The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a four-year undergraduate major (Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology), six combined majors, and two undergraduate minors. Additionally, CSD offers a five-year PlusOne bachelor’s/master’s program that allows students to accelerate the attainment of the graduate degree. See additional information on accelerated bachelor/graduate degree programs.
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are involved with the evaluation, treatment, counseling, and research of human communication and its disorders. They provide clinical services to a full range of individuals with communication delays/differences/disorders, from infants through geriatrics. Speech-language pathologists treat developmental language and articulation disorders/delays; voice and resonance problems; stuttering; dysarthria and apraxia; pediatric and adult swallowing disorders; and language and cognitive impairments due to stroke, head injury, and progressive neurological disease. Audiologists specialize in the prevention, identification, assessment, and rehabilitation of hearing disorders for individuals with congenital and acquired hearing impairments. Both speech-language pathologists and audiologists require graduate education to practice as certified and licensed clinicians.
BS in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
The degree program for the Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology includes an experiential learning component, a broad-based academic core, and the scientific and clinical courses necessary for understanding normal and disordered communication. The degree offers preprofessional training for individuals who want to pursue graduate education. Alternatively, graduates may pursue certification as speech-language pathology or audiology assistants in a variety of clinical settings, or they may pursue other career paths in areas such as healthcare/administration, education, public health, human services, or media/public relations.
The SLPA curriculum is designed to facilitate critical thinking, information literacy, and oral and written communication skills. In addition to courses in the basic communication sciences, coursework in education, allied health, ethics, multicultural/diversity issues, and psychology is required. The curriculum provides a solid foundation in SLPA, and it is sufficiently flexible to provide students with the opportunity to minor in an area of related interest.
BS Combined Majors
Six combined majors are available for students to pursue: the Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, the Bachelor of Science in Linguistics and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, the Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Behavioral Neuroscience, and the Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Human Services.
The combined Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology offers an interdisciplinary approach to human communication and its disorders. Coursework focuses on the scientific and theoretical frameworks of speech, language, and hearing. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of communication theory, and they have an opportunity to acquire the practical skills necessary to thrive in a complex, dynamic society. The curriculum is enhanced by experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for a variety of professional careers.
The combined Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, as well as the combined Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, prepare students for careers that integrate knowledge of human communication and its disorders with information and computer literacy. This intersection provides students with opportunities to promote impactful innovation to support individuals with communication challenges. The curricula are designed to facilitate critical thinking, information literacy, and oral and written communication skills. In addition to courses in the basic communication sciences, courses in education, allied health, computer literacy, ethics, multicultural/diversity issues, and psychology are required. Students in these majors study the collection, manipulation, storage, retrieval, and computational analysis of data in its various forms including numeric, textual, image, and video data from small to large volumes. The coursework covers exploratory data analysis, data manipulation in a variety of programming languages, large-scale data storage, predictive analytics, machine learning, data mining, and information visualization and presentation.
The combined Bachelor of Science in Linguistics and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology provides students with extensive background in the formal structures of human language; the methods and applications of linguistic analyses of language data; the biology, neurology, and physics of the human vocal tract; and the nature of both normal and disordered human speech communication and language development. Students have an opportunity to develop critical thinking, information literacy, as well as strong oral and written communication skills. The curriculum is enhanced by experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to pursue graduate degrees in speech-language pathology or audiology, as well as careers in other related healthcare domains or education.
The combined Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Behavioral Neuroscience offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of behavior and communication disorders. The curriculum focuses on the biological bases underlying behavior in healthy and pathological states, specifically those that are related to and derive from breakdowns in communication. It combines coursework in psychology and physical sciences to provide scientific and theoretical frameworks of behavior, speech, language, and hearing. Students are introduced to the anatomical and functional specializations of the brain and neural mechanisms and have the opportunity to apply these concepts to the domains of speech, language, and hearing.
The combined Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Human Services prepares students for careers that integrate knowledge of human communication and its disorders and social change. This intersection provides students with opportunities to promote impactful social policies to support individuals with communication challenges. Coursework focuses on the scientific and theoretical frameworks of speech, language, and hearing, in addition to the theoretical and skill-based background necessary for practice and research in the human services domain. Students develop a holistic understanding of how to respond to social inequities for those with communication disorders and how to influence change at the individual and structural levels.
