CSD Honors

Drew Madden, CSD HonorsThe Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RHS) encourages high-achieving students in the CSD major to consider applying to the CSD Honors Program.

The mission of the honors program is to recognize high-achieving undergraduate students in the CSD major and provide an enriched, challenging environment for these students to develop academically and professionally. Two to four students each year will be accepted into the program, depending on faculty availability. Students work one-on-one with faculty mentors to enhance their critical thinking, research, and leadership skills.

Benefits to the student include:

  • distinction in the graduate application or job market
  • opportunity to participate in the research process
  • opportunity to investigate a specific area of the field and enhance research-related skills
  • departmental honors designation documented on transcript and recognition at graduation

Photo: Drew Madden, B.S. ('22) presented his CSD Departmental Honors Thesis at the Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors sponsored by the Office of Student Research.

Contact

Students should consult with the CSD Honors Program Director, Dr. Stefan Frisch (frischsa@appstate.edu) for additional information.

Please complete the CSD Research Interest Form to let us know of your specific research interests in pursuit of the CSD Honors Program.

Admission Criteria

Minimum criteria for acceptance to the honors program include the following:

  1. Be admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)
  2. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or higher
  3. Have grades of B or better in all CSD coursework

Applications will be accepted twice per year (fall and spring semesters). A CSD faculty committee will review all applications and make admissions decisions. Admission will be contingent on the availability of a faculty mentor.

GPA Requirement

Once admitted to the CSD Honors program, a cumulative GPA of 3.70 must be maintained to remain in the program as well as to graduate with honors in the major.

Simultaneous Enrollment in University Honors Program

Students who are accepted to the University Honors Program, as well as the CSD Honors Program, may be able to integrate the requirements of the two programs. For example, students can apply up to 9 credits (2 courses plus 3 s.h. thesis course) of CSD Honors coursework toward the University Honors requirements.

Program Requirements

Honors Coursework

Students must complete 2 CSD upper-division courses offering an Honors Contract. These courses must be completed with a B or better in order to count toward the honors program requirements.

Honors Research Thesis

Students must enroll in CSD 4510 Senior Honors Thesis (3 s.h.) and complete a research thesis in which they apply the research process to a problem or question in the field of communication disorders. The final project is subject to approval by the student's Honors mentor. The research thesis must be completed and approved by a faculty committee to have the degree conferred with Honors in CSD. Students will be required to present their research thesis results at a CSD Professional Seminar (spring senior year), and/or any of the university, state, and national venues for student research or research in the field.

CSD Honors Graduates

2022

  • Abby Brazda, Accuracy of in-situ audiometry for first fit hearing aid fittings (Supervised by Benjamin Russell)
  • Annie Bresko, How speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians perceive the importance of standardized training in dysphagia assessment: a qualitative study (Supervised by Jordan Hazelwood)
  • Andrew Madden, Technology impact on young phonological awareness (Supervised by Jennifer Dalton)

2021

  • Kiah Silver, A brief sociocultural and historical analysis of African American English (supervised by Jennifer Dalton and Louis Gallien, Honors College)