the b.a. and the b.g.s. degrees require the same course work in the major, blending knowledge from psychology, biology, linguistics, anatomy, and physiology. they also require courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. the main difference between the ba and bgs is that the ba has specific requirements related to writing, mathematics, foreign language, and laboratory science; whereas the bgs allows for exploration of another field through completion of two certificates, a minor, or a co/double major. for both the ba and the bgs, a minimum of 35 hours in speech-language-hearing courses is required for the major. a minor and various certificate programs are also offered for students pursuing careers related to communication and communication disorders.

undergraduate students can be part of exciting interdisciplinary research including neurological mechanisms underlying speech and their use in brain-machine interfaces, noise reduction in cochlear implants, the genetics of language, the mechanisms of word learning, speech perception in humans and communication development in children with severe developmental disabilities.

clinical faculty are state and national leaders in developing innovations in clinical practice such as providing culturally-responsive services to native american communities, inclusive practices for school-based speech-language pathologists, and speech and language interventions in home and community settings.

the highly-respected schiefelbusch speech language hearing clinic on the lawrence campus, which treats both children and adults across the state, is the setting of students' clinical experience based on a collaborative model that includes clinical staff and family members of patients in their training.