Minors
Two flexible minors are available for students to pursue. These minors allow students from various fields of study to enhance their academics with general courses related to the field of communication sciences, as well as specific courses covering topics such as audiology or speech-language disorders across the life span. Advisors assist students with accommodating their interests within their established major curriculum plans.
Note: The minors are not open to students majoring in the Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology or those pursuing one of the SLPA combined majors. In addition, students are only eligible to declare one minor within the department (i.e., either the CSD or SLPA clinical minor).
Communication Sciences and Disorders Minor
The Minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders includes courses that offer exposure to a variety of aspects of the field. While this minor does not, by itself, fully prepare students for admission to graduate programs in speech-language pathology or audiology, it facilitates progress toward these graduate programs, in addition to others in fields such as applied psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education. Coursework is designed to help students understand the scope of practice in both fields and develop basic competencies. The CSD minor consists of four courses, which includes a required foundation course taken prior to any CSD core or elective courses, followed by two CSD core courses and one elective course. Students may consult with an advisor in the CSD department concerning the current listing of eligible elective courses for this minor.
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Minor
The Minor in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology seeks to prepare students for admission into graduate programs in speech-language pathology or audiology. Students in this minor are on a track that would meet course prerequisites requirements for admission to our department’s own Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program. The SLPA minor consists of five department-specific SLPA core courses. Students pursuing this minor are advised to consult early and regularly with their academic advisors to ensure a timely completion of their major(s) and the SLPA minor requirements. Students pursuing this minor who plan to apply to graduate school at institutions other than Northeastern University are advised to carefully check admissions requirements for those programs.
Bachelor of Science (BS)
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Communication Studies and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Computer Science and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Data Science and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Linguistics and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Behavioral Neuroscience
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Human Services
Minors
The mission of the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences is to impact the health and well-being of the global community by developing leaders in our fields through interprofessional experiential education, translational research, and excellence in clinical practice. The programs within the department enhance and extend students’ learning through experiential education, interdisciplinary collaborations, interprofessional education, and research opportunities, making impact across our global campus and beyond. Our faculty members are leaders in education, research, and practice. Students work with faculty to conduct ongoing research in one of the many diverse Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences' research groups and laboratories, including Neuromotor Systems Laboratory, Laboratory for Locomotion Research, ReGame-XR Laboratory, Movement Neuroscience Laboratory, Musculoskeletal Epidemiology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Neurophysiology Laboratory, Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics Laboratory, Teaching and Learning with Innovation Laboratory, the Programmable and Reconfigurable Soft Engineered Systems Lab, and the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health.
At the undergraduate level, the department’s faculty work with students from across Northeastern University to optimize their bachelor’s degree experience in preparation for our graduate doctoral program in physical therapy. Students may enter a range of degree programs at Northeastern included in the health sciences department within Bouvé and programs in the College of Science and the College of Engineering. A guaranteed priority admission pathway exists for those students who have met the prerequisite criteria.
The department offers a Minor in Human Movement Sciences. The minor enhances multiple degree programs at Northeastern with fundamental concepts in human movement and rehabilitation sciences—including anatomy and physiology, human kinesiology, and motor control—as well as sports medicine, functional neuroanatomy, and exercise physiology.
Minor
Physical Therapy Courses
PT 1000. College: An Introduction. (1 Hour)
Provides an introduction to the University, college, and health professions to enhance students’ understanding of self and the decisions they make academically and socially as members of the University’s diverse, multicultural community. Group activities and individual assignments along with active participation in a learning community help students adjust to life on an urban campus, develop a better understanding of the learning process, acquire essential academic skills, and make connections with the faculty and students in the college.
PT 1880. Introduction to Sports Medicine. (4 Hours)
Offers an introductory course intended for students interested in sports, coaching, medicine, and exercise. Exposes students to the field of sports medicine. Emphasizes orthopedic anatomy, exercise principles, and a basic introduction to prevention of injury and illness related to athletes. Includes a cadaveric lab and lectures.
