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Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Speech and Hearing Science
To begin, connect with an advisor who can guide you through program options and next steps, including the application process.
The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Speech and Hearing Science provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to specialize in speech and hearing sciences and/or are preparing for application to professional graduate programs in speech-language pathology, audiology, or auditory and language neuroscience. With a graduate degree, students may pursue a number of careers, including but not limited to, speech language pathologist, audiologist, speech scientist, and researcher. Students interested in becoming a Speech Language Pathology Assistant should refer to the Certificate of Completion (CCL) and Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Speech Pathology Assistant.
Details
Field of Interest
Health Sciences
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Speech and Hearing Science (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8142
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2026-2027
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
++ indicates that any suffixed course may be selected.
This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners:
ASU, Speech and Hearing Science, BS
Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information: ASU .
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
What You'll Learn
- Communicate in a culturally responsive manner, demonstrating empathetic and active listening skills.
- Communicate complex information clearly with a purpose appropriate to the context and audience in written and oral forms.
- Demonstrate the ability to learn from and adapt to changing contexts.
- Evaluate research and its clinical applications to inform decision making.
- Describe speech, language and hearing development and communication disorders using an understanding of biological and behavioral principles.
- Identify the impact of individual, cultural, and linguistic differences on communication across the lifespan.
- Explain professional and ethical standards as they apply to working with individuals with communication disorders.
- Apply critical thinking skills to issues in speech, language, and hearing across the lifespan.
- Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Statistics
Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.
Community Health Workers
$44,250
Speech-Language Pathologists
$84,060
* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources
Course Sequence by Term
The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
- The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
- Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Full-time Sequence
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
| Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) |
|---|
|
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:
Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:
For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage. |
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| BIO160 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | NSI, SQ | 4 | ||
| FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 | |||
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | AHM | 3 | ||
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | SB, SCB | 3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLP205 or SLP215 |
Introduction to Communication Disorders or Speech, Language, Hearing Disorders and Rehabilitation | Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| MAT15+ | College Algebra/Functions | OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. | QNR | 3–6 | |
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | AHM | 3 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLP214 | Speech Sound Disorders and Phonetics | 3 | |||
| Elective | General Elective | 3 | |||
| IAM | Institutions of the Americas | IAM | 3 | ||
| OCM | Oral Communication | OCM | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBS221 or MAT206 or PSY230 or (PSY230 and PSY231) or PSY230WL or SWU225 |
Business Statistics or Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab or Statistics for Social Research/Justice and Government | CS or CS, QNR or CS, QNR or CS, QNR or QNR, CS or CS | 3–4 | ||
| PHY101 | Introduction to Physics | NSI, SQ | 4 | ||
| SCB | Social and Behavioral Sciences | SCB | 3 | ||
| Elective | General Elective | 3 |
Part-time Sequence
Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.
| Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) |
|---|
|
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include:
Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include:
For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage. |
Term 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG101 or ENG107 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 | ||
| FYE101 or FYE103 |
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success | 1–3 | |||
| PSY101 | Introduction to Psychology | SB, SCB | 3 |
Term 2
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLP205 or SLP215 |
Introduction to Communication Disorders or Speech, Language, Hearing Disorders and Rehabilitation | Critical course Gateway course | 3 | ||
| ENG102 or ENG108 |
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC, WCM or FYC, WCM | 3 |
Term 3
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAT15+ | College Algebra/Functions | OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206. | MA | 3–6 | |
| SCB | Social and Behavioral Sciences | SCB | 3 |
Term 4
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCM | Oral Communication | OCM | 3 | ||
| GBS221 or MAT206 or PSY230 or (PSY230 and PSY231) or PSY230WL or SWU225 |
Business Statistics or Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics or (Introduction to Statistics and Laboratory for Statistics) or Introduction to Statistics with Lab or Statistics for Social Research/Justice and Government | CS or CS, QNR or CS, QNR or CS, QNR or QNR, CS or CS | 3–4 |
Term 5
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO160 | Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | NSI, SQ | 4 | ||
| SLP214 | Speech Sound Disorders and Phonetics | 3 |
Term 6
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | AHM | 3 | ||
| PHY101 | Introduction to Physics | NSI, SQ | 4 |
Term 7
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAM | Institutions of the Americas | IAM | 3 | ||
| AHM | Arts and Humanities | AHM | 3 |
Term 8
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elective | General Elective | 3 | |||
| Elective | General Elective | 3 |
Footnote
General Electives
Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.
Course Area Key
Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.
Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.
- AHM = Arts and Humanities
- CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
- FYC = First-Year Composition
- IAM = Institutions of the Americas
- MA = Mathematics
- NSI = Natural Sciences
- OCM = Oral Communication
- QNR = Quantitative Reasoning
- SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
- SCB = Social and Behavioral Sciences
- SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
- WCM = Written Communication
Disclaimer
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.
Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.
View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award at https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/acres.woa/wa/customView?id=16461844.
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.
While you’re on the waitlist, take time to explore courses, short-term programs, and scholarships that can help you reach your goals and keep you moving forward.
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