Project IDEA | Career Opportunities | What Makes Our Program Special | Apply Now
Why earn a graduate degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences?
Master’s Program
Our Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) master’s degree is designed to prepare graduates to make significant contributions as speech-language pathologists.
The program provides students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for work with individuals of all ages and of varying social, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Individuals with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Optional Project IDEA Application
Project IDEA admits scholars every other year. Applications will be accepted in January 2024 for program entry in Fall 2024.
Do you identify as a student of color and/or speak a language other than English? Are you excited to work with young children with disabilities and their families? Are you committed to anti-racist approaches that improve outcomes by increasing equity and access to disability services? If you answered yes to these questions, apply to become a Project IDEA scholar today!
Funding is available for scholars' full tuition, fees, books, travel, and professional development. Project IDEA seeks to expand higher education opportunities among students of color, students who speak languages other than English, and students with disabilities. Preference will be given to students who self-identify with these backgrounds. Please view the PDF below for more information.
If you would like more information about the program, please email Lauren Cycyk, PhD, at lcycyk@uoregon.edu.
Doctoral Program
Our Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) doctoral degree program prepares graduates to assume academic and leadership roles in institutions of higher education, as well as in research and practice agencies.
Our goal is to instill in each student the capacity for rigorous scholarship, independent judgment, and academic excellence.
Most of our doctoral program graduates assume professor positions at colleges and universities where their responsibilities include teaching, research, and other scholarly activities.
There is currently a shortage of PhD CDS faculty across the nation with many open CDS faculty positions. It is anticipated that this need will continue over the next decade and beyond.
What can I do with a degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences?
Graduates of the master’s program become accredited speech-language pathologists and most work directly with children, adolescents, or adults with a variety of speech, language, communication, cognition, and swallowing disorders in settings that include:
- Schools
- Clinics
- Hospitals
- Agencies
The career opportunities that come with this degree are not only diverse but fulfilling. Effective cognitive communication plays a key role in the achievement of academic, social, and vocational success which means speech language pathologists are directly charged with optimizing the lives of individuals and families in their communities.
Our Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) program prepares you to understand, assess, and treat individuals who are experiencing challenges in:
- Speech
- Language
- Literacy
- Communication
- Cognition
- Swallowing
You will learn to address these challenges across diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, social and economic backgrounds. We emphasize the ability to apply empirical evidence, logic, and a scientific perspective to the process of enhancing communication skills in meaningful and everyday contexts.
The goals of the Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) program are based on the belief that the ability to communicate effectively is a fundamental right of all human beings. When this right is compromised through circumstances affecting any child, adolescent, or adult, society suffers along with the individual.
Contact Information
Master’s and PhD Programs
Samantha Shune, PhD
Assistant Professor and Program Director
Communication Disorders and Sciences
Special Education and Clinical Sciences
541-346-2480
cds@uoregon.edu