Attribute(s): NUpath Natural/Designed World
PT 1990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
PT 2300. Sociocultural Aspects of Sports Injury. (4 Hours)
Examines sociocultural aspects of sports injury and rehabilitation including social beliefs, cultures, climates, processes, institutions, and societies. Provides cross-cultural learning opportunities through discussion of the main characteristics of sports injuries with health professional representatives across five different continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas, and Oceania) and an opportunity to participate in an immersive sports medicine experience in a country outside of the United States. Includes various clinical and academic activities at an educational institution and visitation to sports clubs, hospitals, sports injury rehabilitation clinics, and universities.
Attribute(s): NUpath Integration Experience
PT 2990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
PT 2991. Research in Physical Therapy. (1-4 Hours)
Offers an opportunity to conduct introductory-level research or creative endeavors under faculty supervision. May be repeated once.
PT 3300. Human Gross Anatomy. (3 Hours)
Covers the structure and function of the human body. Emphasizes the skeletal, muscular, digestive, cardiopulmonary, and peripheral nervous systems. Using a regional and systemic approach, explores the details of the limbs, thorax, abdomen, and pelvic regions of the body. Considers basic abnormalities of structure and function via clinical application of these systems.
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 1111 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 1113 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 2217 with a minimum grade of D-
Corequisite(s): PT 3301
PT 3301. Lab for PT 3300. (1 Hour)
Offers hands-on exploration of the human body utilizing cadaveric specimens and models. Covers the structure and function of the appendicular and axial skeletal systems of the body through prosected human cadavers and osteology. Emphasizes the skeletal, muscular, digestive, cardiopulmonary, and peripheral nervous systems.
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 1112 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 1114 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 2218 with a minimum grade of D-
Corequisite(s): PT 3300
PT 3400. Human Kinesiology. (4 Hours)
Studies normal movement through the analysis of muscle and joint function. Introduces fundamental examples of pathokinesiology, aberrant motions, and gait and posture. Emphasizes the analysis of the major joints and regions of the body.
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 2217 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 1117 with a minimum grade of D-
Attribute(s): NUpath Natural/Designed World
PT 3500. Motor Control of Human Movement. (4 Hours)
Covers two broad areas that impact the human movement system: motor control and motor learning. Examines neural, behavioral, and physical mechanisms that contribute to the control of movement in humans. Focuses on motor control in healthy persons, with some discussion of alterations associated with musculoskeletal and neural impairment. Examines factors that influence the learning of new motor skills (motor learning) as a result of practice and/or experience.
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 2217 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 1117 with a minimum grade of D-
PT 3990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
PT 4990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
PT 4992. Directed Study. (1-4 Hours)
Offers independent work under the direction of members of the department on a chosen topic. Course content depends on instructor. May be repeated without limit.
PT 4996. Experiential Education Directed Study. (1-4 Hours)
Draws upon the student’s approved experiential activity and integrates it with study in the academic major. Restricted to those students who are using it to fulfill their experiential education requirement. May be repeated without limit.
Attribute(s): NUpath Integration Experience
PT 5101. Foundations of Physical Therapy. (3 Hours)
Designed to provide a basic practical understanding of patient care procedures used in physical therapy practice. Covers body mechanics, therapeutic positioning, patient ambulation, transfer techniques, soft tissue mobilization, and documentation. Offers the learner an opportunity to obtain the information needed to use therapeutic modalities in a variety of clinical settings. Introduces physical therapy students to professional behaviors.
Corequisite(s): PT 5102
PT 5102. Lab for PT 5101. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5101. Covers topics from the course through various experiments.
Corequisite(s): PT 5101
PT 5111. Professional Development for Bouvé Graduate Co-op. (1 Hour)
Introduces graduate students to the Bouvé Cooperative Education Program and offers an opportunity to develop job-search and career-management skills. Students perform assessments of their workplace skills, interests, and values and discuss how they impact personal career decisions. Offers students an opportunity to prepare a professional-style résumé, learn proper interviewing techniques, and gain an understanding of the opportunities available to them for co-op. Introduces career paths, choices, and career decision making. Seeks to familiarize students with workplace issues relative to their field of study and to teach them to use myNEU COOL database in the job-search and referral process. Presents and discusses co-op policies, procedures, and expectations of the Bouvé Cooperative Education Program and co-op employers.
PT 5133. Kinesiology. (3 Hours)
Studies normal movement through the analysis of muscle and joint function. Introduces fundamental examples of pathokinesiology, aberrant motions, and postures. Emphasizes analysis of the major joints and regions of the body as related to the field of physical therapy, including aspects of gait analysis. Encourages critical thinking and integrates material learned in prior course work, including, but not limited to, anatomy and physiology.
