This course presents advanced applications in the use of computer hardware and software in communication sciences and disorders. Doctoral students will receive hands-on experience in the use, application, and configuration of software for distance learning technologies for management of clients and for business issues.

This course will provide students with an overview of gerontology.  The older adult population often present with complex, interacting issues.  Thus, a holistic approach to patient care will be considered, encompassing biological, social, psychological, and cultural aspects related to aging.  Analysis of day-to-day functioning of the aging patient will be covered.  An emphasis will be placed on differentiation between normal aging processes and pathological changes related to speech-language pathology and communication disorders.  Learning will take place via class lectures and discussions experimental exercises, written case studies, student presentations and panel discussions.  Discussion of ethical issues related to aging will augment the learning process.  

Prerequisite/s: None

Supervision: The identification and analysis of the processes of supervision along the continuum of supervision from support personnel to peer will be examined. Topics will include planning and executing the supervisory conference, data collection procedures, and evaluation. The research in the field of supervision will be examined with an emphasis on practical application. The impact of cultural diversity on supervision will be addressed.

This course will provide students with a summary of genetics and the opportunity investigate the spectrum of genetic syndromes common to clients with communication disorders.  Doctoral candidates will study the embryologic development with an emphasis on a normal and abnormal or interrupted development at various states and outcomes.

The goal of this course is to introduce the student to the advanced science and clinical pharmacology that impacts the practice of speech-language pathology.  The clinical use and understanding of the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and the potential positive and negative outcomes of medications will be emphasized. Lectures, videos and hand-on learning activities will be explored during the course.  Doctoral candidates will learn the general principles of drug action, particularly as related to communicative function.  The classes of drugs used in clinical practice will be examined with emphasis on activity, mode of action, side effects, toxicity, and drug interactions.  Case studies in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology will be presented.

Emphasis on counseling approaches for use with clients will communication disorders and/or their families. doctoral candidates will explore theories of counseling with an emphasis on management of individuals with communication disorders and their families. Doctoral candidates will experiment with different approaches to interacting with clients and their families individually and in groups. Cultural impact on the counseling process will be addressed. Doctoral candidates will conduct to role-play situations for use with clients demonstrating a variety of audiologic and/or speech-language problems.

Prerequisite/s: None

Doctoral candidates will learn basic management principles as they relate to the conduct of speech-language or audiology practice in a variety of settings. Legal and ethical issues in practice management will be covered. Doctoral candidates preparing for personal and professional development assess the skills and behaviors of the leader of change agent in terms of their own potential for growth and future leadership positions.

Neurological foundations of speech-language and cognitive disorders will be presented. The emphasis will be a study of neuropathological conditions and the speech-language disorders that result from these conditions.

Theories and application of cognitive, social, psychological, and cultural development of children and adolescents will be examined. Current thinking will augment classical theory.  Application of current thinking as well as therapeutic, teaching and caregiving practices stemming from these ideas will be stressed.

Advanced Seminars in Voice and Swallowing is a doctoral-level course exploring best practices in voice and swallowing disorders. This course is not designed to develop voice and swallowing clinicians nor is it designed to impart the full breadth of information available in the areas of voice and swallowing disorders. Rather, this course is designed to enhance the student's comprehension of the specialty areas of voice and swallowing disorders that were taught to them at the master's level, expand their knowledge base of best practices in voice and swallowing disorders, and develop a working sense of the scope of practice in voice and swallowing.

This study area provides a discussion of the critical issues in augmentative and alternative communication and assistive technology, with a focus on self-determination, family-centered practices, and AAC outcomes. Students will gain experience with non-electronic communication displays, various input devices, and low-tech communication devices, as well a high technology voice output communication aids. Current issues in ethics, funding, and the impact of culture on AAC are presented. A discussion of recent trends and future needs as well as strategies for keeping up with new technology and a rapidly expanding knowledge base will be included.

Biostatistics I (3 CREDITS)

The application of quantitative techniques has expanded rapidly in medical decision-making. The emphasis on evidence-based health care means that health care workers must be able to evaluate the results from published health care research studies. This course is the first of two courses designed to provide students with knowledge of quantitative techniques. The course will cover descriptive statistics; parametric, group-comparison statistics; and basic, nonparametric statistics. It will also provide an introduction to linear modeling.

Prerequisite/s: None

Quantitative Research Design (3 CREDITS)

This course will provide students with a simple understanding of basic methods and approaches used in health care research. A major emphasis of the course will be on the conceptualization and design of research studies. The course will cover ethics, formulation of research questions, study design, reliability, validity, sampling, measurement, and interpretation of research findings. It will prepare students to critically evaluate published literature, and to design sound research studies. The course will be both theoretical and applied. Students will be challenged to apply the theoretical concepts presented in the classroom and in the readings to design a study to address a health-related issue of their choice.

