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Communication Sciences and Disorders
Female researcher utilizing medical equipment for communication science and disorder research in a clinical setting.

Why Do Research?

  • Undergraduate Student

    Apply your content knowledge. Undergraduate research is one of the best tools for enhancing your academic experience in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. By participating in undergraduate research, you can gain valuable knowledge outside of the classroom experience. This knowledge base includes the development of problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and analytical skills.

    Enhance your résumé. The experiences gained from doing research can make the difference when you are applying to graduate programs in communication sciences and disorders.

    Choose a specialty. Undergraduate research experiences are designed to help students obtain research skills in an area of interest and to better understand methods and techniques involved in scholarly research. Many students find that it aids them in selecting their specific clinical specialty.

  • Graduate Student

    Engage in research. Graduate students may conduct research as part of their degree requirements. Masters of Speech-Language Pathology students have the option of completing data-based research with a faculty mentor as part of a thesis or independent study. Similarly, Doctorate of Audiology students have the option to complete a research project to satisfy the degree requirements.

    Dissemination of research. Graduate students can become coauthors on papers published in internationally respected journals and to travel to national meetings to present research results.

    Clinical specialty. Graduate research opportunities provide direct, hands-on experiences in the methods and techniques involved in scholarly research. This allows students to gain in-depth knowledge in their clinical specialty areas.

Quotes from Students

I chose Dr. Park for my mentor after learning about the basics of swallowing in her Anatomy and Physiology course. The topic sparked an interest in me, and I wanted to learn more about dysphagia. Completing my independent study definitely allowed me to look further into an area of interest I had and gave me important clinical tools I need to be a future speech-language pathologist.

Kaylee Sienza, B.S. ’17, M.S. Class of ‘19

Participating in and completing research during my Au.D. has been an influential part of my journey. Being a member of the Hearing Loss Prevention (HLP) Laboratory has opened doors for additional scholarships and grants and helped prepare me for externship interviews. I truly believe I would not be the clinician I am today without the research experiences I was able to complete with our HLP Lab team.

Natalie Rothbauer, Au.D. Class of ‘20

Faculty Research Interests

Clinically-focused research provides the evidence base necessary for the development of best practices in treating communication disorders. Our faculty in audiology and speech-language pathology have diverse research interests corresponding to a wide range of clinical specialty areas. Current and prospective students are encouraged to learn more about opportunities to participate in research projects at Illinois State University.

Audiology

Speech-Language Pathology

State Your Interest