CD Advisement Overview Dept/CollegeAdvCtr/Fac Advise June 2011rev UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT PROCESS OVERVIEW BA in Communicative Disorders

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1 UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT PROCESS OVERVIEW BA in Communicative Disorders Welcome to Cal State Fullerton the College of Communication, and Department of Human Communication Studies as a new Communicative Disorders major! We sincerely hope that your experience as a new major will be a positive, productive, and successful one. The following are just a few advisement tips to help you toward the goal of completing a B.A. in Communicative Disorders. Career Overview The B. A. degree in Communicative Disorders at CSUF prepares students for future graduate coursework and careers in the professions of Speech-Language-Pathology and Audiology. For more info on these and the types of populations served, go to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website ( B.A. Degree Requirements In order to receive a B.A. degree in Communicative Disorders from CSUF, students need to complete a total of 120 units which includes the following: a) 51 General Education (GE) units b) 42 units in the major (includes 39 units of required work plus one elective in the major: HCOM 302, 308, 312, 345, or 404) and c) 27 units of unrestricted electives that help students obtain the 120 units needed for graduation that can include: Extra GE classes or CD electives beyond those required 9 units of upper division GE coursework required in residence (at CSUF) for junior college transfers Classes outside of the major required for the two needed for work in the California public school, state licensure, and other work settings (e.g., hospital and private practice): ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and public school Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential in Language, Speech and Hearing (SLPSC) Classes that serve as pre-requisites for required major, credential and/or GE classes Classes for a minor or double major in another area of study Classes in any other area of interest and/or related areas of study such as Linguistics, Psychology, Child Development, Special Education, etc. Where can I find information about university and program requirements? Info on CSUF GE requirements and related information can be found at: p?lastpg=gereqpg 1

2 2 CD Advisement Overview Info on CSUF CD BA program degree requirements, credential options and course pre-requisites can be found in the following: CD program Requirements for Degrees, Credentials, and Certificate of Clinical Competence-SLP handout available through the main dept office (Department of Human Communication Studies, CP 420-1) and college advisement center (CP 425) CD program course rotation schedule handout available through the main dept office (Department of Human Communication Studies, CP 420-1) and college advisement center (CP 425) CD BA in Communicative Disorders view sheet available through the main dept office (Department of Human Communication Studies, CP 420-1) and college advisement center (CP 425) University s on-line catalog: College of Communications HCOM department website: Who do I see for academic advisement? For Freshmen and students with less than 48 units of university coursework As soon as you are admitted to the CSUF CD BA program, you should do the following: 1. Contact Dr. Wyatt, the CD BA program undergraduate advisor or any other CD faculty member (see CD Faculty Contact Info or semester advisement schedule handout) for a preliminary overview of major course and credential requirements. If you are advised by a faculty member other than Dr. Wyatt, set up an appointment with Dr. Wyatt at some point after your initial advisement for formal CD faculty advisor assignment. 2. Although you do not need to meet with your assigned CD faculty advisor until after you start your major coursework (which should start around your 4 th or 5 th semester), you can still make appointments with them as needed before then to discuss any career, program or specific class/academic questions/concerns, future coursework planning, opportunities for possible research, etc. 3. In addition to meeting with a CD faculty advisor, you should also meet with a University Academic Advisement Center (AAC) counselor to review general education (GE) coursework requirements, and discuss a GE plan of study. For the first two years of your college experience, your primary focus will be on completing the 51 GE requirements. Meeting with an AAC counselor is crucial to successful completion of those requirements. The University Academic Advisement center is located in University Hall 123 (x3606) and takes walk-in appointments. You can also go to the advisement center s website at 4. In addition to understanding GE requirements, it is useful for you to learn how to read and access your titan degree audit (TDA). Tutorials are available on-line.

3 3 CD Advisement Overview AAC counselors as well as Tammy Rogers in the College Advisement Center (CP 425) and Communicative Disorders peer mentors also located in the College Advisement Center can also help you with the latter. Then can also provide you with other information (e.g., helpful student groups) and strategies for surviving your college experience at CSUF and information on possible volunteer experiences that are related to the field both on and off campus. 5. Continue to meet with an AAC counselor at least once a semester until you have completed all of your requirements to make sure you are on track for completing required GE classes. 6. Given the competitive nature of the major and the importance of having a good GPA in CD coursework to apply for graduate school, it is best to hold off taking CD major courses until after you have completed about units of GE university coursework (e.g., when you are ready to register for the second semester of your sophomore or first semester of your junior year). Once you have completed about units of GE university coursework, you should meet with your assigned CD faculty advisor to discuss the best coursework sequence for taking courses in the major. Your assigned advisor is the best person to help you to set up a tentative academic major coursework plan that balances CD major, credential and remaining GE coursework requirements. 7. Continue to meet with your assigned CD faculty advisor at least once a semester up until graduation to make sure you are on track for completing required CD major classes. For Jr. College Transfers and students with at least 48 units of university coursework As soon as you are admitted to the CSUF CD BA program, similar to freshmen and sophomores, you should: 1. Contact Dr. Wyatt, the CD BA program undergraduate advisor or any other CD faculty member (see CD Faculty Contact Info or semester advisement schedule handout) for a preliminary overview of major course and credential requirements). If you are advised by a faculty member other than Dr. Wyatt, set up an appointment with Dr. Wyatt at some point after your initial advisement for formal CD faculty advisor assignment. 2. Meet with a University Academic Advisement Center (AAC) counselor to review your TDA, remaining general education (GE) coursework requirements, including the 9 units of upper division coursework that you will need to complete in residence. 3. Set up a tentative major coursework academic plan with Dr. Wyatt or your assigned advisor once you have been able to successfully enroll in your first set of CD major courses. 4. Continue to meet with your assigned CD faculty advisor at least once a semester until all major requirements have been completed.

