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The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) offers a graduate
program leading to the MS in communication sciences and disorders. A particular strength of the program is clinical education/training.
The program prides itself in offering
students close, individualized instruction. It is one of the few programs in the United States featuring preparation in a multilingual/multicultural environment. Given Hawai'i's status as the health care center for the Pacific
Basin, internship and externship facilities in Honolulu and
elsewhere are extensive and varied. Students have the opportunity
to gain rich clinical and cultural experience.
The program is accredited by the Council of Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology and provides professional preparation
for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association (the national certifying authority). The practice of speech-language pathology and/or audiology presently requires a minimum of a master’s degree obtained from a CAA-accredited program in a regionally accredited university. In addition, the practitioner must obtain clinical certification and, in most states, licensure. Standards for practice (and, therefore, educational content) are evolving. The prospective student is advised that the standards for graduation will change during the course of his/her study. Students in the program will be required to meet the national standards in force at the time of graduation.
Speech pathologists and audiologists treat children and adults in public and private practice in a wide variety of settings. A recent report by the federal government projected the combined fields of audiology and speech pathology as one of the fastest growing of the next decade.
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