Attribute(s): NUpath Natural/Designed World
PT 5138. Neuroscience. (4 Hours)
Covers the structure and physiological function of the human nervous system with emphasis on the clinical aspects of motor and somatosensory systems. Studies the anatomy of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord in specimens and on slides and integrated with the basic physiology of motor and sensory systems. The application of neuroscience to clinical neurological cases is a foundation of this course.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5131 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5131 with a minimum grade of C ) or (PT 6340 with a minimum grade of C ; PT 6341 with a minimum grade of C )
Corequisite(s): PT 5139
PT 5139. Lab for PT 5138. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5138. Covers topics from the course through various experiments.
Corequisite(s): PT 5138
PT 5140. Pathology. (4 Hours)
Covers foundational knowledge of pathological processes of major body systems. Addresses general medicine, laboratory medicine, and pathophysiology as related to patient conditions that impact physical therapy management. Case-based discussion allows for integration of pathology and pharmacology content.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5131 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5131 with a minimum grade of C ) or (PT 6340 with a minimum grade of C ; PT 6341 with a minimum grade of C )
PT 5145. Introduction to the Healthcare System. (2 Hours)
Offers students an opportunity to obtain the foundation to understand and appreciate the framework of the U.S. healthcare system. Compares other selected global healthcare systems. Examines historical events, policy changes, and current issues that impact the delivery of healthcare services.
Prerequisite(s): PT 5101 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5101 with a minimum grade of C
PT 5150. Motor Control, Development, and Learning. (4 Hours)
Covers three broad areas—motor control, motor development, and motor learning. Examines neural, behavioral, and physical mechanisms that contribute to the control of movement in humans. Focuses on motor control in healthy persons, with some discussion of alterations associated with musculoskeletal and neural impairment. Addresses motor development and maturation from intrauterine life through old age (senescence). Considers the interaction of body-system development and growth on acquisition of and changes in typical skill development. Examines factors that influence the learning of new motor skills (motor learning) as a result of practice.
Prerequisite(s): PT 6340 with a minimum grade of C or (PT 5133 with a minimum grade of C ; PT 5138 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of C )
Corequisite(s): PT 5151
PT 5151. Lab for PT 5150. (1 Hour)
Offers students an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in PT 5150 to activities designed to illustrate various principles and concepts related to motor control, motor development, and motor learning. Uses a series of guiding questions/activities in each laboratory and analyzes associated literature to offer students an opportunity to apply class concepts to healthy individuals and to those with clinical problems related to motor control, motor development, or motor learning.
Corequisite(s): PT 5150
Attribute(s): NUpath Analyzing/Using Data
PT 5160. Psychosocial Aspects of Healthcare. (3 Hours)
Examines interpersonal relationships among patients, families, health professionals, and society, with reference to the impact of and reaction to illness and disability. Identifies personal and societal beliefs, values, and attitudes that affect the role of people with illness or disabilities in our culture and the healthcare system; how patients’ beliefs, values, and experiences affect their expectations and interactions with healthcare professionals; and how beliefs, values, and experiences shape professional development and affect relationships with patients.
Attribute(s): NUpath Ethical Reasoning
PT 5165. Sports Medicine: Managing the Injured Athlete. (4 Hours)
Offers students an opportunity to obtain in-depth knowledge in sports medicine. Covers taping and bracing procedures and techniques to assess concussions with various current protocols. Exposes students to current common pathologies within the athletic population. Discusses return-to-play criteria for an athlete once an injury has occurred and has subsequently been treated and rehabilitated.
PT 5170. Motor Control. (3 Hours)
Focuses on the theories and models of neuromuscular control and learning of human movement. Examines the relationship between theory and practice and how motor function may be altered by a variety of factors.
Corequisite(s): PT 5171
PT 5171. Lab for PT 5170. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5170. Covers topics from the course through various experiments.
Corequisite(s): PT 5170
PT 5209. Neurological Rehabilitation 1. (4 Hours)
Covers the foundations of the physical therapy examination, evaluation, and intervention for persons with neurological deficits. Presents examination skills, theoretical bases, and clinical applications of integrated intervention approaches for the patient with a neurological diagnosis. Includes the etiology, pathology, medical management, and physical therapy management of common neurology disorders affecting the adult population. Accompanied by PT 5210.
