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Program Overview

The cooperating faculties of San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) offer a joint doctoral program (PhD) in Language and Communicative Disorders. The program's focus is the interdisciplinary study of language and communicative disorders. A major emphasis of the program is to apply techniques developed in cognitive science and neuroscience to the study of language and language disorders. The program involves study and research on typical and atypical language acquisition and development, sign languages, bilingualism and the neural bases of language use and language loss. As such, this interdisciplinary program draws from a variety of undergraduate disciplines including communicative disorders, psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, engineering, and other related sciences.

The program is coordinated by the Doctoral Program Directors at each campus, in conjunction with an Executive Committee comprised of three faculty from each campus appointed by the Graduate Deans from each campus. The Doctoral Program Directors are Beverly B. Wulfeck (SDSU) and Victor Ferreira (UCSD).

Participating faculty have research interests in a wide range of issues in processes of language development, language and aging, multilingualism, language disorders, assessment, and intervention.

The doctoral program faculty at SDSU are members of the:

• School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
• Department of Linguistics
• Department of Psychology

• Department of Cognitive Science
• Department of Communications
• Department of Linguistics
• Department of Neurosciences
• Department of Psychology

The program is designed as a five-year curriculum, based on a twelve-month academic year. It is possible to obtain academic preparation for the ASHA CCC or complete a CFY concurrently with doctoral studies. Students will be admitted to the doctoral program only in the fall semester/quarter. Students should have adequate preparation in mathematics, statistics, and biological sciences. Backgrounds in neurosciences and/or language sciences, or language disorders are helpful, but not required for admission.

The program is innovative in that many of the requirements are designed to function as a model of professional preparation specifically incorporating activities in which a successful teacher and researcher must engage after obtaining the Ph.D: students will be required to participate in interdisciplinary research throughout the program, learn about the nature and ethics of research, prepare grant proposals, write manuscripts, and will gain experience in oral presentations and teaching.

Graduates of the program are well prepared for the rigors of an academic/research career. They are qualified to serve as faculty in a variety of disciplines, and to provide leadership in teaching, research and health services.

last updated: 10/12/09