What is Communicative Disorders and Sciences?

Communicative Disorders and Sciences is the study of typical and disordered speech, language, and hearing, as well as the clinical practice of providing care for disordered speech, language, hearing, and vestibular systems.  Professionals in our field include speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. Learn more about these career options.

We all seek to support the communication needs of people through research and clinical practice. 

The mission of the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences is to engage in basic and translational research in the areas of human communication processes and its disorders, to train doctoral students to conduct basic as well as clinical research in speech, language and hearing sciences and disorders, and to leverage our programs to educate our undergraduate and graduate students (MA, AUD) to become a new generation of clincian-scientists in our field. 

We are also dedicated to providing high quality clinical services to individuals in need and to providing educational outreach through clinics, workshops and screenings. 

Our accredited programs provide the training and experiences needed for students to become clinicians and researchers in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Students receive training in a variety of speech, language, and hearing disorders that occur across the lifespan.

• Our UB Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic provides services targeting early childhood through older adulthood in speech, language, hearing, vestibular, voice, and swallowing disorders. Learn more about the variety of specialty clinics and programs we offer.
• Our approach to teaching emphasizes the role of research and evidence-based practice. Research in our department spans bench-to-bedside, and from early childhood to older adulthood. Implications of our research impact the diagnosis, identification, intervention, and rehabilitation of communication. Learn more about our research laboratories.

We offer several degree options for undergraduate and graduate students, supporting a variety of different career tracks!