Departments & Units Descriptions

Departments

Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education (COMDDE)

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The USU programs in Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, and Deaf Education are nationally recognized for their exceptional quality. The undergraduate programs provide extensive preparatory work for graduate study in Clinical and Educational Audiology or in Speech-Language Pathology. A master's degree is required for state licensure, state and national certification employment, and for membership in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The department offers the Master of Education (MEd), Master of Science (MS), and Master of Arts (MA) in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education. Optional specializations are available in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MEd only) and Speech-Language Pathology. The department offers a Doctor of Audiology degree (AUD) as well. In addition the department supports the SKI-HI Institute, a research unit that serves children with all types of sensory impairments aged birth through five, and their families. The Institute has been identified by the U.S. Office of Education as an "educational program that works."

Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)

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Students in the Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development have the opportunity to gain an understanding of individual development and family relationships across the life span, and the interplay of these processes with economic and consumer forces, societal norms, and public policies. Students prepare to apply this knowledge in educational, organizational, and outreach programs.

At the bachelor’s level, emphases in the FCHD major include Family and Community, Child Development, Human Development Lifespan, Family Finance, and Deaf Education. Majors are also offered in Early Childhood Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Family Life Studies. The Master of Science (MS) in Family, Consumer, and Human Development (with optional specializations in Adolescence and Youth, Adult Development and Aging, Consumer Sciences, Infancy and Childhood, Marriage and Family Relationships, and Marriage and Family Therapy), Master of Family and Human Development (MFHD), Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT), and PhD in Family and Human Development are offered at the graduate level.

Graduate and undergraduate students participate with faculty in research and outreach through the Dale and Adele Young Child Development Laboratory, Family Life Center, Northern Utah Child Care Resource and Referral, Delores Dore Eccles Center for Early Care and Education, and many ongoing research and Extension projects conducted by our faculty.

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences (ITLS)

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Instructional technology is a systematic way of designing, implementing, and evaluating the processes of learning and teaching based on research in human learning and communication. The Department of Instructional Technology at USU is recognized by many practicing professionals as one of the outstanding graduate programs in the United States in this area.

At the graduate level the department offers a Master of Education (MEd) in Instructional Technology, with optional specializations in Educational Technology, or Information Technology and School Library Media Administration; Educational Specialist (EDS) in Instructional Technology, with an optional specialization in Instructional Development for Training and Education; a Master of Learning Technologies and Instructional Design (MLTID); and a PhD in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences.

The Department offers a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Experience Design and Interaction which is perfect for a wide range of career paths including User Experience and User Interface design, Product Management, Learning Design, Game Design, and Data Analysis. It can be taken as a standalone degree or as part of a stackable credential pathway and is offered fully online. There are also two undergraduate minors: one in Multimedia Design and Development, and the other in School Library Media Center Administration.

Kinesiology & Health Science (KHS)

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The Department of Kinesiology & Health Science serves USU students in many ways. It offers an extensive elective activity course program, encouraging students to increase their lifetime participation skills, achieve and maintain personal fitness, enjoy opportunities for creative expression, and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

The Department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in three majors: Health Education, Physical Education, and Parks And Recreation. Each major, except the recreation major, includes teaching certification requirements. In addition, the Department offers four master’s degrees:   Master of Science (MS) in Health and Human Movement, with optional specializations in Exercise Science, Health Education, or Sports Medicine; MEd (MEd) in Physical and Sports Education, with optional specializations in Administration of Physical Education or Psycho-Social Aspects of Physical Education and Sport; Master of Fitness Promotion (MFP) and Master of Health Promotion (MHP).

Nursing

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The USU Nursing Program prepares students to apply the concepts of nursing to provide and improve healthcare in a challenging and diverse practice environment. Science courses such as anatomy and physiology provide a foundation on which nurse educators guide student learning to acquire the core knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of modern nurses. 

The program embraces nursing as a practice profession that requires considerable psychomotor skill and cognitive ability to provide safe and effective care. The program offers state-of-the-art simulation laboratories, experienced nurse educators, and a wide variety of clinical experiences.

Psychology

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The Department of Psychology prepares students at the undergraduate level for acceptance into graduate programs or for post-bachelor employment opportunities. Undergraduate students may elect to pursue coursework in one of the department’s three skills tracks:  Behavior Analysis, Interpersonal Relations, and Human Service Case Worker.  In addition to the undergraduate degree in Psychology, the department offers a minor in Psychology as well as a Teaching major and minor in Psychology for those wishing to teach in secondary schools.

The Department of Psychology offers a PhD in Psychology with the option of specializing in one of two doctoral training programs: the Combined (Professional-Scientific) Psychology Program, and the Experimental and Applied Psychological Sciences Program. The Department also has an Educational Specialist (EdS) degree in Psychology with a specialization in School Psychology, and a Master of Education (MEd) degree in Psychology with a specialization in School Counseling.  

In addition to its academic programs, the Department houses the American Indian Support Project, a national program for recruiting and training Native American Psychologists; and the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, a multidisciplinary center focused on early detection and intervention for hearing loss in young children.

School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL) 

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The School of Teacher Education and Leadership houses undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs. Its faculty and staff are committed to providing exemplary programs for teachers, supervisors, curriculum specialists, and other professionals pursuing careers in education. The department offers programs for early childhood education, elementary education, the social studies composite secondary teaching major, and the professional education framework leading to secondary education licensure in other teaching majors. The department also offers endorsement programs in early childhood education, reading education, gifted and talented education, and ESL education, and administration/supervision certification.

Graduate degree offerings include a PhD in Education with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction.  At the master’s level, a Master of Education (MEd) is offered in Curriculum and Instruction and Instructional Leadership.