Prerequisite(s): PT 5150 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5150 with a minimum grade of C
Corequisite(s): PT 5210
PT 5210. Lab for PT 5209. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5209. Covers the foundations of the physical therapy examination, evaluation, and intervention with patients with neurological deficits. Presents clinical procedures for examination skills, evaluation, and clinical applications of integrated intervention approaches for the patient with a neurological diagnosis.
Corequisite(s): PT 5209
PT 5226. Physical Therapy Professional Seminar 2. (2 Hours)
Continues PT 5135 and builds on concepts introduced in the earlier course. Affords students the opportunity to reflect on issues in experiential education and prepare for future experiential learning.
PT 5227. Physical Therapy Project 1. (3 Hours)
Provides students with the opportunity to conduct an independent project under the mentorship of physical therapy faculty in areas such as research, education, clinical practice, administration, or service learning.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5515 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5515 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5540 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5540 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 6243 with a minimum grade of C or PT 6243 with a minimum grade of C )
Attribute(s): NUpath Capstone Experience, NUpath Creative Express/Innov, NUpath Formal/Quant Reasoning, NUpath Writing Intensive
PT 5229. Physical Therapy Project 2. (2 Hours)
Provides students with an opportunity to work with individual faculty on scholarship activities to create a scholarly work in partial fulfillment of the requirement for a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Allows students to begin or continue their research or education project. Guides students as necessary to enable them to complete their capstone project.
Prerequisite(s): PT 5227 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5227 with a minimum grade of C or CAEP 5150 with a minimum grade of C or CAEP 5150 with a minimum grade of C
Attribute(s): NUpath Capstone Experience
PT 5230. Pediatric and Geriatric Aspects of Life Span Management. (3 Hours)
Incorporates analysis and comparison of methods of physical therapy (PT) management of selected populations across the life span, which includes pediatrics and geriatrics. Focuses on utilizing evidenced-based rationale for clinical decision making within the context of PT examination, evaluation, PT diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care. Discusses how patient/client management seeks to reflect core professional values, as well as topics of prevention and wellness in these patient populations.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5209 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5209 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5505 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5505 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 6241 with a minimum grade of C or PT 6241 with a minimum grade of C )
PT 5321. Applications of Biomechanics in Human Function and Movement. (4 Hours)
Designed to help students develop an understanding of biomechanical concepts, as they apply to the analysis of human movement and function, through experiential learning. Introduces emerging methodologies and techniques in the field of biomechanics, particularly as they relate to human movement. Course activities require both computational analyses and conceptual understanding. Exposes students to types of data acquisition, reduction, analysis, and interpretations. Includes those factors that identify limitations to the action and measurement of human movement. Offers students an opportunity to integrate knowledge emerging from multiple disciplines, including biomechanics, movement sciences, biology, and physics, as those disciplines apply to functional human movement.
PT 5410. Functional Human Neuroanatomy. (4 Hours)
Examines the detailed structure of the human nervous system, linking structure to function at both the clinical and neurobiological level. Offers students an opportunity to obtain a solid functional anatomical foundation for neuroscience. Reviews basic neuroanatomy and then provides a detailed look into the structure of the nuclei within the central nervous system and their connectivity. Examines the role of these structures in motor and sensory function as well as in complex cognitive functions at a physiological and clinical level.
Prerequisite(s): ((BIOL 1113 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 2217 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 1117 with a minimum grade of D- or BIOL 2299 with a minimum grade of D- ); (BIOL 3405 with a minimum grade of D- or PSYC 3458 with a minimum grade of D- )) or graduate program admission
Corequisite(s): PT 5411
PT 5411. Lab for PT 5410. (1 Hour)
Examines the detailed structure of the human nervous system in specimens of the human brain and spinal cord as well as in images of stained sections of these tissues and magnetic resonance images (MRI). The structure of individual nuclei and the main sensory and motor tracts of the nervous system are examined and discussed by students working in small groups. Although focusing on anatomical details, the lab introduces the student to clinical diagnosis of neurological cases.
