Communication Disorders Program:
Distance Master's Degree

About Us
 

The Communication Disorders Department at Western Kentucky University (WKU) was established in 1975, and accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology  in 1993.  We are now part of the College of Health and Human Services, though our physical facilities still reside within the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.

 

Kentucky is a mountainous state with a large rural population.  Many rural school districts experienced difficulty recruiting master's level speech pathologists; the bachelor's level clinicians were often unable to enroll in traditional programs due to distance and time constraints.  In 1999 Western Kentucky University along with four other accredited programs, under the auspices of the Kentucky Virtual University, began to offer a collaborative distance master's degree in Communication Disorders for residents of Kentucky.

 

Given the success of this program and the frequent requests for individuals from out of the state, Western Kentucky University  has launched its own distance program.  Courses will be presented on-line, using the Blackboard CourseInfo software supported by the university.  There will be one three-week clinical session required on campus in July; all other practica can be completed in your area if ASHA certified therapists are available to supervise you. Out-of-state students are encouraged to apply.  There is now a uniform tuition rate for all distance students.  Current tuition rates may be found at http://www.wku.edu/bursar/.

Full Time Faculty
Click on name to view individual faculty webpages and syllabi.
 

Dr. Joseph Etienne, Ph.D.	Dept. Head, Communication Disorders.  Audiologist.  Teaches Pediatric Audiology and Speech Science.
Dr. Barbara Brindle, Ph.D.	Distance Program Coordinator; graduate advisor.  Teaches Geriatric Communication Disorders, Dysphagia, Motor Speech Disorders, and Voice Disorders.
Dr. Stan Cooke, Ed.D.	Teaches Dysphasia, and Orofacial Anomalies.
Dr. Frank Kersting, Ed.D.	Rank I Coordinator.  Teaches Language Disorders, Advanced Diagnostics, Phonology, and Dysfluency.
Dr. Richard Dressler	Teaches Neurology,  Advanced Neurogenics, Motor Speech Disorders, Speech Science, and Professional Issues.
Dr. Lauren Bland	Teaches Professional Issues Seminar, Language Disorders, and Phonology.

Program of Study

General

The Master of Science in Communication Disorders is designed to prepare professional speech pathologists to meet the needs of the communicatively impaired in hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, schools, etc.  It is also designed to meet the academic and clinical requirements of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association, leading to national certification and state licensure.

A minimum of 42 academic and 7 clinical credits are required for graduation, as listed below.  A thesis option is also available.

PreRequisites

Applicants without an undergraduate degree in the field must acquire the following prerequisite coursework:
        * Phonetics
         * Normal Speech and Language Development
        * Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech & Hearing Mechanism
        * Introduction to Audiology
        * Articulation & Language Disorders
        * Diagnostics in Communication Disorders
Please note that completion of these courses will not make you eligible to work in the public schools. The reason for taking these classes is to prepare you for graduate study.

Courses

Required:       CD 502        CD 509        Electives:   CD 488G
                    CD 503        CD 510                        CD 489G
                    CD 504        CD 511                        CD 512 or 513
                    CD 505        CD 514                        CD 589 (ind. study)
                    CD 506        CD 515
                    CD 507        CD 590 (1cr.)
                    CD 508        CD 591 (6cr.)
                    CD 512/513  CD 500 (Research Tool)

    For course descriptions access the WKU catalog at http://www.wku.edu/admissions.html.
    [You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file. A free download is available at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html ]   
 

Recommended Sequence

        Year 1           _____                      Year 2__________________
               Fall                                                     Fall                   
        CD 489G  Geriatric Comm.Dis.         CD 504 -    Seminar in Language
        CD 507 -   Dysphasia                    CD 509 -    Speech Science
        CD 511 -   Neurology                    CD 591 -    Externship (school)
                Spring                                               Spring
          CD 503 -  Adv. Diagnostics             CD 512 -     Phonology*
        CD 508 -    Voice Disorders             CD 515 -   Pediatric Audiology
        CD 514 -    Dysphagia                    CD 590 - WKU Clinic
                Summer                             CD 591 - Externship (medical)
         CD 505 - Orofacial Disorders                  Summer
         CD 502 - Motor Speech Disorders    CD 506 -     Dysfluency
         CD 590 - WKU Clinic                     CD 510 -    Professional Issues
            January (Optional)                 CD 591 -   Externship (other)
          CD 590 - WKU Clinic

      * Take either CD 512 or CD 513 Advanced Neurogenics

Note:  Sequence may be subject to change.