As part of a land grant institution, the department delivers programs to students on campuses across the state of Utah. We value our partnerships with local, state, national, and international leaders and welcome the many ongoing opportunities we have to collaborate toward common goals. Drawing on the extensive knowledge base in both theoretical and practice-oriented research, we nurture a vision of effective, equitable educational experiences for all of our students and work with determination toward that goal.

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling (SPER)

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The Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling offers educational training opportunities for teachers, supervisors, support personnel, rehabilitation counselors, and others working with exceptional children or adults with disabilities. It is recognized as one of the nation’s most productive research, development, and innovative training departments. It is the leading department in the nation in distance education for rehabilitation counseling.

The undergraduate teacher preparation program provides students with didactic courses in special education and semester-long experiences teaching pupils with disabilities. The master’s degree programs in Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling provide an advanced level of preparation for professionals who work with children, youth, and adults with disabilities. (Behavioral Disorders, Mild/Moderate Disabilities and Severe Disabilities).

Degrees offered in Special Education (with optional specializations in Early Childhood Special Education, or Transitional/Special Education) include: a Master of Science (MS), Master of Education (MEd), and an Educational Specialist (EdS). The department also offers a Master of Rehabilitation Counseling (MRC). 

The PhD in Disability Disciplines prepares professionals for positions in research, behavior analysis with individuals with disabilities, teacher and rehabilitation counselor preparation, program development, policymaking, and administration. Optional specializations for the PhD include Applied Behavior Analysis with Individuals with Disabilities, Audiology, Disabilities Studies, Pathokinesiology, Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education and Speech-Language Pathology. 

Units

Adele and Dale Young Education Technology Center (YETC)

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The Adele and Dale Young Education Technology Center (YETC) is an open-access computer lab located in room 170 in the Education building. The lab’s primary focus is on students and faculty in Utah State University's College of Education and Human Services, but various YETC resources are accessible to different audiences. The lab features open-access computer facilities, a circulating collection of educational text and textbooks, and NASA Educator Resource Center materials for Utah teachers and homeschooling parents. The lab also provides TeacherLINK, an online technology and tool resource for educators and students, as a free public service.

Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice (IDRPP)

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Established over 30 years ago, the Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) was founded. It was renamed the Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice and is one of 61 University Centers for Excellence in Disabilities Research, Education and Training located at major universities throughout the United States, its trusts and territories. The IDRPP currently operates over 65 high-quality programs throughout Utah and the nation, with particular focus on rural, remote, and underserved areas. Diverse projects conduct basic and applied research, provide consumer supports and services, train students, paraprofessionals and professionals, and disseminate information in multiple formats, including web-based information, DVDs, and distance education. By combining a variety of disciplines, cutting-edge technology, and research in numerous areas, the IDRPP provides unique opportunities for consumers and trainees. Projects cover a wide array of topics, all with the common goal of improving the quality of lives for persons with disabilities and their families.

Funded primarily through external grants, contracts and cooperative agreements with federal, state and local government agencies, the IDRPP is the second largest research center on the USU campus. For every university dollar received in fiscal year 2004, the CPD (now IDRPP) generated more than five additional dollars from external sources, culminating in a total budget of over $15 million. 

Edith Bowen Laboratory School (EBLS)

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Edith Bowen Laboratory School (EBLS) is a K-6 public charter school located on the campus of Utah State University and is a unit in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services (CEHS).  Designated as a Centennial School, EBLS has provided quality education for nearly a century to students from all across Cache Valley. The school’s current on-campus facility was completed in 2004. The mission of the Edith Bowen Laboratory School at Utah State University is to ensure high levels of learning for all elementary students by providing a positive and engaging learning environment using effective evidence-based practice; to mentor pre-service teachers through instruction and classroom-based experiences; and to review, conduct, implement, and disseminate educational research.

Emma Eccles Jones Center for Early Childhood Education (EEJ ECERC)

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The Emma Eccles Jones Early Childhood Education and Research Center (EEJ ECERC) exists to disseminate educational innovation, research, and evidence-based instructional practices throughout the state, the region, and the nation. Since its opening in 2010, the Center’s major role is to provide educational experiences and resources for teachers and parents that reflect the most current understanding of the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social needs of children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and the primary grades. The Center fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between its faculty and staff and the Edith Bowen Laboratory School, other departments at Utah State University and other universities in Utah, the Utah State Office of Education, and school districts and parent organizations throughout the state. Home of the Sound Beginnings program, the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, and the USU Literacy Clinic.

National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)

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The goal of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) at Utah State University is to ensure that all infants and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational, and medical intervention. NCHAM's research, training, and technical assistance activities contribute to this goal by working to achieve the following objectives: Every child born with a hearing loss is identified before 3 months of age and provided with timely and appropriate intervention by 6 months of age; Every family of an infant with hearing loss receives culturally-competent family support as desired; All newborns have a "medical home;” State Departments of Health have effective newborn hearing screening tracking and data management systems which are linked with other relevant public health information systems.

Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence (SCCE)

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The Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence is located on Utah State University’s campus and provides comprehensive clinical services across the human lifespan. The first of its kind in the Mountain West, the Sorenson Center delivers research and clinical services across the human lifespan, providing integrated assessment, treatment, and counseling services. In a unique integration of academic, research, and clinical spaces, future human service providers receive real-world, interdisciplinary training as they work with USU faculty who engage in clinical practice and perform cutting-edge research. The center provides clinical services in hearing and balance, pediatric audiology, autism early intervention and transition services, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and psychiatry, among other areas.