Undergraduate Program

Advising & Declaration

We believe that academic advising is an important aspect of students’ ability to meet the requirements for the major. Our advising sessions will be held weekly or bi-weekly, during which time student will be given input and guidance on how to declare a major, complete the requirements, plan their curriculum, interpret DARS, etc.

A CS&D advisor can help with:

• Curricular planning and course access
• DARS interpretation
• Declaration of the major for L&S students
• Documentation of study-abroad plans
• Identification, interpretation and application of most academic policies
• Major and degree requirements
• Exploration of interests in independent study and research
• Understanding the differences between paths to the major

School of Education prospective majors should also meet early and often with an academic advisor in Education Academic Services (EAS). Dual advising by the department and EAS is strongly recommended for students who choose the School of Education path.

Advising Resources

L&S Academic Advising Dropk-in Services

Academic Advising in College of Letters & Science can be considered a resource for general education and breadth requirement advising. The walk-in service is intended for students in the College of Letters & Science who are NOT currently assigned to advisors from L&S Academic Advising Services and have questions.

Director of Undergraduate Studies – Ruth Litovsky, Ph.D.

CS&D advising services are to be focused on students who need to declare the major or who have already declared CS&D and need advising in the major.

Learn more about our departmental advising services.

Declaring the Major through the School of Education

If you are a prospective major in the School of Education, apply for admission to the School, with Communication Sciences and Disorders as the designated major. For details, read the School’s application procedures and admission criteria. In effect, admission to the major is implicit in admission to the School of Education.

• Do not email the undergrad email about this, because we cannot declare your major through CSD if you are in SoE

Declaring the Major through Letters & Sciences

To declare a major in CSD, send an email to undergrad@csd.wisc.edu:

• State that you would like to declare a major in CSD
• Include your full name and student ID number

Honors & Distinctions

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation from faculty members are an important part of your graduate school application.

To help faculty members write a strong letter of recommendation, you will need to provide a packet of materials to each prospective letter writer. Materials typically will include those listed below, but as individual faculty members may require different types of information, be sure to check with each faculty member about what they need from you. Unless otherwise specified, materials should be in paper form. All materials – paper or electronic – should be clearly marked with your name.

You should begin planning letters of recommendation several weeks in advance of the application deadline. Check with each individual faculty member about when they will need materials from you. Please provide all materials to the faculty member in time for your first deadline. Students are strongly discouraged from adding schools after they submit their initial request and asking for additional letters.

Suggested materials to include in your letter of recommendation request packets:

• A table listing programs to which you are applying, with due dates for each application.For paper applications, the list should include names and addresses to which letters should be sent. For electronic applications, the list should indicate whether the application is through a centralized service such as CSDCAS or the university’s own site.
• Your overall GPA.
• Your GPA in the major.
• Your GRE scores and associated percentile rankings, if available.
• Information about you that is relevant to your success in graduate school, is not captured in your personal statement or resume, and will help the faculty member write a strong, personalized letter. This should include unique training and experiences such as fluency in other languages, study abroad, military service, PeaceCorps or AmeriCorps, or research experience.
• A copy of your personal statement. This may be a draft.
• A recent copy of your résumé.
• Unofficial transcripts from UW-Madison and any other college or university you attended.
• For paper applications, a stamped, pre-addressed envelope for each application, and completed recommendation forms if required by that program. In many cases, forms need to be signed by you to waive, or not, your right to review the letter at some time in the future. For electronic applications, you must complete the required identifying fields on the electronic form (e.g., your name; faculty member’s name, position, and address; department name).
• A photo of you may be helpful, particularly for students from past semesters in large classes.
• If you have not included essential materials in your request packet, the instructor will not be able to send your letter. Students are responsible for contacting the institution to which they are applying to verify that letters have been received.

CSD Careers

A BA or BS in any liberal arts field share common features and skill sets. Students can apply for jobs in similar fields. Some examples to consider:

• Psychology
• Education
• Special Education
• Speech language assistants
• Hearing Aid Technicians/Assistants
• Advocates for people with disabilities
• Early childhood education
• Physicians assistants
• Long-term care facilities
• Medical administrative assistants
• Allied Health Sciences such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy

The college has some great suggestions and also offers a 1 credit course to help students identify career paths: Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative.

Find out about related career events relevant internships and jobs by visiting the Internships & Careers in Healthcare & Human Services Facebook group.