The Communication Sciences and Disorders major provides students with opportunities for study in the areas of speech–language pathology, audiology, and the normal aspects of speech, hearing, and language. Many students pursue this major because they hope to work as a licensed and certified clinical speech-language pathologist or audiologist, assisting clients with communication impairments arising from acquired neurological conditions, developmental conditions, genetic conditions, or unknown causes. Professional clinical practice follows completion of a master‘s degree in speech–language pathology, or a doctor of audiology degree. Some students pursue the undergraduate major as a foundation for a research career in speech, language or hearing sciences. Others pursue the major as a preliminary step toward advanced training in other professional fields (e.g., medicine, nursing, special education), or as a liberal arts degree that could lead to a variety of different career paths (speech–language pathology assistant, educational assistant, line therapist).
The department is accredited in speech–language pathology and in audiology by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA). Therefore, academic courses and clinical practica in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders may be applied toward clinical certification by ASHA (speech language pathology or audiology), and toward state licensure.
How to Get in
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare. For information on how to declare, visit Advising & Careers. |
| Courses required to get in | None |
| GPA requirements to get in | None |
| Credits required to get in | None |
| Other | None |
Students are urged to consult with an undergraduate academic advisor as soon as they have decided to major in this field. Course sequencing in the major is not flexible. Certain courses are prerequisites to others.
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. Some courses satisfy more than one L&S degree requirement (visit College of Letters & Science: Requirements for details).
This major can be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree requirements.
Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
| Communication | Complete both:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning | Complete both:
|
| Ethnic Studies | one 3+ credit course with the Ethnic Studies designation |
| Language | the third unit of a language other than English |
| Mathematics | Complete two courses of 3+ credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level in MATH, COMP SCI, or STAT subjects. A maximum of one course in each of COMP SCI and STAT subjects counts toward this requirement. |
| L&S Breadth: Humanities | Complete 12 credits with the Humanities or Literature designation, which must include at least 6 credits with the Literature designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Social Sciences | Complete 12 credits with the Social Science designation. |
| L&S Breadth: Natural Sciences | Complete 12 credits, which must include both:
|
| Liberal Arts and Science (LAS) Coursework | at least 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced Coursework | at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | at least 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience |
|
| Quality of Work |
|
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their School/College to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
CS&D courses
11 courses and 33 credits from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CS&D 120 | Culture, Language, and Communication | 3 |
| CS&D 201 | Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production | 3 |
| CS&D 202 | Hearing Science | 3 |
| CS&D 210 | Neural Basis of Communication | 3 |
| CS&D 240 | Language Development in Children and Adolescents | 3 |
| CS&D 303 | Speech Acoustics and Perception | 3 |
| CS&D 315 | Phonetics and Phonological Development | 3 |
| CS&D 318 | Voice, Craniofacial, and Fluency Disorders | 3 |
| CS&D 320 | Introduction to Audiology | 3 |
| CS&D 425 | Auditory Rehabilitation | 3 |
| CS&D 440 | Child Language Disorders, Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Courses in Related Areas
15 credits and one course from each of the following areas:
Psychology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYCH 202 | Introduction to Psychology | 3-4 |
| HDFS 262 | Development of the Young Child | 3 |
| HDFS 263 | Development from Adolescence to Old Age | 3 |
Statistics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 301 | Introduction to Statistical Methods | 3 |
| STAT 311 | Introduction to Theory and Methods of Mathematical Statistics I | 3 |
| STAT 371 | Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | 3 |
| PSYCH 210 | Basic Statistics for Psychology | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 360 | Statistics for Sociologists I | 4 |
Linguistics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| LINGUIS 101 | Human Language | 3 |
| LINGUIS/ANTHRO/FOLKLORE/INTL ST 211 | Global Language Issues | 3 |
| LINGUIS 303 | Historical Linguistics | 3 |
| LINGUIS 237 | Language in Wisconsin | 3 |
| LINGUIS/AMER IND 371 | Survey of North American Indian Languages | 3 |
| LINGUIS/ANTHRO 430 | Language and Culture | 3-4 |
| ENGL 214 | The English Language | 3 |
| ENGL 314 | Structure of English | 3 |
| ENGL 318 | Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| SPANISH 321 | The Structure of Modern Spanish | 3 |
| SPANISH 331 | Spanish Applied Linguistics | 3 |
| SPANISH 327 | Introduction to Spanish Linguistics | 3 |
Biological Sciences in the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 105 | Principles of Biological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 104 | Molecules to Life and the Nature of Science 1 | 3 |
| BIOCORE 381 | Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics | 3 |
| BIOLOGY/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 151 | Introductory Biology | 5 |
| ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 | Animal Biology | 3 |
Physical Sciences in the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOCHEM 104 | Molecules to Life and the Nature of Science 1 | 3 |
| CHEM 103 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 108 | Chemistry in Our World | 5 |
| CHEM 109 | Advanced General Chemistry | 5 |
| PHYSICS 103 | General Physics | 4 |
| PHYSICS 107 | The Ideas of Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 109 | Physics in the Arts | 3 |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CS&D 110 | Introduction to Communicative Disorders | 3 |
| CS&D 371 | Pre-Clinical Observation of Children and Adults | 3 |
| CS&D 424 | Introduction to Sign Language | 3 |
| CS&D 434 | Sign Language in Health and Education | 3 |
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all CS&D and major courses
- 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level major credits, taken in residence2
- 15 credits in CS&D, taken on the UW–Madison campus
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Major in consultation with the undergraduate advisor in that department.
