On behalf of our all of our students, staff, and faculty, I welcome you to the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Florida. The roots of our department extend back to the 1950s, and since then our faculty and students have been committed to improving quality of life for people who have speech, language, hearing, and swallowing difficulties. The University of Florida is recognized as one of the top 10 public universities in the United States. Our department is housed in the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and it is an integral component of the University’s Health Science Center, which contains six colleges and is one the largest in the nation. Our department’s faculty and students have access to a wealth of opportunities for academic study, research, and interprofessional collaboration and practice. 

• Our Bachelor of Health Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders degree program provides students with rigorous and comprehensive study of the normal bases of communication as well as introductory study of speech, language, and hearing disorders. The degree is offered via a traditional on-campus program and through UF Online. Undergraduate study in our department is augmented by a vibrant American Sign Language program, as well as opportunities to conduct thesis research, robust student organizations (the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Signing Gators) and more.
• Our Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders degree program for speech-language pathology and our graduate audiology program, the Doctor of Audiology degree, have been accredited continuously by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for nearly 60 years. Our students have access to a wide range of clinical practicum sites that feature both face-to-face and telehealth service delivery. Both the MA and AuD programs partner with UF Health to provide students with an assortment of state-of-the-art clinical education experiences. Our programs also have affiliations with many other healthcare and educational facilities in Florida and other states. Our students’ experiences in these settings help them develop the knowledge and skills that are needed to succeed in a variety of work settings.
• Our faculty and students also assume integral roles in the College’s Rehabilitation Science Doctoral (RSD) Program, which includes the Communication and Swallowing Sciences and Disorders track. The RSD program provides students with a large, diverse, and supportive learning community that includes faculty from our department, other UF departments, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which is adjacent to campus. 

The strength of any department is derived from the quality of its people – and in this area, we truly shine. I have been so impressed with the effort, resilience, creativity, compassion, and positivity that our faculty, staff, and students have demonstrated in response to all of the changes and challenges that we have faced in the past year. In tandem with the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the University of Florida, we have implemented an assortment of adjustments to department policies, procedures, and curriculum in response to the ongoing global pandemic and the nationwide focus on matters pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am pleased with where our department stands today, excited about how we are growing, and optimistic about what the future holds.

Go Gators!

Ken Logan, Ph.D., CCC-SLP