Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

The Doctor of Philosophy program in communication disorders provides an education in the methods of scholarship, teaching, and research. A student will obtain skills required for the objective maintenance, dissemination, and creation of basic and applied information in the sciences of communication disorders. Pertinent experiences in the doctoral program include additional study in another field that is related to the understanding of communication disorders, study of the basic methods of scientific investigation, and experience in the activities that are most typical of persons holding a doctoral degree. These experiences include teaching, research, and writing.

The department guidelines for doctoral study consist of procedures for planning a program of study, specification of minimum requirements for a program plan, including course work, research, and teaching experiences, procedures for completion of a comprehensive examination, and procedures for the conduct of the doctoral dissertation. These guidelines reflect the sequence of the major steps toward obtaining the doctoral degree. However, it should be noted that research and teaching experiences may be obtained at any point along this path.

The following guidelines were developed by the Department of Communication Disorders so that they would meet the needs of the audiology and speech-language professions, while at the same time being consistent with the general policies set forth by the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts.

A strong advisory system is maintained for all Ph.D. students in order to aid curriculum, qualifying examination, and dissertation planning. Each student is assigned an advisor upon admission into the doctoral program. During the first semester of graduate study, the advisor, in consultation with the student, identifies two additional faculty members (one from within the department and one from outside the department) who will serve as the student's advisory committee, and the advisor will forward his/her recommendation as to the membership of the advisory committee to the Graduate Program Director. The members of the advisory committee may or may not ultimately serve as members of the student's dissertation committee.

The Ph.D. student must complete graduate level course work in various areas in keeping with the following minimum requirements.

Ph.D. Program Plan Summary

Major Area (33 credit minimum)

The primary focus of the student's doctoral study and research. Current specialization within either speech-language pathology or audiology.

Required Distribution of Course Work and Credits

Courses can be taken within and outside the Department of Communication Disorders as long as they are consistent with the major area. A minimum of 6 credits (excluding independent studies) must be taken within the department. All courses must carry graduate level credits.

Independent Studies -- a minimum of 6 graduate credits must be taken within the department; however, no more than 9 graduate credits can be counted toward meeting the 33 credit minimum in the graduate area.

Dissertation -- a maximum of 18 credits can be counted toward the major area requirement (the Graduate School requires registration of at least 10 and no more than 18 dissertation credits).

Minor Area (15 credits minimum)

A clearly defined field of study that is outside the Department of Communication Disorders. Course work need not be limited to offerings in a single department as long as all courses elected fit into a clearly defined minor area of study.

Research Skills (12 credit minimum)

1. Statistics (6 credit minimum)
2. Optional: Competence in the use of computers (3 credits)

Teaching Experience (no credit)

Prior to completion of the dissertation, the student must either 1) teach one undergraduate course in the Department of Communication Disorders, or 2) participate in the team teaching of two courses in the Department of Communication Disorders. In either case, the student will complete the teaching experience requirement under the close supervision and mentorship of a faculty member within the Department of Communication Disorders.

At the completion of the majority of course work, the Ph.D. candidate will be required to take a comprehensive examination consisting of a written test followed by an oral defense. The dissertation is undertaken following successful completion of the comprehensive examination and the formal appointment of a dissertation committee by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the Graduate Program Director.

A dissertation prospectus must be accepted by the student's dissertation committee and submitted to the Graduate School prior to the start of the dissertation work, and the completed dissertation must be defended in the form of an oral committee examination conducted by the student's committee prior to the submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate School.