Undergraduate Minor

• First year students are not eligible to apply for the Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. They are eligible and encouraged to enroll in SPHS 510: Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders.
• All other applicants must be enrolled at UNC and have a declared Major to apply for the Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. Overall GPA must be at least 3.0.

• Fall Minor Application Deadline: October 1
• Spring Minor Application Deadline: March 1

The application requires the following information:

• GPA (minimum 3.0)
• GPA in Major
• Grades for any courses already completed in Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Brief statement (2000 characters or less) explaining why you are interested in completing a Minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences

Application for Admission

• The Minor requires all five courses listed in the Recommended Course Sequence table below.
• Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders (SPHS 510) should be taken early in the sequence. (Students who completed SPHS 583 prior to Spring 2024 may use SPHS 583 in lieu of SPHS 510 to meet SPHS Minor requirements)
• Speech Science (SPHS 540) should be taken late in the sequence.
• Additional courses are required for graduate study in speech-language pathology and audiology. See the following links for the full list of recommended preparatory coursework.

.

• Biology coursework provides knowledge in areas related to human or animal sciences
  (e.g., biology, human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, human
  genetics).
  • Example: BIOL 101 Principles of Biology
• Chemistry or physics coursework provides foundational knowledge in the areas below.
  • Chemistry: Substances and compounds that are composed of atoms and molecules,
    and their structure, properties, behavior, and the changes that occur during
    reactions with other compounds. This knowledge contributes to better acquisition
    and synthesis of the underlying processes of speech and hearing science.
    • Example: CHEM 100 Foundations of Chemistry
      OR
  • Physics: Matter, energy, motion, and force. This knowledge contributes to a better
    appreciation of the role that physics plays in everyday experiences, society, and
    technology.
    • Example: PHYS 100 How Things Work
• Social and/or behavioral sciences coursework provides knowledge in the analysis and
  investigation of human and animal behavior through controlled and naturalistic observation
  and disciplined scientific experimentation.
  • Examples: ANTH 101 Humans: An Introduction to Anthropology; PSYC 101
    General Psychology; SOCI 112 Social Interaction
• Statistics and/or research methods coursework focuses on learning from data and
  from measuring, controlling, and communicating uncertainty. This coursework provides the
  knowledge essential for controlling the course of scientific and societal advances.
  • Examples: STOR 155 Introduction to Data Models and Inference; EDUC 408
    Research Methods in Human Development; PSYC 210 Statistical Principles of
    Psychological Research

At the discretion of the graduate program, one course can be used to fulfill two prerequisite
content areas in Standard IV-A.

• For example, some programs may accept BIOC 107 Introduction to Biochemistry as
  covering both Biology coursework and Chemistry or physics coursework.

The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge of basic human communication and swallowing processes—including the appropriate acoustic, biologic, cultural, developmental,

genetic, embryologic, linguistic, neurologic, and psychologic bases. The applicant must
have demonstrated the ability to integrate information pertaining to typical and atypical human
development across the life span.

• Acoustic bases: SPHS 540 Speech Science; SPHS 582 Introductory Audiology
• Biologic bases: SPHS 570 Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech, Language and Hearing
  Mechanisms
• Cultural bases: LING 101 Introduction to Language; SPHS 510 Introduction to
  Communication Sciences and Disorders; SPHS 530 Intro to Phonetics
• Developmental bases: LING 203 Language Acquisition; SPHS 510 Introduction to
  Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Genetic bases: SPHS 510 Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders; SPHS
  570 Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech, Language and Hearing Mechanisms
• Embryologic bases: SPHS 570 Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech, Language and
  Hearing Mechanisms; SPHS 582 Introductory Audiology
• Linguistic bases: LING 101 Introduction to Language, SPHS 530 Intro to Phonetics
• Neurologic bases*: SPHS 570 Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech, Language and Hearing
  Mechanisms
• Psychologic bases: SPHS 510 Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Typical and atypical human development across the life span: SPHS 510 Introduction
  to Communication Sciences and Disorders

Summary of UNC-CH courses covering Standard IV-B:

• LING 101 Introduction to Language
• LING 203 Language Acquisition
• SPHS 510 Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders
• SPHS 530 Introduction to Phonetics
• SPHS 540 Speech Science
• SPHS 570 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech, Language, and Hearing Mechanisms
• SPHS 582 Introductory Audiology

*Some graduate programs expect students to enter with a stand-alone undergraduate
neuroanatomy course. At UNC-CH, this is taught at the graduate level for SLP and AuD students.
Undergraduate students may want to consider taking NSCI 175 Introduction to Neuroscience.