Clinical Experience

An intensive clinical internship (CD 590) is scheduled on campus for 3-4 weeks during the January or July after your first academic year.  You will work with children and adults with a variety of communicative disorders.  Faculty regard 3 weeks as the minimum length of time required for a clinical learning experience.  This initial clinical experience is designed to allow faculty an opportunity to see what you can do, and decide how to best improve your clinical skills. Students with limited undergraduate experience are welcome to extend this to 5-6 weeks if the clinical schedule permits.

Additional clinical experience can be accommodated in your area, provided that an ASHA-certified supervisor is available.  You will need to acquire at least 50 clinical hours over an eight-week period in each of three different sites.  We require that one of these sites be in a school setting and one in a medical setting. The third site can be in any setting of the student's  choice.  Many students elect to experience a specialty area, such as early intervention, programs for the developmentally delayed or hearing impaired, etc.  Most  students will count their place of employment as a one, leaving the second and third sites to be arranged.  If you cannot count undergraduate or worksite clinical hours toward the total 400 required for certification, be sure to let your advisor know so that alternate arrangements can be made.

Given the recent ASHA changes, and variation in state regulations regarding the training and responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants, we will need to interview your supervisor to ensure that you will have the same opportunities/experiences that would be expected for other graduate students in communication disorders.  Those of you with bachelor's degrees who are working in the public schools should not have any difficulty as long as an ASHA-certified supervisor is available.

ASHA requirements effective 2005:

Additional Requirements

  Research Methods - A graduate level course in research
    design and methodology is required by the Graduate
    College for all graduate students.  You do not need to
    take this course through WKU if a local institution has
    one available.  Research Methods must be completed
    before attaining 15 hours of graduate study.

  Transferring Graduate Credits - The Graduate College will
    accept up to 12 graduate credits from other accredited
    institutions.  You must have a grade of B  and a gpa of
    3.0 or better.  Please provide a course description and
    copy of the syllabus for evaluation.
    Note:  the Graduate College requires that all coursework
    be completed within a six year period.  Those of you who
    intend to complete the program within two years may apply
    credits from up to four years ago.

  State Teacher Certification - Standards vary per state.
    Check with the Department of Education in your state to
    see if any additional coursework is required.  This would
    be in addition to the 49 hours required for graduation.
    Kentucky residents should contact kaye.gordon@wku.edu
    for certification information.

  Comprehensive Exams - By the final semester of coursework,
    the student must have taken and passed the PRAXIS exam
    in speech-language pathology.  Students who do not pass
    must successfully complete a written exam prepared by
    program area faculty.

  Clinical Hours - We will need an official summary of clinical
    hours from your undergraduate institution if you intend to
    use them for ASHA certification.

Syllabi - available on each professor's website, and through the Schedule of Courses on Topnet.  See About Us or Registration.
 

Access to Coursework

Western Kentucky University and the Kentucky Virtual University support the Blackboard CourseInfo software, which provides a template upon which web-based courses are constructed.  You can reach the login page via the Information Technology and Academic Technology pages, or by direct URL:  http://ecourses.wku.edu/

The ReachU webpage is another good resource, found at http://www.wku.edu/reachu.

MS Word is the word-processing software of choice supported by WKU.  Students using another word-processing system should save their files as Rich Text Files (RTF) before transmitting.  Inform your instructor that you are doing so.

Orientation to Online Learning is a free tutorial which will introduce you to the features of CourseInfo and facets of learning online.  We strongly encourage you to review this prior to beginning coursework.
 

Technical Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

    COMPUTER:      PC                            MAC
                                    Windows 98, 2000,              MacOS 8.1 or later
                                        NT, ME, XP                     604 PowerPC Processor
                                    90 MHZ Pentium Processor     32 MB RAM
                                    32 MB of RAM                      56 K modem
                                    56 K modem                        Speakers
                                    Sound card
                                    Speakers
                                    Note: Pentium 166 Processer and High Speed Access
                                             are preferred.

    INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP):
        The ISP is the company that provides you with access to the Internet.
          High speed access, as found via cable companies and DSLs, provides
          easier and more rapid access.  Please be aware that course accessibility
          is limited with America Online, Prodigy, and CompuServe.  AOL has
          problems interacting with JAVA script.  This will make use of chat
          functions difficult.

    E-MAIL
      Required so that we may get in touch with you.  Most ISPs will provide
        an E-mail account, as do many companies and agencies.  Check with
        your ISP if you do not know your E-mail address.

    BROWSER  PC                          MAC____________
                        Netscape 4.0 or higher        Mac Internet Explorer 4.5+
                        Internet Explorer 4.0+
            If you do not know what type of browser you have, launch it, go to
            help, then click on About ...  This will tell you which version of the
            Browser you have.  Download free browsers at netscape.com and
            microsoft.com.
            Caution:  Netscape 6.0 is not currently compatible with CourseInfo.

