Communication Sciences and Disorders PhD

BrainHealth Study The PhD program in communication sciences and disorders involves high-level study of the processes and disorders of speech, language and hearing. Students have a wealth of research opportunities in laboratories, clinics and schools both on-campus and in the community.

Major research areas and core strengths within the program include:

Hearing Science
Language Science
Speech Science

Degree Program	Financial Aid
Facilities	Program Contacts
Research Areas	Program Resources
Admissions	Organizations

Degree Program

The PhD Program in communication sciences and disorders has a strong interdisciplinary component and draws on faculty and coursework offered through the closely linked PhD programs in Cognition and Neuroscience and Psychological Sciences.

The coursework requirements include: six credit hours of a doctoral proseminar, nine hours of core research methods and statistics courses, six hours of core courses in communication disorders or audiology (students holding a graduate degree in speech-language pathology or audiology are exempted), and 12 hours of advanced coursework. Additional coursework and independent study are tailored to meet each student’s needs and interests. The minimum number of hours for the PhD degree is 75. View the complete degree plan.

The graduate catalog provides an overview of course descriptions. To compile all your academic, campus and extracurricular interests into a presentation you can print out, follow the steps to Create Your Own Guide to UT Dallas.

Admitted students who are interested in concurrently obtaining professional certification in either speech-language pathology or audiology should contact the program head.

Facilities

BrainHealth Study The communication sciences and disorders PhD program is a part of the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, which offers exceptional research facilities.

The program is located at the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, internationally known for its research and clinical service. The Callier Center includes facilities supporting observational, experimental and neuroimaging research in child language, autism spectrum disorders, speech-sound disorders, neurogenic language disorders, cochlear implants and aural rehabilitation. The Callier Center’s comprehensive clinical services in speech-language pathology and audiology, early childhood education classrooms and preschool education programs for children with hearing impairment provide readily accessible populations for research. The center has two branches – Callier-Dallas, located adjacent to the UT Southwestern Medical Center in the Dallas hospital district and Callier-Richardson, on the main UT Dallas campus.

The PhD program in communication sciences and disorders is supported by the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, which specializes in pediatric and adult cognitive and communicative disorders including aphasia, dementia, autism, ADHD, and TBI. Formal and informal collaborations with UT Southwestern clinical departments, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, and the UT Dallas Department of Bioengineering further enrich opportunities for student research.

Research Areas

The program is interdisciplinary in nature and draws upon faculty expertise across the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, including faculty and coursework in the areas of: communication sciences, developmental and cognitive psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience. The core faculty in the Communication Sciences and Disorders PhD program specializes in hearing science, speech science and language science.

Core Faculty Specialization Areas

Hearing Science

James Jerger, Jeffrey Martin, Aage Moller, Ross Roeser, Linda Thibodeau, Andrea Warner-Czyz

Language Science

Sandra Chapman, Christine Dollaghan, Julia Evans, John Hart, Susan Jerger, Mandy Maguire, Raul Rojas, Pamela Rollins, Robert Stillman, Hanna Ulatowska, Anne van Kleeck

Speech Science

Peter Assmann, Thomas Campbell, William Katz, Emily Tobey

Admissions

BrainHealth Study The PhD in communication sciences and disorders is a research degree. It is essential that there is a close match between a student’s research interests and the research interests and expertise of the faculty. Prospective students should consider contacting faculty with whom they might share research interests. A primary consideration in PhD admission is a faculty member’s agreement to serve as the student’s mentor.

Requirements for PhD Program Application

Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Completion of undergraduate degree in related major is advisable. Completion of a masters degree is not required.
Three letters of reference
A statement of purpose

To submit an application:

Check the application deadlines.
Complete the UT Dallas Graduate Application for Admission online.
Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended and GRE scores to the UT Dallas Office of Enrollment Services.
Submit three letters of reference and a statement of purpose directly to the PhD in psychological sciences program.

The UT Dallas graduate admissions page will help guide you through the process. You can check your status using the University’s Orion program. If you’ve been accepted into the program, please read the University’s steps after admission page.

Communication Sciences and Disorders Doctoral Program

ATTN Mary Felipe
School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 W. Campbell Rd, GR41
Richardson, TX 75080

To request more information on specific programs contact  Robert D. Stillman, PhD  Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences  Phone: (214) 905-3106.

Financial Aid

Most full-time students are awarded graduate assistantships and tuition support. Financial support of doctoral students is awarded through teaching or research assistantship stipends and tuition scholarships. For more information about graduate financial support opportunities, visit our financial aid and support page for PhD students.