Career Opportunities | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

A speech therapist working with a young girl.

Armed with an advanced degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, you will leverage your Penn State education and a vast network of like-minded professionals to carve out a successful career path as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.

There is a seemingly endless array of positions in healthcare settings, academia, research, management and/or policymaking in which your skills and knowledge will be put to great use, such as:

Education: You may work in a school setting with students who have disabilities, helping them receive the best education possible. As an audiologist, you advocate for and work with students who have hearing loss. As a speech language pathologist, you may work with students who face challenges with speech and language, including autism. You may help develop curriculum or select materials that will help students learn based on their individual needs.

Medical: If you elect to pursue a career in a healthcare setting, such as a hospital, rehabilitation center, or private practice, you will assist people with different communication disorders stemming from disabilities, strokes, or traumatic brain injuries. Speech language pathologists may assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in patients.

Industry: As an audiologist working in the industry sector, you’ll plan and execute hearing conservation programs for workers. This may include using technology to evaluate hearing loss and educating employers and employees on best practices.

The job outlook continues to be excellent for speech-language pathologists — especially for those who speak a second language

Career Services

It is never too early in your academic experience to explore all of the career services available to you, and Penn State Career Services is an excellent place to start. You can meet with a drop-in counselor any time between 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. weekdays in the Bank of America Career Services Center to discuss your concerns or to schedule an appointment with a career counselor.

For Students: Recruiting Calendar — Take advantage of a variety of recruiting events offered right here on campus.

For Recruiters: Our Students — Learn how to hire Penn State graduates for a wide variety of positions.