About our program

Our Departmental Honors Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders was approved by the University Honors Council in May 2011. The mission of our honors program is to recognize high-achieving undergraduate CSD Majors and provide an enriched, challenging environment for these students to develop academically and professionally. We encourage highly-motivated, high-achieving Comprehensive Majors in Communication Sciences and Disorders to apply. Approximately 4-5 students each year will be invited to join our CSD Honors program and will work with faculty mentors to enhance their critical thinking, research, and leadership skills

Admission Criteria

• Overall GPA ≥ 3.5
• CSD GPA ≥ 3.5
• Successful completion at time of application (not in-progress) of CSD 235, CSD 256, CSD 257, and CSD 353, with a grade of B or above.
• Students invited to join the Honors Program in CSD will typically not have taken any pass/fail courses.

If you are a University Honors Student, the University Honors Program and our CSD Departmental Honors Program collaborate to help students integrate the requirements for both programs. For example, students in CSD Honors can count up to 9 credits (2 courses) of CSD honors contract work toward your University Honors requirements. If you have questions about how to integrate the requirements for both programs, please meet with Dr. Abby Hemmerich to discuss your options.

Honors Program Requirements / Components

1. A total of TWO CSD upper-division courses offering an Honors Contract for honors credit (see Potential CSD upper division courses with Honors Contract credit accordion). 4-7 credits possible.
   
   
2. Scholarship Project (4 options):
   a. Leadership Role in an undergraduate research project: CSD 495: Directed Studies (up to 6 credits).
   b. Independent Research Project: CSD 499: Independent Study (up to 6 credits).
   c. Clinical Case Study / Single-Subject Design research project: CSD 499: Independent Study
       (up to 6 credits). Note: Students selecting this option will need to be on Plan 1 so they can collect
       data during CSD 470, fall senior year.
   d. Leadership Role in a CSD or Campus Project: e.g., Aphasia Camp, Camp Campus, CSD Writing
       Fellow; lead the CSD Ambassadors team.
   
   
3. Presentation of your leadership project or research results at a CSD ProSem (spring senior year), and/or UWEC's CERCA (Student Research Day), and/or the Provost’s Honor’s Symposium, and/or WSHA, ASHA, SRCLD, UW System Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Posters in the Rotunda, etc.
   
   
4. Student must have earned a GPA of 3.5 in all work attempted (cumulative GPA) and a GPA of 3.5 in CSD at the time of graduation in order to have your degree conferred with Honors in CSD. Participation in a Departmental Honors Program will be documented on your transcript, and you will be recognized at graduation. 

CSD Departmental Honors students may also propose a program of study that crosses departmental and college lines for your scholarship project and/or Honors Contract upper division courses. 

Timeline: Research Project Option

• Spring, Junior Year or earlier:
  • Meet with CSD Honors research faculty mentor after enrolling in a Directed or Independent Study
  • Lit Review
  • Basic study design
  • Submit proposal (background, aims, hypotheses, basic design, etc.)
• Summer between Junior and Senior Years or earlier:
  • Complete IRB training and submit IRB
• Fall, Senior Year or earlier:
  • Finalize study design
  • Recruit participants
  • Collect data
  • Begin data analysis
• Spring, Senior Year:
  • Complete the data analysis
  • Conceptualize the results
  • Complete poster
  • ProSem and/or Student Research Day

Timeline: Leadership Project Option

The timeline for a student who selects the Leadership Role option will be determined by that student and his/her faculty mentor (CSD faculty or faculty member from another department).

Potential CSD upper division courses with Honors Contract credit

Students will sign an Honors Contract for each Honors section course. This contract will be drafted by the student and his/her faculty mentor (based on the University Honors Council guidelines), must reflect “outstanding work when compared with their peers”, and should include a leadership role in some 
aspect of the course. Enrolling in an upper division course for Grad credit is not equivalent to completing an Honors Contract for Departmental and/or University Honors credit. 

• CSD 326: Voice & Resonance **
• CSD 358: Phonological Disorders **
• CSD 321: Aural Rehabilitation **
• CSD 331: Child Language Disorders **
• CSD 440: Neuro Aspects **
• CSD 485: Diverse Populations **
• CSD 410: Communication Disorders of the Aged **
• CSD 411: Facilitating Communication in Preschool Children **
• CSD 415: Instructional Internship **
• CSD 419: Alternative and Augmentative Communication **
• CSD 448/648: Aphasia **

** Honors Contract credit is not available retroactively for upper division courses that students completed before being admitted to the CSD Honors Program.

Application Process 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 15

During October of their junior year, interested eligible students should submit a formal application and supplemental materials by October 15.

Application Components include:

1. A completed eForm application.
2. A current UWEC Degree audit.
3. Two Honors contract proposals with tentative plans for enrolling in CSD courses for Honors Contract credit.
4. An Honors Program Project proposal. 

To access the eForm application:

• Navigate to eform1.uwec.edu.
• Click on the Start new Form tab.
  
• Navigate to Communication Sciences and Disorders
   
• Select the Departmental Honors Application
   

Complete and submit the Application Section and attach a UWEC Degree Audit by October 15.

Important Information:

• As part of the application review process, your GPAs will be verified. Your written responses will also be evaluated on content and depth.
• Students accepted into the CSD Departmental Honors Program will be notified by early November so they can reach out to spring course instructors to discuss potential CSD Departmental Honors 
  Contracts. Dr. Abby Hemmerich will serve as your CSD Honors adviser.
• If accepted, you will be asked to submit a signed commitment to the CSD Departmental Honors Program.
• Occasionally a student may be invited to apply by a faculty member. If invited to apply, you should address this in the Application Questions response section of the application eForm.