Speech sciences is an interdisciplinary program with courses from the Department of Linguistics, Psychology, and the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences.

BA Speech Sciences

The speech sciences program is designed to prepare you for graduate work in speech-language pathology or audiology. In this program you will study in-depth research methods, language structure, child development and language acquisition, anatomy and physiology, experimental psychology, and instrumental phonetics.

Students pursuing a degree in Speech Sciences should be aware that North American graduate programs in Speech Pathology and Audiology have varying prerequisites, and that a Bachelor of Arts with a Major / Honours / Minor in Speech Sciences from UBC will not necessarily qualify them for immediate admission to a graduate program. Students should investigate prospective graduate schools and consult the Linguistics Undergraduate Advisor early in their program. See The School of Audiology and Speech Sciences for the required prerequisites for the two-year Master’s program at UBC.

Program Options

Program Overview

As a Speech Sciences student, you will have the opportunity to gain research experience and explore topics related to language structure and acquisition, as well as the anatomy and physiology that affects language.

The lower-level courses in our program are intended to be diverse and flexible. We recommend starting with our introductory linguistics courses: LING 100, 101, 209, and/or 222. These courses cover an introduction to language and linguistics to more clinical topics in speech, language, and hearing sciences. Please note that LING 100 and 101 are not credited towards a Major, Honours, or Minor in Speech Sciences.

To complete a Speech Sciences program, our students must take LING 200 and 201: Linguistic Theory and Analysis I and II. These courses will provide you with a strong theoretical foundation and analytical practice to prepare you for upper-level courses. In your third and fourth years, you will be able to look at more specialized topics to prepare for your capstone course and potential graduate studies.

Please note that an Honours, Major, or Minor in Speech Sciences may not be combined with an Honours, Major, or Minor in Linguistics.

 

Program Outcomes

Our programs instill a passion for learning about language and speech sciences that students carry with them from their degree program to life beyond their university studies. Each student will have the opportunity to develop skills that facilitate being an engaged citizen who meets individual responsibilities, demonstrates ethical behaviour, and respectfully participates in communities. This goal is supported by consistent efforts across all courses in Linguistics and Speech Sciences to relate content to life in the larger world. Students will be able to: identify and work with sources of reliable information about linguistics and languages; articulate and evaluate how linguistics connects to the world at large across a range of current social, political, and educational issues; recognize the importance of utilizing their linguistic knowledge and education to improve the well-being of others; collaborate effectively on a project with colleagues from a range of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

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