Prerequisite/s: None

Qualitative Research Design (3 CREDITS)

This course will focus primarily on the knowledge and skill competencies needed to conduct qualitative research successfully. In this pursuit, students will immerse themselves in the epistemological, theoretical, ethical, methodological, and procedural understanding of qualitative research. They will apply this knowledge to the conceptualization and conduct of qualitative research, report the findings of the research in the form of a research article, and appraise the quality of such qualitative research products. Upon completion of the course, students will demonstrate that they have mastered the competencies needed to create, plan, and complete a qualitative research dissertation.

Prerequisite/s: None

Biostatistics II (3 CREDITS)

The aim of this course is to enable students to appreciate the richness of statistical science and to invite them to the concept of probabilistic thinking. Statistics is the science of the future. Any technique that they are going to learn will help them to understand the unknown better, and in turn, will increase their success in other courses and in future professional careers. Principles of statistical inference build upon the course of Biostatistics I. As such, a prerequisite for enrolling in this course is satisfactory completion of Biostatistics I. The goals of this course are threefold: (1) introduce the basic concepts of probability and methods for calculating the probability of an event; (2) assist students in developing an understanding of probability theory and sampling distributions; and (3) familiarize students about inferences involving one or two populations ANOVA, regression analysis, and chi-square tests.

Prerequisite: HPH 7300 Biostatistics I

This course covers basic concepts and methods employed in single-subject research. Participants will learn about single-subject research designs including the case study, AB and its variations, changing criterion, multiple baseline, and alternating treatment. Important factors in designing and critically reviewing single-subject research will be presented, along with options for analyzing data from single-subject research studies. Ethical issues in single- subject research will also be reviewed.

Research Ethics (3 credits)

This course introduces students to ethics concepts as they apply to questions and challenges in conducting research with human subjects. The aim is to increase student awareness of, and ability to reason through, ethical issues that arise in human subjects research. The course will draw upon historical examples, codes, declarations, and other sources of ethical guidance, including discussions of contemporary controversies in human subjects research.

Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
Philosophy of Science will address classical issues in the philosophy of science, including demarcation, the distinction between what science is and is not, hypothesis development, confirmation and falsification, causation, and explanation. The course will also explore the ontological, epistemological, methodological, and axiological foundations of the major paradigms within which inquiry in the human services professions are located. Issues of congruence between research question selection and paradigm selection will also be addressed.

Grant Writing and Publication (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide writing experiences that prepare the learner for manuscript and grant proposal submissions. This introductory experience into the grant process from proposal to funding to management will include project management, funding sources, and funding challenges. Other course requirements include a research proposal (manuscript) that is ready for submission for publication and the development of a dissertation proposal.

The content of Applied Dissertation Service 1 (Concept Paper) focuses on developing a preliminary literature review and formulating research questions of the concept paper. The committee chair and member roles are discussed as well as the roles and responsibilities of the Applied Research Center's faculty and staff. This service will culminate in the completion of the first corresponding benchmark: the concept paper. Credit for this service will be assigned following approval of the concept paper.

The content of Applied Dissertation Service 2 (Dissertation Proposal) emphasizes the formulation and writing of the dissertation proposal and the process for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Methodology and content for each of the proposal chapters are defined, including a thorough discussion of the role of the literature review to support or refute the dissertation topic. This service focusing on scientific inquiry will culminate in the completion of the second corresponding benchmark: the applied dissertation proposal. Credit for this service will be assigned following approval of the proposal.

Applied Dissertation Service 3 (Final Report) involves data collection and implementation, the applied dissertation (i.e., final report), and the final-approval process. Content and format issues, as well as recommendations for further research, are highlighted. Dissemination of the dissertation and possible outlets for publication are covered. This service will culminate in the completion of the third corresponding benchmark: the applied dissertation. Credits for this service will be assigned following approval of the applied dissertation.

Applied Dissertation Services I is continuing dissertation services for students who complete all of their doctoral coursework during the first 24 months of the program. Students are automatically enrolled in SLPD 8090. No charges will apply for services.

Dissertation services for continuing doctoral students previously enrolled in SLPD 8090 who did not complete the applied dissertation. SLPD 8091 is also for currently enrolled students who are entering the 37^th month of the doctoral program. Students are responsible for registering for SLPD 8091. Service fees will apply.