Communicative Disorders

By majoring in communicative disorders, you’ll obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in a variety of education and health-related positions.

Fast fact: In the last five years, enrollment in the communicative disorders program is up 23.2%.

Undergraduate study in communicative disorders will provide you with information regarding the normal development of speech, language and hearing. You’ll need to complete additional coursework related to mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, child and adult development and counseling. It’s ideal preparation for professional practice as an audiologist, rehabilitation counselor or speech-language pathologist. If you choose not to pursue a graduate degree, you can use the knowledge you acquired as a strong foundation for employment in human services, educational fields or health care.

Learn more about our bachelor’s degree completion pathway for College of DuPage Speech-Language Pathology Assistant students (PDF).

The Howie Schwartz Memorial Scholarship in Speech-Language Pathology

Take This Step to Become a Speech-language Pathologist

Seven seats in the Master of Communicative Disorders, specialization in speech-language pathology program are reserved for incoming University Honors freshman who declare communicative disorders as a major. This program is limited to the first seven qualifying students who accept admission to NIU. To take advantage of this program, you must graduate with a COMD undergraduate degree and complete full University Honors requirements in four years.

Qualified students will receive a letter from the COMD program informing them that their seat in the master’s program in COMD has been reserved. To maintain their seat, students must email the COMD undergraduate program director confirming their seat within two weeks of receiving the letter from the COMD program.

To learn more about the program, speak with an Honors advisor or the School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders at ahcd@niu.edu.

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