Currently in High School? Take Our Intro Course in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Register for our 5-week online summer course for high school students, and explore the SLP and Audiology Fields. And you’ll earn three college credits with successful completion of the course.

Explore Intro Course

Special Opportunities for Speech-Language Pathology Majors

  • Engaged learning:
    Students get hands-on experiences in the community and on campus at the Speech and Language Center at Russell Sage.
  • Pioneering faculty:
    The faculty who designed our programs are nationally recognized experts in the field, who were part of the groundbreaking Communications Sciences and Disorders program at The College of Saint Rose. 
  • The power of peers:
    Because Russell Sage has the most comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate health professions programs in most of upstate New York, you’ll get to interact with physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, health sciences, and nursing students during your studies, preparing to collaborate with professionals in these fields. You’ll also have opportunities to partner with students in our Esteves School of Education if you’re considering a career as an SLP in P-12 schools.
  • Options for your future:
    For those students who choose to pursue a master’s degree in a different discipline, the undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology is an excellent foundation for the study of education (including special education) and a variety of degrees in the health professions. This major is also the preferred path for students who want to pursue their clinical doctorate in audiology.

Explore the Speech and Language Center at Russell Sage

The Speech and Language Center at Russell Sage seeks to empower people with communication disorders and other speech needs. The initial clinical program, the Aphasia Center at Russell Sage, opened in July 2024, with the Gender-Affirming Voice Program launching in February, 2025.

This gives students hands-on experience in the field right on our Albany campus.

About the Center

Check Out Some of Our Speech-Language Pathology Courses

Here is a sample of some of the courses Speech-Language Pathology majors take at Russell Sage. You can see the full list in our online catalog.

What is speech-language pathology? Students will be introduced to the nature and types of speech, language, and hearing problems in children and adults, as well as issues related to assessment and intervention. Students will also explore the wide range of collaborative relationships among professionals who assist individuals with communication impairments.

Serving and shaping your world as a future professional starts with this course, which requires SLP students to engage in at least eight hours of community involvement. Students will describe the experience(s) and how this service has impacted them  – exploring what they learned about themselves and their community and how this preclinical experience will support their preparation for clinical work. 

Students will explore the scientific basis of human speech production and perception, with some attention to the physics of sound and acoustic characteristics of sound. Students will engage in phonemic and phonetic transcription practice of typical, dialectal, developmental, and disordered speech, with implications for assessment and intervention for English speakers and English language learners. 

This primarily diagnostic course covers the psycho-physics of hearing and techniques of hearing testing. The emphasis is on audiogram interpretation, case findings, and connections to speech and language. The implications of hearing impairment on language acquisition, academics, and quality of life are explored. Students will gain practical experience utilizing equipment. 

This course explores the nature and etiology of language disorders and literacy in children ages 0 to 18, with attention to assessment and intervention. Language acquisition implications, neurological and interactional causality, and the importance of interaction in the home are also explored, with emphasis on current issues and literature.

This course covers the theoretical bases for treatment of individuals with communication disorders and procedures for implementing change within a therapy session. Ethical behavior, professional responsibility, and knowledge of evidence-based practice are examined. Principles and techniques are taught for writing treatment plans, Individual Education Plans, behavioral objectives, lesson plans, reports, and data collection.

Course content includes curriculum-based treatment, consultation and collaboration, family intervention, group treatment, and issues related to diverse populations. Writing skills will be emphasized over the course of the semester. As part of this course, students will attain 25 supervised observation hours of diagnostic and therapy sessions with clients who have speech, language, and/or hearing.

Career Paths for Speech Language Pathology Majors

Students will be well-positioned to enter a master’s degree program in speech-language pathology. Once students complete a master’s program and secure licensure, they will find rich job opportunities, as the demand for SLPs nationally is rising. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth of 21% through 2031. 

Students with this degree as a foundation can also pursue graduate studies toward careers in education, health sciences, and audiology.

21%

job growth in speech language pathology through 2031.

Upcoming Undergraduate Visit Events

Learn about the exciting opportunities Russell Sage College has to offer with a campus visit, open house, or virtual program information session.

Explore Events

Spotlights

News from Sage’s Speech-Language Pathology Program

Student
2029
Isabella Sepulveda

Isabella Sepulveda ’29 found her way to speech-language pathology after a social media moment that showed her the impact a …

Read More
Student

“There are more ways to help people, and to bring fun to communication therapy, than I thought there were.”

– Isabella Sepulveda
Q&A with Speech Pathologist Julie Hart, Director of The Aphasia Center at Russell Sage College
Aphasia is a language disorder that results typically from a stroke, brain injury, or a progressive neurologic condition. “It impacts a person’s ability to speak, to understand, read, write, and basically participate in their life,” says speech pathologist Julie Hart, MS, CCC-SLP, director of The Aphasia Center at Russell Sage College. Hart has worked with adults with aphasia for 36 years, helping them to learn new strategies to communicate.
– Read More

Have Questions about a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology?

Julie Hart
Julie Hart, M.S., CCC-SLP
Director of The Aphasia Center at Russell Sage
Jack Pickering
Jack Pickering, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Professor of the Practice of Speech Language Pathology
David DeBonis
David DeBonis, Ph.D., CCC-A
Professor of the Practice of Speech Language Pathology

Next steps?

It’s time to take the next step. Choose yours today.

Contact Admission

Request Info
Apply
Visit
Financial Aid

Take the Next Step

It's time to take the next step. Choose yours below.
Request More Info
Apply
Visit
Financial Aid