Corequisite(s): PT 5410
PT 5450. Introduction to Therapeutic Activities. (2 Hours)
Offers students an opportunity for exposure to the biologic underpinnings of therapeutic activities, as well as to increase their skill in the application of such activities, including exercise prescription, therapeutic handling skills, and functional activity design. Skills taught in this course shape interventions used in the physical therapy treatment of people across the life span with a variety of impairments of body structure, function, and functional activity limitations.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5133 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5133 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5134 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5134 with a minimum grade of C )
PT 5500. Pharmacology for Physical Therapy. (2 Hours)
Offers a clinically oriented course covering knowledge of clinical pharmacology in the physical therapy profession. Discusses prescription and over-the-counter drugs and common herbal supplements. Drug classification, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, mechanism of action, drug interactions, and common side effects are brought into the clinical perspective of patient management. Explores recognition of expected drug effects, side effects, idiosyncratic reactions, and signs of abuse or nonadherence. Along with PT 5140, emphasizes the therapist’s proper incorporation of pharmacotherapeutic knowledge into patient assessment, differential diagnosis, and design of treatment regimens.
Prerequisite(s): PT 5131 with a minimum grade of C or (PT 6340 with a minimum grade of C ; PT 6341 with a minimum grade of C )
PT 5503. Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Management. (4 Hours)
Discusses physical therapy examination evaluation, interventions, and outcome assessment of common cardiac and pulmonary dysfunctions. Discusses etiology and pathology of common cardiac and pulmonary disorders. Uses case-based learning to promote synthesis of the material.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5140 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5140 with a minimum grade of C ) or (PT 6340 with a minimum grade of C ; PT 6341 with a minimum grade of C )
Corequisite(s): PT 5504
PT 5504. Lab for PT 5503. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5503. Covers topics from the course through various experiments.
Corequisite(s): PT 5503
PT 5505. Musculoskeletal Management 1. (4 Hours)
Discusses physical therapy examination evaluation, interventions, and outcome assessment of common musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Uses case-based learning to promote synthesis of the material.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5515 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5515 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5540 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5540 with a minimum grade of C )
Corequisite(s): PT 5506
PT 5506. Lab for PT 5505. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5505. Covers topics from the course through various experiments.
Corequisite(s): PT 5505
PT 5515. Integumentary Systems. (2 Hours)
Applies anatomy, physiology, epidemiology, and pathology to explore the issues of medical, surgical, pharmacological, and psychological and physical therapy management of individuals throughout the life span with integumentary system impairments. Offers learners an opportunity to develop examination skills to derive diagnoses, prognoses, evaluations, and effective physical therapy interventions based on relevant evidence. Includes modalities for wound care and electrophysiological testing and interpretation. Uses case studies to integrate and apply the information obtained through readings, lectures, and lab.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5101 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5101 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5102 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5102 with a minimum grade of C )
Corequisite(s): PT 5516
PT 5516. Lab for PT 5515. (1 Hour)
Accompanies PT 5515. Covers topics from the course through various experiments.
Corequisite(s): PT 5515
PT 5540. Clinical Integration 1: Evidence and Practice. (2 Hours)
Designed to prepare physical therapy students to integrate previous courses taught in the curriculum to safely manage patients in the acute-care setting, including the intensive-care unit, the critical-care unit, and step-down settings. Uses a combination of lecture, instruction in the simulation center, and standardized patient interactions. Follows the “Guide to Physical Therapy Practice for Evaluation and Intervention” in these settings. Offers students an opportunity to learn to perform an examination; to evaluate examination data to formulate a plan of care; to provide interventions; to determine a discharge plan for individuals in the acute-care environment; and to demonstrate core professional values in classroom, recitation, and standardized patient interactions.
Prerequisite(s): (PT 5150 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5150 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5500 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5500 with a minimum grade of C ); (PT 5503 with a minimum grade of C or PT 5503 with a minimum grade of C )
PT 5976. Directed Study. (1-4 Hours)
Offers independent work under the direction of members of the department on a chosen topic. Course content depends on instructor. May be repeated without limit.
