Hands-on Experience

At SUNY Cortland, our Communication Disorders and Sciences program is designed to give you real-world, hands-on experience from the very start. As early as your first semester, you’ll have the chance to provide outreach services to the community through our Center for Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders, as well as through our various community partnerships. These opportunities not only enhance your learning but also prepare you for externships and set you on the path to achieving your career goals.

Clinical experience on campus

As a graduate student in SUNY Cortland's Communication Sciences and Disorders program, you'll gain hands-on clinical experience at the Center for Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders, located on campus. Working with community clients, you'll apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings under the guidance of experienced faculty and certified clinicians. This experience not only prepares you for a successful career in speech-language pathology or audiology but also provides free services to the community.

Experience in the community

One of our key community partnerships is with Racker, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. Our students, under the guidance and supervision of Racker’s experienced Speech Language Pathologists, use Augmentative and Alternative Communications (AAC) with the children attending Racker. AAC supports children's communication. 

Supervisor testimonials