Capstone Experience for Speech Language & Hearing Sciences

At the University of Cincinnati, your senior year in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (SLHS) isn’t just about finishing classes — it’s about putting your knowledge into action.

Every SLHS student participates in a year-long capstone experience that integrates the knowledge and skills developed throughout the major. It’s your opportunity to explore your interests, gain real-world experience, and build a competitive edge for graduate school and future professional endeavors.

What is the SLHS Capstone?

The capstone is the culminating academic experience in the SLHS curriculum. Through this experience, you will:

Demonstrate critical thinking
Develop effective communication skills
Practice social responsibility
Integrate knowledge across courses
Strengthen information literacy
Create personalized learning objectives with faculty guidance

You’ll work closely with a faculty advisor who mentors you throughout the process. Together, you’ll design a capstone experience aligned with your goals — whether that’s clinical practice, research, teaching, or community engagement.

A Year-Long Experience Designed for You

Course Numbers:
- Capstone (CSD 4095)
- Honors Capstone (CSD 4094) – includes presentation at the Undergraduate Scholarly Showcase
Credits: Typically 2–3 credits per semester (fall & spring)
Time Commitment
- 2-credit capstone ≈ 4 hours per week
- 3-credit capstone ≈ 6 hours per week
Scheduled in structured blocks — similar to attending a class
Attendance and engagement are graded

Before beginning capstone and senior coursework, students must:

Have no Incompletes or grades below C-
Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.1 or higher

Choose Your Path

You’ll rank your top three capstone choices — and we work hard to match you with your first choice.

Clinical & Community Experiences

Head Start Preschool Programs

Assist SLPs serving preschool children in Cincinnati-area centers under UC clinical supervision

School-Based SLP Experience

Work alongside a practicing school SLP — perfect for students planning to enter school-based speech-language pathology.

Non-Profit or Private Practice Settings

Support clinicians in community organizations and private practices.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)

Engage in clinical observation and professional collaboration at one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals (vaccination and documentation requirements apply).

Research & Academic Pathways

Faculty-Led Research Capstone

Work one-on-one with UC faculty on an academic-year research project.

Dysphagia Rehab Lab at UC Hospital (Honors Only)

Advanced research in swallowing disorders.

Audiology Research or Projects

Dive into hearing science and diagnostic innovation.

Teaching Assistant Experience

Support undergraduate CSD courses through grading and instructional assistance — ideal for students considering academia.

Interprofessional & Social Communication Experiences

Collaboration for Employment and Education Synergy (CEES) Collaboration

Work with graduate clinicians supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.

TAP Socialization Groups

Lead twice-weekly social communication groups
Participate in a learning community course
Collaborate with peers in lesson planning
Gain valuable interprofessional education (IPE) experience

Honors Capstone: Showcase Your Scholarship

Students completing the Honors Capstone present their work at the Undergraduate Scholarly Showcase — demonstrating advanced scholarship and professional communication skills.

This experience is especially valuable for students applying to competitive graduate programs in speech-language pathology or audiology.

Your Future Starts Before Graduate School

The SLHS capstone experience is where your academic journey becomes professional preparation.

You’ll graduate with:

Direct field or research experience
Faculty mentorship
A polished academic or clinical project
Confidence entering graduate programs

Featured Capstone Projects

Community Action Agency (CAA) Head Start

Faculty Mentor: Abby Foltz Hottle, MA CCC-SLP

In this hands-on capstone, students join a team of graduate clinicians and a supervising SLP to support children ages 0–5 in Head Start classrooms.

What You’ll Experience

Participate in early childhood screenings
Support language and literacy enrichment
Facilitate small group activities
Record data and assist with documentation
Engage in clinical discussions and team collaboration

Students gradually take on more responsibility and may have opportunities to earn clinical observation hours.

Aphasia Research Lab

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Faculty mentor: Emily J. Braun

In the Aphasia Research Lab, students are immersed in clinically focused research supporting individuals who have experienced stroke and are living with aphasia (an acquired language disorder).

What You’ll Experience:

Recruit and communicate with research participants
Analyze language samples and clinical data
Administer language assessments
Help implement research-based treatment protocols
Collaborate with faculty and research teams

Students are involved in every stage of the research process — from participant interaction to data interpretation.

Innovating the Physiologic Assessment of Hearing Sensitivity

Students with Faculty member Brian Earl posed in front of research posters

Faculty mentor: Brian R. Earl, PhD, CCC-A, FAAA

In this highly specialized capstone, students participate in clinical research examining sound-evoked physiologic “waveforms” — objective measures of auditory nervous system activity used to assess hearing sensitivity.

These techniques are essential for diagnosing hearing loss in infants, young children, and patients who cannot complete traditional behavioral hearing tests.