The School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, first established in 1968 as the Department of Communicative Disorders, consists of the separate, but related professions of speech-language pathology, communicative sciences, audiology, and education of individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. The school's programs are conducted so as to provide basic and advanced professional preparation, with a strong commitment to theoretical and research foundations of clinical intervention.

Undergraduate students may choose a communicative disorders major. Master of Arts degrees in speech-language pathology and education of the deaf are the entry level requirements for professional certification and licensure in those professions. A non-clinical masters degree is offered in communication sciences. In addition the school offers a professional doctorate in audiology, the Au.D., jointly with UCSD. The Au.D. has become the entry level degree for clinical practice in audiology. Finally, a Ph.D. in language and communicative disorders is offered through another joint doctoral program with UCSD. The school pursues standards of excellence through accreditation by all relevant state and federal accrediting agencies.

In order to provide "real world" professional experiences, the school maintains contractual relationships with community clinics, hospitals, agencies and educational programs. Through its Communications Clinic, the school offers diagnostic, habilitative services to University students and staff, as well as to individuals in the surrounding areas.

The School is dedicated to the belief that all citizens have a right to health care services that are current and delivered by professional practitioners who are skilled in assessment and intervention strategies appropriate for diverse populations. That delivery must, of necessity, take into account the equality of all people; recognition of humans as ever changing; acceptance of the interdependence as well as the independence of people; and the assumption that our society bears the responsibility for an optimum education and quality of life for its citizens without regard for differences in ethnicity, gender, national origin, culture, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disabling condition. These basic beliefs undergird the mission, goals, and objectives of the school.

The professional programs of the school are designed to prepare individuals to serve the communication needs of children and adults from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; to meet state credential and licensure requirements in each of the areas of specialization; to meet the highest professional standards and criteria set by accrediting bodies; and to prepare graduates to serve in a variety of interdisciplinary settings as clinicians, consultants, educators, resource and program specialists, researchers, and speech and hearing scientists.

Diversity is valued, recruited, and supported in our academic programs and in the composition of our student body, faculty, and administration. The School strives to incorporate multicultural perspectives into the curriculum and to prepare students to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

The School is committed to providing an educational process that respects and serves our students effectively and efficiently. Our faculty is committed to scholarship and to a constantly evolving pedagogy that allows them to meet student needs, to accommodate diverse student learning styles and world views, and to use emerging technology in their teaching. Their commitment to teaching and scholarship assures student access to a quality education.

The activities of the school are closely woven into the fabric of the surrounding geographic area, and we value this connection. We are engaged in active partnerships with the community, providing mutual opportunities and benefits. We draw upon community resources to enrich the educational process and, in turn, enrich the community by educating professionals committed to serving its people.