Speech-Language Disabilities | 3 |
| SLHS 659 | Articulatory and Phonological Disorders | 3 |
| SLHS 661 | Neurolinguistics | 3 |
| SLHS 663 | Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 3 |
| SLHS 664 | Clinical Phonetics | 3 |
| SLHS 668 | Typical and Atypical Social Communication Development | 3 |
| SLHS 680 | Practicum in Communication Therapy | 1 |
SLHS Major Course Sequence Roadmap for Bachelor of Science (Effective Fall 2017)
In order to facilitate completion of the SLHS degree and university undergraduate requirements within the shortest amount of time, a yearly schedule was created (see below). Every attempt will be made to offer courses in designated semesters. Whenever possible, class times will be held constant. If changes in times are necessary, every attempt will be made to minimize class conflicts. Lastly, please keep in mind that the minimum units required to graduate is 120 units; this typically means that you must take 5 courses each semester. Please visit the Undergraduate Advising Department every semester, and follow the Academic Checklist closely to ensure that all graduation requirements have been met.
Academic Course Schedule
Freshman/Sophomore Years: Fall or Spring
| Course # | Course Name | Units |
|---|---|---|
| At SF State, any course from of the Area B2: Life Science List with BIOL prefix |
The American Speech-Language Hearing Association requires the completion of a Biology course in order to obtain the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Many schools expect applicants to have completed these courses to be considered for their graduate programs in Communicative Sciences & Disorders. Acceptable courses at SF State: BIOL 100; BIOL 160; BIOL 170; BIOL 176 Advanced Placement (AP) classes cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. (Students taking GE courses outside of SF State should speak with advisors at their schools and refer to the Assist site for course equivalents.) |
3 |
| At SF State, courses from of the Area B1: Physical Science List |
Students who plan to pursue a graduate degree in Communicative Sciences & Disorders (e.g., Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology) must take one of these courses: CHEM 100; CHEM 101; CHEM 180; PHYS 101; PHYS 111; or PHYS 220 or equivalent. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association requires the completion of a Chemistry or Physics course in order to obtain the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Many schools expect applicants to have completed these courses to be considered for their graduate programs in Communicative Sciences & Disorders. Students who do not plan to pursue a graduate degree in Communicative Sciences & Disorders (e.g., Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology) can take any course from the Area B1: Physical Science List. If you are unsure about pursing a degree in Communicative Sciences & Disorders, we STRONGLY recommend that you take a CHEM or PHYS course in order to keep your options open. Advanced Placement (AP) classes cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. (Students taking GE courses outside of SF State should speak with advisors at their schools and refer to the Assist site for course equivalents.) |
3 |
| At SF State, any course from of the Area D1: Social Sciences List |
Students must take at least one course from the Area D1: Social Sciences list or equivalent. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association requires the completion of a Social Science course in order to obtain the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Many schools expect applicants to have completed these courses to be considered for their graduate programs in Communicative Sciences & Disorders. Advanced Placement (AP) classes cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. |
3 |
| A stand-alone Statistics course |
Students must take at least one course in Statistics. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association requires the completion of a Statistics course in order to obtain the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Many schools expect applicants to have completed these courses to be considered for their graduate programs in Communicative Sciences & Disorders. At SF State, the following courses will fulfill the Statistics requirement: ISED 160 or MATH 124. Advanced Placement (AP) classes cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. |
3 |
| Total Units | 12 |
Junior Year: Fall Schedule
| Course # | Course Name | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SLHS 651 |
Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Mechanism Prerequisite: Junior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 652 |
Audiology Prerequisite: Junior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 655 |
Dynamics of Language Development* *Fulfills Upper Division General Requirement UD-D Prerequisite: Upper Division Standing |
3 |
| SLHS 300 |
Human Communicative Disorders* *Fulfills Upper Division General Requirements UD-D & SJ (Social Justice) Prerequisite: Upper Division Standing |
3 |
|
Optional this semester: UD GE Elective(s) In the junior and senior year, 15 units are needed each semester to graduate within two years. |
Fulfill the General Education (GE) requirements for one or more
|
(3) |
| Total Units | 12-15 |
Junior Year: Spring Schedule
| Course # | Course Name | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SLHS 661 |
Neurolinguistics Prerequisite: Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major; Completion of Eng 214 with a grade of C- or better |
3 |
| SLHS 654 |
Audiometry Prerequisite: Junior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 680 |
Audiometry Lab Must be taken concurrently with SLHS 654 |
1 |
| SLHS 658 |
Atypical Language Development Prerequisite: Junior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
|
Optional this semester: UD GE Elective(s) In the junior and senior year, 15 units are needed each semester to graduate within two years. |
Fulfill the General Education (GE) requirements for one or more Domains of Knowledge and Overlays.
