Communication Sciences and Disorders PhD

PH.D. PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS


Doctoral Students in CSD

The Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders is a research-based degree designed to train doctoral candidates to become productive scholars and educators in their field. Students in the program will receive training and experience in all aspects of the research process, including conducting research studies and analyzing data, presenting and writing up research, applying for funding, and personal and professional integration into the international scientific community for their field of study. We emphasize the development of programmatic lines of research and follow an apprenticeship model; thus, students will participate in and eventually lead research in their primary advisor’s specialization area. Involvement in other faculty’s research labs is also strongly encouraged and facilitated. All of our doctoral faculty have strong research portfolios, and are also certified speech-language pathologists with research interests in diverse populations. Translational research, bilingualism and cross-language work characterize much of our research. The doctoral program is full-time.

Topics of study include:

  • The development of outcome measures and novel, theoretically motivated treatments in (monolingual and bilingual) aphasia. Eye tracking methodology to investigate cognitive and linguistic processing in acquired neurogenic disorders and in healthy adult populations.
  • The study of cultural and environmental factors that affect young children’s language and literacy development, as well as the development of school readiness assessments and interventions, with a focus on bilingual populations.
  • Effects of speech cues and treatment for increasing intelligibility across languages in children with dysarthria due to cerebral palsy and in adults with Parkinson Disease.
  • Speech perception and production in second language learning.
  • Improving health outcomes and quality of life associated with disorders of airway protection (i.e., swallowing and coughing) by 1) identifying the mechanisms of swallowing dysfunction to determine targets for treatment and 2) developing and testing novel treatment approaches for airway protective deficits.
A graduate student has an animated conversation with his peers at TC.

Admissions Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 terms.

Doctor of Philosophy

  • Points/Credits: 75
  • Entry Terms: Fall Only

Application Deadlines

  • Spring: N/A
  • Summer/Fall (Priority): December 1
  • Summer/Fall (Final): December 1

Supplemental Application Requirements/Comments

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2023-2024)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2023, Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

This program is designed for individuals primarily interested in research and teaching careers in speech and language pathology. A minimum of 75 points must be completed, though 30 points may potentially be transferred from a master's degree program. There is no foreign language requirement. All doctoral candidates must complete a dissertation. For general details concerning the doctoral programs, please consult the Office of Doctoral Studies website. For more information about our doctoral program, please go to our program website.

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