Speech and Hearing Sciences B.S.

The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences supports instruction, research and service, and the primary mission areas of Lamar University through the degree programs offered. The department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in speech and hearing sciences for students interested in pursuing work in the fields of audiology and speech-language pathology.

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What Can You do with a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences?

The bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing science is a pre-professional program, but does not fully prepare a student to work independently as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist. It prepares students for graduate level work to obtain a higher, advanced degree (master’s or doctorate). It still is an academic degree, and may be beneficial in preparing you for future academic or professional work in other fields. It is important to note that this is a major requiring a further graduate degree.

Going on to Graduate School

Students should understand that graduate school admissions are frequently highly competitive, and students should be prepared to put their best foot forward during their undergraduate coursework to remain in the running for graduate school admission.

  • Pre-requisites and Entry Requirements
    • A completed application with required fee.
    • Completion of pre-admission courses by the end of the spring semester sophomore year.
    • Transcripts showing an overall GPA of at least 2.8 with minimum grade of C in all preadmission courses and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in SPHS 1371 and SPHS 2370. 
    • All undergraduate majors in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences must complete the basic core curriculum requirements of Lamar University as their academic foundation coursework.
    • Students may declare the major of Speech and Hearing Sciences after they are admitted to the university and complete the majority of pre-admission courses by the end of the spring semester sophomore year. These courses are the core curriculum required by Lamar University for all undergraduate programs as well SPHS 1371 and SPHS 2370 and 2 professional electives. Students must achieve a minimum grade of “C” in all preadmission courses, with a minimum grade point average (G.P.A.) of 3.0 in SPHS 1371 and SPHS 2370.
    • A minimum GPA of 2.8 is required to declare SPHS major and maintenance of a 2.8 GPA or higher is mandatory to remain a major.
  • Application Process
    1. Fill out an application for admission on the Apply Texas website.
    2. Create a username and password to login to the online application. Please record this information so that you can easily save and access your application.
    3. Once you have completed the application, you will be given an application ID number that you must save as this will be reference to all your application material.
    4. Choose "Create a new 4 year university undergraduate admissions application."
    5. Choose "Lamar University" as your target university.
    6. Choose application type:
      • Freshmen, U.S.
      • Freshmen, International
    1. Choose a semester of entry. You may apply for the leveling program in any semester.
      • Session May-July: Choose Summer Semester
      • Session August-December: Choose Fall Semester
      • Session January-April: Choose Spring Semester

    If the application for your desired program is not available for a semester, then the deadline has passed. Please apply for the next available semester to be considered.

    1. Choose program: Speech and Hearing Sciences.
    2. Save each page of application as you complete it.
    3. Once you have completed your information and saved it you must hit submit button for your application to be transmitted to Lamar University.
    4. After you have submitted your application, please send the following to Lamar University Office of Admissions :

      Lamar University
      Office of Graduate Admissions
      P.O. Box 11614
      Beaumont, TX 77710

    NOTE:
    • Please use your name as it appears on your state issued ID (or passport) on your application and on all other communication with Lamar University.
    • Official transcripts should be sent to Lamar University's mailing address listed above.
    • All international applicants must provide proof of English Language proficiency through scores on TOEFL or IELTS. Use TOEFL Code 6360 to send score to LU or you could mail your scores to address above. In addition, they also must get their transcripts evaluated. For more information refer to the link: https://www.lamar.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/foreign-transcript-evaluation.html

    Deadlines to Apply

    For full scholarship consideration, applicants should submit materials by the priority deadlines. Applications received after final deadline will be considered for following semester.

    Form Fall (August)

    • Priority Deadline: April 15
    • Final Deadline: July 1

    For Spring (January)

    • Priority Deadline: September 1
    • Final Deadline: December

    For Summer (June)

    • Priority Deadline: January 15
    • Final Deadline: April 15
  • Degree Requirements

    In order to earn Bachelors of Science Degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences, the student must complete 120 semester hours of speech-language pathology.

    The requirements to obtain a degree are:

    1. Core curriculum requirements prior to entering the major.
    2. Major Field of study Requirements.

    Please refer to the course catalog for further details. Course Catalog

Career Opportunities

There are very few opportunities to work in either profession with a bachelor’s degree alone. Additionally, research and teaching positions often require a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences or related fields as the minimum academic degree.

However, there are few number of career options for people with speech and hearing undergraduate degree who aren’t planning to pursue graduate studies in the field.

  • Speech –Language Pathology Assistant
  • Research Assistant or Associate
  • Community Outreach Program
  • Public Health Associate
  • Sales, Marketing and Promotion
  • Medical Sales and Publications
  • Health Care Administration

Cost Estimates

Visit LU's paying for school website to learn more about tuition and fee estimates.

Other Expenses

In addition to tuition and fees, students may need to consider other expenses, such as living expenses. Texas living expenses are considered more economical when compared to the national average.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

The following scholarships are available for the students pursuing undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences:

  • Monica and William Harn Scholarship in Speech and Hearing Sciences
  • Tony Houseman Memorial Scholarship
  • Diane and Don Shaver Speech and Hearing Sciences Scholarship

For more information visit our department's scholarships webpage.

To learn more about financial aid/student loans, visit LU's student financial assistance website.

Research

Speech and language pathology faculty are involved in a variety of lab and field-based research. Please refer to faculty profiles to find out more about research interests and specific research studies.