SCIENCES

Empower clients to find their voice. Combine your interest in science with your passion for helping others. NAU’s bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders will teach you technologies and strategies to diagnose and rehabilitate children and adults. You’ll engage in research and evidence-based practice within our labs—and in real-world clinical practice under the supervision and guidance of our expert faculty. Our program prepares you to pursue Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLPA) certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

If you find yourself fascinated about why we think, feel, and behave the way we do, consider pursuing a degree in psychological sciences. Psychologists take a scientific approach to studying behavior and mental processes, researching the ways in which life experiences, environment, culture, and biology all work together to shape the mind and brain. Our psychological sciences major can explore a wide range of topics such as compassion, creativity, health, development, interpersonal relationships, psychological disorders and treatments, cognition, neuroscience, and sexuality, and critically evaluate the research that professional psychologists use. Majors may also have the opportunity to complete undergraduate research, an internship and/or fieldwork during their coursework.

Find answers to complex social questions. If questions about contemporary society and culture intrigue you, then you’ll be interested in the ‘Sociological Imagination,’ C. Wright Mills’ term for what allows you to grasp the intersection of your own personal biography and the historical and social contexts of society. Through our bachelor’s in Sociology program, you’ll sharpen your critical thinking skills and gain knowledge about diversity, individual behavior, and group dynamics.

Integrate your varied interests and career goals. You have an individual vision of what you’d like to pursue. You can complete a degree that provides the flexibility to change direction and build upon your prior education in multiple disciplines. Develop your skills in conducting interdisciplinary research, understanding complex problems, and articulating your unique perspective. Incorporate knowledge of human cultures and global issues to your studies.

Make a difference and empower communication. Establish the knowledge and skills to assist in the screening and treatment of communication disorders under the supervision of a licensed professional. You’ll study childhood communication, phonetics, and clinical methods to treat language and hearing disorders while exploring standards of professionalism and ethics in your field. Following established protocols to remediate individual communication disorders, this program will prepare you to create positive change in the lives of children and adults struggling with communication disorders.

Courses cover anatomical and physiological aspects of speech and hearing, the development of cognitive and linguistic communicative functions, and related disorders. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults. They work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and schools. Individuals seeking to become speech-language pathologists must complete a graduate degree from an accredited program. Admission to these programs requires prerequisite coursework in the field of study. This certificate is designed for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-CSD major and are seeking a pathway to fulfill the prerequisite courses required for admission to a graduate degree program and enter the workforce as a speech-language pathologist in the least amount of time possible. Course content required for admission to graduate school and included in this undergraduate certificate includes phonetics, anatomy and physiology of speech and swallowing, typical language development, speech and hearing sciences, and audiology.