Honors in the Major Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major in Communications Sciences and Disorders, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn a 3.300 in all CS&D and major courses
- Complete the following courses for Honors earning a grade of B or better in each:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CS&D 481 | Undergraduate Junior Honors | 3 |
| CS&D 681 & CS&D 682 | Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Thesis | 6 |
| 2 of the following for Honors: | 6 | |
| Speech Acoustics and Perception | ||
| Introduction to Audiology | ||
| Child Language Disorders, Assessment and Intervention | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Footnotes
- 1
BIOCHEM 104 can meet either the "Biological Science in the Major" or the "Physical Science in the Major" requirement, but not both. Please note that this course will not meet students' L&S Physical Science breath degree requirement.
- 2
These courses are considered upper level in the major: CS&D 303, CS&D 315, CS&D 318, CS&D 320, CS&D 371, CS&D 424, CS&D 434 Sign Language in Health and Education, CS&D 425, CS&D 440, CS&D 699
Learning Outcomes
- Acquire a foundational understanding of basic anatomy and physiology of speech, language, and hearing.
- Understand integrative neuroscience foundations of speech, language, and hearing.
- Obtain basic knowledge in statistical sciences, linguistics, biological/physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities as related to Communication Sciences & Disorders.
- Develop an understanding of speech, language, and hearing disorders and the relationship to foundational aspects of speech, language and hearing science.
- Be prepared for graduate school and/or a career in Communication Sciences & Disorders and related areas.
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
Please refer to the Requirements tab in Guide for additional College of Letters and Science Breadth and Degree Requirements as well as Residence and Quality of Work requirements for the major.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication A | 3 | Ethnic Studies content area course | 3 |
| CS&D 110 | 3 | CS&D 120 | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 4 | Language | 4 |
| Language | 4 | Psych content area course | 3 |
| Physical Science Content Area Course | 3 | Biological Science content area course | 3 |
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CS&D 240 | 3 | Statistics content area course | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | Communication B | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning B | 4 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Literature Breadth | 3 | Electives | 3 |
| Electives | 3 | CS&D 202 | 3 |
| CS&D 201 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CS&D 303 | 3 | CS&D 425 | 3 |
| CS&D 320 | 3 | CS&D 440 | 3 |
| Linguistics content area course | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Humanities Breadth | 3 | Electives | 3 |
| CS&D 210 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CS&D 315 | 3 | CS&D 371 | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | CS&D 318 | 3 |
| Electives | 9 | ||
| 12 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Declare or Cancel This Major
Please follow the process described on the Communication Sciences and Disorders website.
Communication Sciences and Disorders advising services are focused on students who need to declare the major or who have already declared Communication Sciences and Disorders and need advising in the major.
The undergraduate advisor can help with:
- curricular planning and course access;
- DARS degree audit interpretation;
- declaration of the major for L&S students;
- documentation of study abroad plans;
- identification, interpretation and application of most academic policies;
- major and degree requirements;
- exploration of interests in independent study and research; and
- understanding the differences between paths to the major.
Students seeking to pursue graduate study in speech-language pathology or audiology are urged to take CS&D 371 Pre-Clinical Observation of Children and Adults to earn ASHA observation hours which are required for graduate school admission.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Standard IV-A requires that Communication Sciences and Disorders students planning on continuing to graduate school must complete undergraduate coursework in the following areas: Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences (either Chemistry or Physics), Statistics, and Social Sciences and Behavioral Sciences to be eligible for professional certification. If you have questions about this, please contact undergrad@csd.wisc.edu.
Study Abroad
Learning in Letters & Science emphasizes discovery, growth, understanding different perspectives, and challenging yourself, which makes studying abroad an excellent fit for many L&S students: studyabroad.wisc.edu
As a university with global influence, we have more than 300 study abroad programs in over 80 countries. These vary in length, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and level of independence. There are many programs to complement every major and any year of college (including the final semester)—and all meet UW–Madison’s high academic standards. Students admitted into Letters & Science can even choose a short program in the summer before they start college or their whole first year: studyabroad.wisc.edu/launch. Talk with your academic advisor about how studying abroad might fit with your academic plan.
SuccessWorks
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps you turn the academic skills learned in your classes into a fulfilling life, guiding you every step of the way to securing jobs, internships, or admission to graduate school.
Through one-on-one career advising, events, and resources, you can explore career options, build valuable internship and research experience, and connect with supportive alumni and employers who open doors of opportunity.
- What you can do with your major (Major Skills & Outcomes Sheets)
- Make a career advising appointment
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- Try “Jobs, Internships, & How to Get Them,” an interactive guide in Canvas for enrolled UW–Madison students