Communication Sciences and Disorders Career Outlook
A program that focuses on the application of biomedical, psychological, and physical principles to the study of the scientific bases, development, and treatment of speech, language, hearing, and cognitive communication problems caused by disease, injury, or disability. Includes instruction in language science, hearing science, speech and voice science, biology of communication, behavioral linguistics, psychology, and applications to the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative strategies and technologies.
To find out more about your major including potential areas and employers, required skills, job outlook, and median pay, please access the Occupational Outlook Handbook or the O*Net website.
Career Outlook
Explore the subsections below to learn more about the potential skills a student with a communication sciences and disorders major can develop as well as the potential positions, areas, and employers that hire students with this degree. Please note that these are not exhaustive lists and should be used as a starting point.
Skills
As a communication sciences and disorders major, students may develop or advance skills including communication, compassion, critical thinking, detail orientation, listening, extreme patience, recordkeeping, persistence, resourcefulness, flexibility/adaptability, teamwork.
Positions
Graduates with an advanced degree in communication sciences and disorders can work as Speech Language Pathologists, Audiologists, Speech Therapist, Adjunct College/University Instructor.
Areas
Graduates with a degree in communication sciences and disorders can work within the following areas: prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, consultation, therapy, behavioral modification.
Employers
Graduates with a degree in communication sciences and disorders can work for public and private PreK-12 schools, colleges/universities, hospitals, hearing centers, home healthcare agencies, nursing/rehabilitation centers, residential facilities, federal/state/local agencies.
Helpful Resources
Use the employment opportunity resources below to kickstart your preprofessional and or professional experience search. You may also identify a professional or student organization to join and network with individuals in your major and field. Please note that these are not exhaustive lists and should be used as a starting point.
- Aspire of Illinois
- Autism Speaks
- Chicago Public Schools
- Easter Seals
- Elim Christian Services
- Illinois Education Job Bank
- Illinois State Board of Education
- K-12 Job Spot
- K-12 Jobs
- LaGrange Area Department of Special Education
- Lake County School Districts
- Metropolitan Family Services
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- National Association for Down Syndrome
- Park Lawn
- Shirley Ryan Abilitylab
- Shady Oaks Camp
- South Suburban Cook County School Districts
- Southwest Cook County Cooperative Association
- Special Olympics-Illinois
- The Community House
- Trinity Services
- U.S. Department of Education
- Will County School Districts
- American Academy of Audiology
- American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology
- American Auditory Society
- American Speech Language Hearing Association
- American Speech Language Hearing Foundation
- Council of Academic Programs in Communicative Sciences and Disorders
- National Center for Voice and Speech
- National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- State Speech and Hearing Associations
- The Audiology Foundation of America