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Courses
SLPA 1000. College: An Introduction. (1 Hour)
Introduces the university, college, and the speech-language pathology and audiology major. Seeks to enhance students’ understanding of self and the decisions they make personally, academically, and professionally as members of the university’s diverse community. Designed to help students gain knowledge and experiences that will ease the transition to Northeastern University and assist in developing strategies for success in college and in life beyond. Group activities, individual assignments, and active participation in a learning community are designed to help students adjust to life on an urban campus; develop a better understanding of the learning process; acquire essential academic and co-curricular skills; and make connections with faculty, students, and across majors in Bouvé College.
SLPA 1101. Bridging Minds: Introduction to Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. (4 Hours)
Presents an overview of speech, language, and hearing disorders. Examines assessment and treatment of disorders including a review of normal speech, language, and hearing development. Requires clinical observations of persons with speech, language, and hearing disorders.
Attribute(s): NUpath Difference/Diversity, NUpath Natural/Designed World
SLPA 1102. Language Development. (4 Hours)
Provides an overview of the development of the language system from birth to adolescence. Students compare different theories of language acquisition and understand their implications for intervention approaches; become familiar with broad developmental stages in infancy and childhood in the domains of motor skills, cognition, social skills, and speech and language, and the connections among these domains; understand the social dynamics between parents and children from which early gestures and prespeech vocalizations emerge; utilize some informal measures of language development covering form, content, and use; and understand broad differences in development in multicultural populations including Asian, Hispanic, and African-American children.
SLPA 1103. Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanism. (4 Hours)
Offers an in-depth study of the static structure, musculature, and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism. Emphasizes current research in speech and hearing physiology.
SLPA 1200. Phonetics. (4 Hours)
Introduces students to articulatory, perceptual, and linguistic aspects of speech sounds, and phonetic transcription of normal and disordered speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Utilizes lectures, discussions, laboratory exercises, demonstrations, readings, audiotape exercises, problem sets, quizzes, and examinations.
SLPA 1203. Introduction to Audiology. (4 Hours)
Offers the opportunity to gain knowledge of the physics of sound and the anatomy/physiology of the human hearing mechanism, and how these two areas are interrelated. Familiarizes students with some of the diagnostic tests performed by the audiologist in order to assess the integrity of the hearing mechanism. Concludes with a brief overview of amplification and the rehabilitation process for hearing-impaired individuals.
SLPA 1205. Speech and Hearing Science. (4 Hours)
Introduces facts and theories related to the physical bases of sound as relevant to speech acoustics; anatomy of the hearing mechanisms; psychoacoustics; and speech perception. While primarily concerned with normal communication, the course also includes discussion of communication disorders. Lab demonstrations and problem sets augment lectures and discussions.
SLPA 1555. Communication Disorders in Movies. (4 Hours)
Seeks to increase student understanding of communication disorders through film. By watching Oscar-awarded, Oscar-nominated, and other Hollywood movies, students are offered an opportunity to develop a heightened sensitivity for how society views specific communication disorders. Through related lectures, discussion, structured activities, and assignments, studies the etiology and diagnosis of a variety of communication disorders and how individuals with these disorders may be helped.
Attribute(s): NUpath Natural/Designed World
SLPA 1990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
SLPA 2000. Introduction to Co-op. (1 Hour)
Designed to prepare students for all aspects of the cooperative education component of their curriculum by comparing the goals and expectations of the co-op employer, co-op faculty, and students themselves. Offers students an opportunity to obtain an understanding of the policies and procedures of the Department of Cooperative Education through professional goal exploration. Examines the spectrum of clinical settings for speech, language, and hearing professionals, as well as current trends in the job market. Focuses on job search strategies through developing resumés, preparing for interviews, and making informed choices. Examines on-the-job scenarios involving problem solving, ethical issues, and confidentiality and discusses appropriate ways to handle difficult workplace situations.
SLPA 2400. Neuroscience of Language. (4 Hours)
Offers an opportunity to examine language and its relation to other domains of science that have historically been studied in isolation, including memory, emotion, sensory processing, decision making, and motivation. Provides an overview of several areas of language, as well as what modern neuroscience teaches about how the brain processes language.
SLPA 2990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
SLPA 2991. Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders. (1-4 Hours)
Offers an opportunity to conduct introductory-level research or creative endeavors under faculty supervision. May be repeated once.
