Department of Communication Disorders and Deaf Education

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The department of communication disorders and deaf education offers a bachelor of arts degree in deaf education, a bachelor of science degree in speech-language pathology, a minor in speech-language pathology, a master of science degree in speech-language pathology, a master of arts degree in early intervention in deaf education, and a master of arts degree in deaf education in the Northeast. See the communication disorders and deaf education graduate program section in this catalog for information on the master’s degrees.

Faculty

The department of communication disorders and deaf education offers a master of science degree in speech-language pathology, a master of arts degree in early intervention in deaf education, and a master of arts degree in deaf education. The programs provide academic and clinical educational experiences to prepare entry-level speech-language pathologists and to provide specialized training for teachers of the deaf. In addition, two tracks in the speech-language pathology program are offered: an emphasis in deafness and an emphasis in neurogenic disorders. Clinical practicum experiences occur in diversified settings including both the University campus clinics and regional partners in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri and St. Paul Minnesota. Deaf education students complete field experiences at many OPTION Schools as well as schools and clinics across the United States and internationally.

Graduate assistantships and traineeships are available for qualified students who have completed an appropriate number of clinical practicum hours.

Academic Regulations

For detailed information on academic policies and regulations, please refer to the graduate program information section in this catalog.

Satisfactory Academic Progress:

To earn a Fontbonne University graduate degree, a student must complete all requirements for the specific graduate program and the degree. A degree-seeking graduate student at Fontbonne University is expected to perform at a satisfactory academic level by:

• Earning no more than one grade of C in a graduate course
• Earning no grades of F in graduate course
• Achieving and maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and
• Following all academic requirements specific to the graduate program.

The following policies apply:

C and/or F Grades

A student who earns a grade of C in a graduate course will immediately be sent a letter by the graduate program director placing them on academic probation. Copies of the letter will be sent to the dean of the college and the associate vice president for academic affairs, with a copy placed in the student’s file. A student who earns a second grade of C will be dismissed from the program and the university. The student may appeal the dismissal and request immediate reinstatement to the program by petitioning the college dean. With the dean’s permission, the student may retake one of the two courses in which the C was earned as soon as the course is available. The dean, in consultation with the program director, may set the conditions for retaking the course, including which of the two courses should be repeated.

A student who earns an F in a graduate course will be dismissed from the program and the university.

Repeating Graduate Courses:

A graduate student may repeat no more than one graduate course and may repeat that graduate course one time only. The course being retaken must be taken at Fontbonne University. Although students may retake classes for higher grades, application of the satisfactory academic progress policies will be based on initial grades earned.

Academic Probation During Graduate Study

Probation ordinarily extends not more than one semester (nine hours for full-time students, six hours for part-time students) in communication disorders and deaf education beyond the semester during which the student was placed on probation. A student who is on academic probation may not enroll in clinical practicum during the probationary period. A student who is on clinical probation may enroll in academic courses during the period of probation. Any clock hours accrued during a semester for which the student earned less than a B- in clinical practicum will not count toward the total 400 required clock hours for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification.

Dismissal

A student will be dismissed from the graduate program and Fontbonne University by the college dean and the provost if the student:

• Earns a second grade of C in an academic or clinical course, or
• Earns an F in a graduate course, or
• Earns one grade of C in an academic or clinical course and has a cumulative GPA below 3.0, or
• Has a cumulative GPA below 3.0

Dual Enrollment/Graduate Enrollment

For detailed information on academic policies and regulations, please refer to the graduate program information section in this catalog. In order to be eligible for dual enrollment a student in the department of communication disorders and deaf education must be classified as a senior (a minimum of 90 credit hours earned) and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5. Graduate courses may be taken by dually enrolled students on a space-available basis and must be approved by the graduate program director, since preference is given to students enrolled in the graduate program.

A maximum of nine graduate credit hours taken during dual enrollment may be applied to the total required for the master’s degree.

Programs

• Deaf Education, B.A.
• General Studies, Communication Disorders Emphasis, B.A.
• Speech-Language Pathology, B.S.

• Speech-Language Pathology Minor

• Deaf Education, M.A.
• Early Intervention in Deaf Education, M.A.
• Speech-Language Pathology, M.S.

Return to: College of Education and Allied Health Professions