As a communication disorders major, your career options span speech-language pathology, audiology, special education, and other communication-related fields that allow you to use your passion for improving communication to enhance the lives of others. At Truman, you can tailor your experience to fit your interests, and you can select a clinic or non-clinic option.

Career Paths

Common career areas:

  • speech-language pathologist
  • audiologist
  • speech therapist
  • teacher
  • community support specialist

Graduate School Preparation

While competition is steep, our communication disorders graduates enjoy a high admission rate to their first choice of graduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology, including Truman's Master of Arts in Communication Disorders program.

Notable graduate schools:

  • Truman State University
  • Saint Louis University
  • University of Missouri-Columbia
  • University of Kansas
  • Washington University School of Medicine*

*Truman has agreements that provide qualified applicants automatic admission into Washington University School of Medicine to pursue a Master of Science in Deaf Education or a Doctor of Audiology.

Featured Courses

Study normal speech, language, and hearing development and acquired disorders of speech and language in children and adults is discussed.
Explore the speech sounds of language, with emphasis on American English. You learn how American English speech sounds are produced and learn to transcribe speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Acquire the clinical knowledge and skills required for service delivery involved in the assessment and treatment of normal and abnormal human communication behavior. You gain hands on experience in a non-clinical environment and develop writing skills necessary for professional clinical reports and documents.
Study typical American English language development, including major American dialects and learn how to use basic language observation and analysis techniques to explore phonology, syntax, morphology, semantics and pragmatics.
Explore the anatomy and physiology of the human ear and the process of hearing along with the basic principles of hearing assessment and characteristics of hearing disorders.
Learn the basic concepts underlying production and analysis of speech sounds, with emphasis on the acoustic aspects of speech.

Facilities and Equipment

The clinical facilities for communication disorders students are attractive and well-designed for instruction. All therapy rooms have direct observation and video recording capability. Students have access to a collection of traditional therapy materials, tests, and clinical computing resources available to students all day every day. Our primary classroom includes state-of-the art instructional technology.

Get an inside look at our Health Sciences Building which is home to the Department of Communication Disorders.

Clinical Opportunities

Student working with young child

Speech and Hearing Clinic

You have the opportunity to have your own client in Truman's Speech and Hearing Clinic, a teaching clinic on campus that's open to the public. Here, you learn how to screen and assess speech, language, and hearing while also helping treat those experiencing speech and language problems, difficulty with voice or fluency, and hearing loss.

Speech and Hearing Clinic

Truman-RiteCare Early Literacy Lab

Within the Speech and Hearing Clinic, you can work with children in the Truman-RiteCare Early Literacy Lab which serves children at risk for literacy difficulties.

Student Opportunities