|
(3) |
| Total Units | 10-13 |
Senior Year: Fall Schedule
| Course # | Course Name | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SLHS 664 |
Phonetics Prerequisite: Senior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 657 |
Aural Rehabilitation Prerequisite: Senior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 656GW |
Diagnostics Prerequisite: Senior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 711 | Clinic Aide (Optional) | (1) |
|
Optional this semester: UD GE Elective(s) In the junior and senior year, 15 units are needed each semester to graduate within two years. |
Fulfill the General Education (GE) requirements for one or more Domains of Knowledge and Overlays.
|
(3) |
| Total Units | 9-13 |
Senior Year: Spring Schedule
| Course # | Course Name | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SLHS 668 |
Typical and Atypical Social Communication Development Prerequisite: Senior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 659 |
Typical and Atypical Articulation and Phonological Development Prerequisite: Senior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 663 |
Augmentative & Alternative Communication Prerequisite: Senior in the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Major |
3 |
| SLHS 711 | Clinic Aide (Optional) | (1) |
|
Optional this semester: UD GE Elective(s) In the junior and senior year, 15 units are needed each semester to graduate within two years. |
Fulfill the General Education (GE) requirements for one or more Domains of Knowledge and Overlays.
|
(3) |
| 9-13 |
SLHS Major Course Sequence Roadmap for Bachelor of Science (Effective Fall 2017)
In order to facilitate completion of the SLHS degree and university undergraduate requirements within the shortest amount of time, a yearly schedule was created (see course roadmap). Every attempt will be made to offer courses in designated semesters. Whenever possible, class times will be held constant. If changes in times are necessary, every attempt will be made to minimize class conflicts. Lastly, please keep in mind that the minimum units required to graduate is 120 units; this typically means that you must take 5 courses each semester. Please visit the Undergraduate Advising Department every semester, and follow the Academic Checklist closely to ensure that all graduation requirements have been met.
The SLHS department maintains expectations for students to meet high academic standards. The SLHS instructors and advisors are committed to supporting students to meet those standards. We recommend that students a) see an academic advisor every semester; b) join NSSLHA; c) attend at least one instructor's office hours every week; and d) join a study group!
In order to advance in the academic sequence, students in the SLHS major must maintain the following:
- An overall C average (2.0 GPA) for the program.
- Students who receive a grade lower than C- in SLHS 651 can take SLHS 652, SLHS 680, and SLHS 658 the following semester, but must wait to take SLHS 661 until the following year, after they've retaken SLHS 651 and received a C- or higher.
- Students who receive a grade lower than a C- in SLHS 652 can take SLHS 661 and SLHS 658, but must wait to take SLHS 654 and SLHS 680 until the following year, after they've retaken SLHS 652 and received a C- or higher.
- Beginning fall 2017, undergraduate students may repeat a maximum of 16 units of coursework taken at San Francisco State University for the purpose of excluding the original grade from grade point determination (grade forgiveness). Please refer to the Grading Policy and Systems page.
Students who do not meet these criteria cannot take ANY other SLHS courses. They must re-take the courses in which they received grades below C– the next time they are offered before taking additional SLHS courses.
"An undergraduate student who has received a grade of C or higher, or a grade of CR, may not repeat a course unless the course is described in the Bulletin as repeatable for credit. An undergraduate student who has received a grade in a course that is lower than C, including AU, IC, RD, RP, W, and WU, may repeat that course only once more"(SF State Academic Policies)
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