Additional Software & Plug-Ins
            Powerpoint  or Powerpoint Viewer
            Windows Media Player or RealPlayer
            Adobe Acrobat Reader - available at adobe.com
            Macromedia Flash - available at macromedia.com
           Others may be required by individual instructors.

Technical Support

WKU Phone:  270-745-7020 or 866-LERN WKU
Assistance available between 8 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

WKU E-Mail:  cihelp@atech.wku.edu

KYVU Tech Help Desk:   Toll Free 1.877.725.4357 (HELP)
Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.;
Sunday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Admissions

Admission is competitive. For information on WKU Admissions Requirements, Policies and Procedures, and Application (print out & mail in with $35), go to the WKU Graduate Admissions webpage at http://www.wku.edu/graduate/. The Application Form is under 'Prospective Students'. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download this form.)

In addition to the Graduate College requirements, we also ask for three letters of reference and a brief essay describing why you want to pursue a distance master's degree in communication disorders.  At least one of the letters of reference should be from your current supervisor or employer.  Please send letters and essays directly to the Communication Disorders Program.  All other documents should be sent to the Graduate College.

Our next cohort class will begin in August, 2006. Deadline for applications will be April 1, 2006.

Orientation

Classes Offered Fall 2005

      Course ID       CRN                Course Title                  ___     Instructor
      CD 489G                       Geriatric Communication Disorders        Brindle                        
      CD 507                            Dysphasia (Aphasia)                        Cooke                       
      CD  511                            Neurology                                    Dressler      
    Note:  You will need the CRN number for registration.

You may take one, two, or three, of the courses offered.  9 credits will make you a full-time graduate student.  I would suggest that you prioritize them in the order written. 

Class Schedule

The benefit of web-based instruction is that most of the learning and contact is at your own convenience.  However, we do operate according to the traditional university schedule. There are two functions during which you need to be concerned about specific times:
1) Assignment due dates, as specified in the syllabus per course; and 2) Synchronous chats.  Many instructors incorporate a weekly chat session to address questions and further explore more difficult concepts.  Instructors typically assign chat times in consultation with their students, or offer a choice of chat sessions.

Getting Started

The first week of class you need to log into Blackboard/CourseInfo as indicated above. Log-in will take you to your own Blackboard Homepage.  You will see the titles of the courses for which you are enrolled on the right side of the page.  Click on the title to go to
the designated course site. Check the Announcements page for any recent instructions, then read the Syllabus [found under Course Information], Course Documents, and Assignments.
Go to Communications, then Student Roster, to make sure that your e-mail address is correct.  If not, go to Change Your Information under Tools to correct it.  Contact your instructor if you have difficulty accessing the course site.

Texts

Check the syllabi on Topnet Schedule Bulletin or the individual instructor's webpage for texts and/or required materials.  You may opt to purchase from the publisher, request a local bookstore to order it for you, or order it online via the WKU Bookstore at http://www.wku.edu/Info/Bookstore

Advising

Dr. Barbara Brindle is the Graduate Advisor.  Call her at 270-745-4299 or E-mail via barbara.brindle@wku.edu.  E-mail is preferred. Specific telephone advising hours will be posted per semester.

Forms

The following forms are required by the Graduate College during your course of study:

    Form C - This program form for Master's level students details your plan of
    study.  The Graduate College Checks this against what you have completed
    before you can graduate.  You may take up to 12 credits before filling out the
    Form C.

    Form D - Admission to Candidacy.  Due before 21 hours of coursework are completed.
    Research Methods must have been completed before this form is submitted.

    Form E -  Completion of Competency.  Due last semester, after completion of
    the PRAXIS or competency examination.
 

Registration

Register online using Topnet, which is available from 7 a.m. to midnight, Mondays through Saturdays, on the WKU webpage at http://topnet.wku.edu.  This site provides information on admissions, registration, student records, and financial aid.  To access Topnet via the Western Kentucky University homepage, look for a dialog box labeled Quicklinks, then click on Topnet Registration.

Once the Graduate College has entered you into the computer system, login for Student Services and follow the directions.  Your initial Personal Identification Number will be six digits from your social security number.  We strongly recommend that you change this as soon as possible.  Your advisor is Dr. Brindle.

Students who wish to enroll as visiting or non-matriculating students should register for distance master's courses in Communication Disorders via the Kentucky Virtual University website at http://www.kyvu.com.  Click on the Link that says Register now, and follow the instructions. Please note that enrollment as a non-matriculating student does not qualify you for admission to the Communication Disorders Program.
 

Contact Us                        

New Address effective July 1, 2005: Communication Disorders Department Western Kentucky University 1906 College Heights Blvd. 41030 Bowling Green, KY 42101-1030 Phone:  270-745-2278 E-Mail:  CommunicationDisorders.wku.edu