B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Millions of people are impacted by physical and cognitive disorders that affect their ability to communicate. Biola’s major in communication sciences and disorders prepares you to serve their needs, providing you with the specialized knowledge and clinical training you’ll need for graduate school and a career in this important field.
In addition to its strong curriculum, expert faculty members and biblical integration, Biola’s communication sciences and disorders program offers several key advantages:
- An on-campus skills lab allows you to use state-of-the-art equipment — including a digital endoscope, Visipitch, a nasometer, and many AAC devices — which rarely happens at the undergraduate level.
- The program has both on- and off-campus clinics where you can work with patients from the community, giving you practical, hands-on experience.
- You have the opportunity to graduate with the necessary requirements for graduate school in speech-language pathology or audiology.
- The program gives you the foundation you need to enter a growing field — the speech-language pathology profession is projected to grow 21% between 2021–2031, which is much faster than average for all occupations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Students in Biola’s B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders program are beating the national averages for acceptance into competitive master’s and doctoral programs for speech-language pathology and audiology. While national acceptance rates range between 29-42%, acceptance rates for Biola students range from 95–100%.
- Be mentored by expert faculty who integrate their Christian faith into their lives as researchers, teachers and ministers in local or global communities. Students have opportunities to be involved in directed research with faculty, participate in presentations at various conferences and co-author peer-reviewed journal articles. Learn more about our faculty and student research.
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Career Outlook and Preparation
What can you do with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders?
Interesting career opportunities in health care, medicine, research or education await graduates of Biola's communication science and disorders program. As a well-equipped professional, you can expect to impact the world for Jesus Christ in professions such as:
- Speech-language pathologist
- Audiologist
- Speech, language or hearing scientist
- Speech-language pathology assistant
- Other paraprofessional careers, like being a behavioral therapist
In addition, many communication disorders students pursue graduate studies, while others move directly into ministry or professional roles. God has used Biola graduates in a variety of ways. Highlights include:
- Hospital speech-language pathologist
- Public school speech-language pathologist
- Private practice audiologist
- Public school speech-language pathology assistant
- Post-doctoral fellow at the Mayo Clinic
- Graduate studies at distinguished schools such as: Arizona State University; University of Oregon; University of Kansas; San Diego State University; University of Redlands; CSU Northridge; CSU Fullerton; CSU Long Beach; University of Arizona; Texas Christian University; Loma Linda University; Northwestern University; New York University; Columbia University; University of Washington; Eastern Washington University; Loma Linda University; and Chapman University
Explore the Biola Office of Health Professions Advising (BOHPA), a distinctive of Biola, that provides experienced advice for navigating your healthcare journey, resources for taking qualifying exams like the GRE and MCAT, mock interviews, clinical shadowing experiences with health professionals, and strategic advice for applying to postgraduate programs.
18% job growth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for speech-language pathologists is projected to be much faster than average between 2023 and 2033.
BLS projections are not specific to Biola University students or graduates.
The professors are so caring and they provide resources that fully equip us for graduate school and internships.
