Speech-language pathologists are concerned with the assessment and treatment of a broad range of speech, language, voice, swallowing, and cognitive-communication impairments. Such impairments may result from structural or functional causes, and may have developed over time or have resulted from things like stroke, head injury or cancers of the head and neck.
Western's Speech-Language Pathology program is an international leader in the field and has played important roles in the development of innovative language, speech, swallowing and voice therapies. Students in the program benefit from small group laboratory experiences and teaching clinics, low student-to-faculty ratios, and access to state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities. The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders is home to Canada's largest on-site speech and hearing clinic, the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic.
A four-year program that builds on the research experience of a master's degree, the PhD program provides opportunities to study health and rehabilitation from multiple perspectives. Working alongside a research supervisor, students select one of nine fields of study and complete their degree requirements through a combination of coursework, seminars, comprehensive examinations, and the creation of an original thesis that introduces new knowledge to the field. |