4 5. Continue to meet with an AAC counselor at least once a semester until all requirements have been completed. 6. Consult the university Academic Advisement Center, Titan OnLine tutorials, Tammy Rogers, and Communicative Disorders peer mentors on how to read and access your titan degree audit (TDA) and for information about other helpful college survival, student group and volunteer opportunities. Post-bac students (students who already have a BA in another major) Review the EQUIV column of the Requirements for Degrees, Credentials, and Certificate of Clinical Competence-SLP handout. Contact Dr. Kurt Kitselman ( , kkitselman@fullerton.edu), the CD graduate advisor for further guidance. Which courses should I take first? For Freshmen and students with less than 48 units of university coursework 1. Focus on completing GE requirements for the first 3-4 semesters of your college experience. Some good GE courses to think about taking include the following that are pre-requisites for later coursework needed for later major and/or credential courses: a. HCOM 100 (pre-req for HCOM 300, 302, 308, 345) b. HCOM 200 (can take instead of 100 for HCOM 300, 308) c. HCOM 102 (can take instead of 100 for HCOM 302) d. ENG 101 (pre-req for HCOM 302) e. PSYCH 101 (pre-req for Psych 361) 2. Meet with your assigned CD faculty advisor when you are registering for your fourth semester to decide when to start taking CD major courses and which ones to take first. After you have been able to successfully enroll in your first set of major courses, your assigned CD faculty advisor will help you set up a tentative major coursework academic plan that balances major, credential and remaining GE courses. For Juniors, Seniors and students with at least 48 units of university coursework 1. Take any remaining GE courses recommended by your Academic Advisement Center advisor including the 9 units of upper division in-residence GE coursework required for transfer students if applicable. One good upper division GE course to take is Psych 361. This class is required for the public school SLPSC and ASHA CCC credentials. 2. Other classes outside of the major to consider are: a. The following pre-reqs if not already completed: i. HCOM 100 (pre-req for HCOM 300, 302, 308, 345) ii. HCOM 200 (can take instead of 100 for HCOM 300, 308) iii. HCOM 102 (can take instead of 100 for HCOM 302) iv. ENG 101 (pre-req for HCOM 302) v. PSYCH 101 (pre-req for Psych 361) 4

5 b. Sp Ed 371 (required for public school SLPSC and ASHA CCC credentials) 3. Meet with Dr. Wyatt or your assigned CD faculty advisor to discuss possible course options in the major. 4. After you have been able to successfully enroll in your first set of major courses, your assigned CD faculty advisor will help you set up a tentative major coursework academic plan that balances major, credential and remaining GE courses. Post-bac students (students who already have a BA in another major) Follow suggestions #2,3, 4 for Junior, Senior and Transfer students in consultation with the grad advisor, Dr. Kitselman. How many semesters does it typically take to complete major requirements? It typically takes students 4-5 semesters from the first semester of CD coursework to complete all undergraduate GE and CD coursework requirements. 5

6 ADDITIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CD UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS University applications, admissions, and transcripts Contact the Admissions and Records Service Center in Langsdorf Hall 114 (x7601) or go the admissions and records website at: Student Academic Affairs For information on additional student support services at Cal State Fullerton, go to: Financial aid resources and info Click on the Students tab of the ASHA website ( or CSUF s scholarship webpage at Additional departmental and school scholarships are also often available, typically during the Spring semester of the academic year. Go to the HCOM department website at National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSHLA) Go to and Communicative Disorders (CD) Peer Mentor program Communicative Disorders majors who have completed a minimum of 5 courses in the major can apply to serve as peer mentors to other students in the major. Students can see CD peer mentors in the College Academic Advisement Center (CP 425) during the regular semester for a variety of different services and information such as the following after they have been formally assigned to a CD faculty advisor: Accessing and using Titan On-Line, helpful study tips, assistance with study and computer skills, tutoring for individual courses, information on NSSHLA, CSHA, and ASHA membership and conferences, possible speech assistant/aide/volunteer activities, guidance to websites on the EWP, CBEST and GRE, on-line sources that contain information for applying for grad school, etc. Speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) info Students with a B. A. in communicative disorders or AA-degree equivalent from a state board approved program can apply to become SLPAs who work under the supervision of licensed/credential speech-language pathologists and audiologists. For more info, go to:

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