SLPA 3990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
SLPA 4500. Language Disorders across the Life Span. (4 Hours)
Offers students an opportunity to obtain the foundation needed to work with children and adults with frequently referred language disorders that are typical consequences of congenital and acquired central and peripheral nervous-system impairments. Emphasizes the anatomy/etiology/neurology/physiology of common disorders, characteristics of these disorders, and intervention approaches (diagnostic and therapeutic). Addresses prevention, outcome, efficacy, and service-delivery considerations.
Prerequisite(s): SLPA 1102 with a minimum grade of C
SLPA 4651. Speech Disorders across the Life Span. (4 Hours)
Offers students an opportunity to obtain the foundation needed to work with adults and children who demonstrate delays and disorders of speech production across the life span. Discusses articulation and phonological development and disorders, phonological differences, disorders of fluency of speech, and disorders of resonance and voice. Presents formal and informal diagnostic and therapeutic intervention for each disorder/difference and discusses the impact of these communication problems in relation to the individual and family.
Prerequisite(s): SLPA 1103 with a minimum grade of C ; SLPA 1200 with a minimum grade of C
SLPA 4990. Elective. (1-4 Hours)
Offers elective credit for courses taken at other academic institutions. May be repeated without limit.
SLPA 4991. Research. (4 Hours)
Offers an opportunity to conduct research under faculty supervision.
Attribute(s): NUpath Integration Experience
SLPA 4992. Directed Study. (1-4 Hours)
Offers independent work under the direction of members of the department on a chosen topic. Course content depends on instructor. May be repeated without limit.
SLPA 5107. Clinical Procedures. (3-4 Hours)
Reviews principles and procedures of the functional analysis of behavior and focuses on the application of behavioral theory and research to speech, language, and hearing training. Emphasizes clinical investigation in the experimental analysis of the behavior of communication disorders and experiences in the application of experimental procedures in assessment and treatment programs.
Attribute(s): NUpath Capstone Experience, NUpath Writing Intensive
SLPA 5109. Neurology of Communication. (3 Hours)
Provides students with the opportunity to acquire a basic understanding of human neuroanatomy and neurophysiology as related to normal aspects of speech, hearing, and language. Reviews central and peripheral nervous system anatomy and physiology developmentally from embryologic through the life span perspectives. Neurology of common speech-language pathologies are similarly addressed.
SLPA 5152. Early Intervention: Planning and Evaluating Services. (3 Hours)
Comprises a systematic, family-centered, team approach to service delivery. Cases are used as a focal point for learning how to plan and evaluate individualized family services and group service plans. Covers important aspects of teamwork and leadership in early intervention with respect to service and coordination. Addresses practical approaches to assessing needs for group programs, and evaluating the implementation and outcomes of programs. Also considers the impact of legal and financial issues on service coordination and approaches to service delivery.
SLPA 5154. Early Intervention Practicum 1. (2 Hours)
Provides students from school psychology, special education, speech-language pathology and audiology, physical therapy, nursing, and related fields with supervised field work experience in team-oriented interventions for infants and toddlers with disabilities or at risk for developmental delays and their families from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. The practicum class sessions are conceptualized as the linchpin training experience between what the theory addresses in didactic courses and the student’s fieldwork. Students are expected to master early intervention and team participation core competencies to work effectively with infants and toddlers and their families, interdisciplinary team members, and administrative personnel.
SLPA 5155. Early Intervention Practicum 2. (2 Hours)
Provides students from school psychology, special education, speech-language pathology and audiology, physical therapy, nursing, and related fields with supervised field work experience in team-oriented interventions for infants and toddlers with disabilities or at risk for developmental delays and their families from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. The practicum class sessions are conceptualized as the linchpin training experience between what the theory addresses in didactic courses and the student’s fieldwork. Students are expected to master early intervention and team participation core competencies to work effectively with infants and toddlers and their families, interdisciplinary team members, and administrative personnel.
SLPA 5201. Diagnostic Testing in Speech-Language Pathology. (2 Hours)
Offers students an opportunity to review diagnostic tests and test manuals in the field of speech-language pathology and to practice their administration. Discusses information about test content, reliability, and validity. Principles of standardized testing, norm referencing, and test scoring are reviewed and practiced.
SLPA 5976. Directed Study. (1-4 Hours)
Allows students to pursue topics of individual interest beyond the scope of formal course work under the direction of faculty. May be repeated without limit.