About Us
In UL Lafayette's Department of Communicative Disorders, we try to understand how communication works and how it breaks down, so that we can use this knowledge to help individuals with communication disorders lead richer, fuller and more productive lives.
The Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology and Audiology program has an enrollment of over 230 students. Most classes average about 30-45 students—small enough that our professors have the opportunity to get to know their students as more than just a name on the roster. We graduate approximately 50 students each year; many go on to successfully complete graduate degrees.
The Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology is the entry-level degree to practice as a speech language pathologist in Louisiana and most states in the US. We have close to 70 students currently enrolled in the two-year accredited program. Our graduates are well-prepared to enter the profession as evidenced by our Student Outcome Data. Graduates from our master's program are employed in schools, healthcare settings and private practices here in Acadiana as well as across the state and nation.
The PhD in Applied Language and Speech Sciences program is designed to prepare students to become the faculty members of tomorrow. Enrollment in our doctoral program consistently hovers around 20-25 students, making it one of the largest doctoral programs in the nation.
We offer valuable clinical services to the public through the UL Lafayette Speech Language Hearing Center, which serves as a setting for our students to learn valuable clinical skills as well as a laboratory for clinical research to improve the assessment and treatment of individuals with communicative disorders.
This clinical research by both faculty and doctoral students is supported and disseminated through the Doris B. Hawthorne Center. Faculty and students are active presenters of new research at conferences held throughout the year and have numerous publications in books, edited volumes and academic journals.
We welcome you to contact us if you have any questions or want to set up a time to meet our faculty and see us at work.