Each student in the PhD program at Syracuse University has an individualized experience. You will work with a mentor with expertise in your chosen area. You develop a program of study with your mentor and take graduate-level courses that are relevant to your areas of interest. Our program is small, allowing for individualized training and close collaborations with faculty. You will be provided with personalized support on important academic skills: designing research, preparing manuscripts for publication, presenting at local, state, and national conferences, networking with top professionals in the field, and teaching in your areas of expertise.

Syracuse University is in close proximity to three local medical centers (Crouse Hospital, Upstate University Hospital, and the Syracuse Veterans Administration) and houses an on-campus speech-language-hearing clinic (the Gebbie Clinic). A number of collaborative research projects are conducted among these and other institutions.

Laboratories and Research Space

Each faculty member has dedicated research laboratory space, and students enrolled in the PhD program will have the opportunity to assist with ongoing research and conduct their own research under the guidance of their assigned mentor. Please see the faculty webpages for further information. There is also a dedicated office space for PhD students.

State of the Art Technologies

We have access to state-of-the-art technologies. For example, laboratories in speech-language pathology have:

• Ultrasound to visualize and measure tongue movements
• Electropalatography to visualize and measure tongue/palate contact
• Eye-tracking equipment
• Psychophysiology equipment
• 128-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) to measure neural activity and event-related potentials
• Infrared motion capture system to measure articulatory movements
• Rigid endoscopy/stroboscopy
• Phonatory aerodynamic system
• InductoTrace for respiratory measurement
• Electroglottography for laryngeal dynamics
• Kay Digital Swallowing Station with Electromyography equipment for swallowing measurement
• Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT)
• Computerized Speech Lab and other systems for acoustic analysis
• LENA language recording and analysis system
• Customized iPad apps
• CORS video recording system
• Audio and video editing software (e.g., Praat, Audacity, Videopad)

Optional Concentration in Neuroscience

The department in Communication Sciences and Disorders is part of a university-wide interdisciplinary Neuroscience initiative. A concentration in Neuroscience is available for students in the PhD program. The interdisciplinary neuroscience offering includes coursework that spans several departments such as Communication Sciences and Disorders, Psychology, and Biology.