College

Title

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department

Subtitle

Making an Impact through Communication

Intro text

The field of speech, language, and hearing sciences prepares students to work with individuals across the age span who face challenges with communication, social interaction, cognitive function, and swallowing. We have high expectations for all of our undergraduate and graduate students and a proven track record of impactful teaching and learning experiences. As a helping profession, we take our responsibility seriously to prepare our students to become innovative, critical-thinking professionals.

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Intro Text

Majors and Minors in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Most individuals seeking a degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences are looking to become a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. Our aim is to provide you with quality, interactive classroom learning as well as practical, real-life clinical experiences — even as an undergraduate! These are experiences you won't find anywhere else, and we are proud to say our students are well-prepared for the next step in their chosen career paths.

two people using sign language at a table outside

American Sign Language Studies

Certificate

A professor and two students work with a touchscreen, digital table showing human brain anatomy.

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Graduate Degree

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Major

Annie Fochs at her school internship as speech language pathology assistant

Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)

Certificate

Meet the Faculty

Lindsay Pohlen, M.S., CCC-SLP

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department

Clinical Instructor

Clinic Director

Abby Hemmerich, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department

Department Chair

Professor

Jerry K. Hoepner, Ph.D. CCC-SLP ASHA Fellow

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department

Professor and Assistant Chair

Student Engagement Coordinator

CSD Ambassadors Advisor

Meet all the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department faculty

Hallmarks

A clinician and participant look at a tablet together.

Communication as a Fundamental Human Right

In 1948, the United Nations made a universal declaration of communication as a fundamental human right. In Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, ensuring equitable access to communication across the broad range of people we serve is not a new idea, and is a concept forged in effectively serving individuals with a diverse range of abilities, beliefs, and cultures. Learn more about how the SLHS Department supports communication as a fundamental human right for individuals from all backgrounds, identities, and abilities.

Learn about our mission

CSD students work with members of the community at a SPEAK OUT! Group Therapy session.

Community Resources

A major tenant of the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department is our commitment to the health of the community. Our on-site clinic, called the UWEC Speech and Language Clinic, offers speech-language therapy services to members of the community, free of charge. We facilitate a SPEAK OUT! Therapy Group, a Gender-Affirming Voice Group, as well as adult and pediatric individual and group services.

These community connections allow Blugold SLHS students to make a real impact on the health of those within the Eau Claire community.

Learn about our community resources

A student clinician works with a child at a table, talking about the child's toy.

Clinical Experiences

All SLHS students participate in integrated classroom and clinical experiences that develop their clinical competence. In addition to a clinic on our campus, we have developed many professional relationships throughout the region, so our graduate students can earn clinical practicum hours in medical, birth-to-3, and school settings.

Facts List

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A History of Teaching & Learning

Our students have the opportunity to work alongside a faculty member as an instructional intern.

Online & In-Person Options

SLHS students can choose either the online or in-person option to earn their bachelor's or master's degree.

Speech-Language Pathology

40+ new speech-language pathologists graduate each year, with high job placement rates and PRAXIS pass rates.

Serving the Community

SLHS student clinicians provide speech-language therapy to over 120 individuals from the Chippewa Valley each year.

Screening Kindergarteners' Hearing

SLHS students provide hearing screenings to over 40 local schools every year.

Student Opportunities

Instructional Internships

Instructional internships give you the opportunity to learn skills that will benefit you when working with clients and families, colleagues, and students. This experience will help you obtain deeper content knowledge and learn about faculty's role in development and implementation of course design and instruction.

Throughout your internship, you will develop relationships with faculty and staff, gain mentoring skills, and be able to give back to the department.

Students can apply to be an instructional intern for courses in which they are currently enrolled or courses they have completed. Apply for an instructional internship.

Research

Honors Program

Aphasia Camp

Aphasia Camp is a great opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience outside of a clinic or school setting. This camp is designed for people of all ages with aphasia, a language disorder that usually results from a stroke or brain injury.

The focus of the camp is to provide a supportive and safe environment where attendees can be active and comfortable. Students who have been involved have found this immersion experience to be a highlight of their university career as they learned to support campers with a variety of communication abilities.

If you are interested in getting involved, please talk to your advisor.

Scholarships

We have many scholarships that are specifically available to SLHS students. The following list is a breakdown of the scholarships currently available at the undergraduate and graduate level:

Undergraduate Student Scholarships

National Student Speech, Language & Hearing Association Scholarship
Peg (Margaret Lamont Schield) Harvey CSD Scholarship
Pursue Excellence in CSD Scholarship

First-Year Graduate Student Scholarships

Belz-Nelson Graduate in CSD Scholarship
Nancy McKinley Scholarship
Larry Solberg CSD Graduate Student Scholarship
Communication Disorders Scholarship

Final-Year Graduate Scholarships

Vicki Lord & James R. Larson Research Award
Abigail Joy Stellmacher Graduate CSD Scholarship
Charles and Rochelle Szews Graduate Scholarship
Mayo Clinic-Eau Claire Foundation - Speech Language Pathology
Sue Noack Communication Sciences and Disorders Scholarship

To learn more or apply, visit Gold for Blugolds.

Student Organizations

The SLHS department is proud to offer three amazing student organizations specific to the interests of students in our department. We encourage all of our students to get involved in one or more of these groups to help build their professional knowledge outside of the classroom and engage in service activities that support people with communication disorders:

American Sign Language Honor Society (no ASL experience required!)
National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA)
Operation Smile Club
Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD) Student Ambassadors
SLHS Ambassadors

Learn more about UWEC student organizations on Blugold Connect+.

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Blugold Stories

Exceptional Support

When I was looking at graduate programs for speech-language pathology, it became clear that I wouldn’t be able to top what I already had here. Nowhere else could beat the incredible faculty here. They care so much, not just about our education, but about their students as people. They are dedicated to our success and always go above and beyond to create opportunities for me to grow as a professional. It’s amazing.

Kyra Saylor

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Class of 2024

Exceptional Support

Kyra smiling at camera in CSD department.

Academic Excellence

Next step grad school, again as a Blugold, for CSD major Kyra Saylor

Kyra Saylor is looking forward to graduation, heading home for the summer, coaching softball and taking a break from school. But not for too long. She will resume her Blugold studies in the master's degree program for speech-language pathology this fall.

Academic Excellence

Learning in Action

All signs point to opportunity for Elle Snesrud

Elle Snesrud is graduating from UW-Eau Claire in 3.5 years with a degree in psychology and a certificate in American Sign Language — and she is adding her language skills to the final act as a Blugold at commencement. Snesrud will sign the national anthem at her ceremony on Dec. 21.

Learning in Action

Blugold Proud

The faculty and staff are truly remarkable at UW-Eau Claire — they care about the students as individuals and want each of us to succeed in any task we are performing. Not only are they great people, but they are incredible professors who want us to learn the content and not just test us.

Arianna Barrett

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Blugold Proud