What is this program about?
The Ph.D. Program in Hearing and Speech Sciences emphasizes research and scholarly achievement, and is designed to foster intellectual independence in the disciplines of normal and/or disordered processes of speech, language, or hearing. Once admitted, students in the program engage in an integrated set of research activities and scholarship to prepare them for successful careers in academic and research settings. The program entails five years of full-time study, which includes graduate-level coursework, research seminars, a candidacy project, and a dissertation. Regular interactions with faculty mentor(s) enable students to define their own areas of interest, promoting a dynamic, energetic, and collaborative research environment.
What is the focus?
- Cutting-edge research issues pertaining to communication sciences and disorders. These include comprehensive coverage of topics across the age span and the integrated study of basic and translational processes relating to hearing, speech, and language;
- A mentorship program, in which students work closely with individual faculty members to develop and achieve their research and scholarly goals;
- A rich training environment fostered through dynamic collaborations with faculty in multiple areas, including those in other departments;
- Our faculty is deeply committed and involved in three of the most visible interdisciplinary areas on campus: the cognitive/neuroscience program, the Center for the Comparative Evolutionary Biology of Hearing, and the Language Science Center. This high-level of involvement has been cultivated by the Department as a matter of policy.
Why is the program great?
- Graduate coursework is offered by world-renowned faculty with specific expertise and enriched through active participation with doctoral students in related programs on campus;
- Strong interdisciplinary collaborations, including active co-mentorship arrangements, within the department and across different departments;
- Students are fully engaged in research with internationally recognized faculty in the department, on the UMD campus more broadly, and in the local vicinity, and many publish or present their work at national and international conferences;
- Numerous, off-site research collaborations in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area are unparalleled (e.g., NIH Clinical Center, Walter Reed Military Medical Center, Children’s Hospital in DC, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, etc.), and permit students to explore specialized research interests;
- Small class cohorts ensure individualized attention by program faculty;
- Department-wide seminar series brings highly respected faculty to campus to interact with students;
- A specialized Ph.D. professional development series that prepares students for success during their graduate training and post-graduation careers.
- Our faculty is deeply committed to three of the most visible interdisciplinary areas on campus: the cognitive/neuroscience, hearing science, and language science. This high-level of involvement has been cultivated by the Department as a matter of policy.
What can I expect from the program?
- 32 credits of coursework and 18 credits of research training
- Five years of full-time study to complete
- Typically entering class size of 2-3 students
- Training in research methods including experimental design and analysis, scientific writing, and the development of a coherent research program.
View the full program description here.
More about the program:
Prospective Students
Current Students
