Cardinal Careers

Junior Clinician Program

The Junior Clinician Program is designed to help undergraduate students gain valuable experience in a clinical setting before applying to graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology. Junior Clinicians are paired with a current, first-year graduate student with whom they work closely for therapy preparation and delivery throughout the semester. Students may be placed in our Lamar Clinic or off-site locations, such as public schools. This program allows the undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in a hands-on learning experience, working directly with graduate clinicians, clients, caregivers and clinical supervisors. Students must meet a specified criterion to apply and be considered for placement into the program. The program is highly competitive with approximately 10 students selected for participation each semester. Junior Clinicians must:

  • Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Be in their junior or senior year 
  • Be enrolled in or have completed 2 disorder courses: 

o  SPHS 3320 (Language and Phonological Disorders)

o  SPHS 4335 (Fluency Disorders)

o  SPHS 4337 (Voice Disorders)

o  SPHS 4338 (Organically Based Communication Disorders)

o  SPHS 4352 (Counseling in Communication Disorders)

Individuals accepted into the Junior Clinician Program will be allowed to participate in the program only once during their undergraduate career. Students can apply during the first 3 weeks of the Fall and Spring semesters. Notices will be placed in the SPHS building to let students know specific dates to apply. Please email babergeron@lamar.edu for additional information or questions. 

The Junior Clinician Program application is available now.

Speech and Hearing Sciences Cardinal Community

Typical Cardinal Communities, a.k.a. "Learning Communities," are groups of approximately 20 Freshmen and/or transfer students who:

  • take one or more courses together
  • interact outside of the classroom at least once a week facilitated by a peer mentor and a faculty/staff mentor
  • are grouped together according to major or a theme/interest

While this is mostly true, our Speech and Hearing Sciences (SPHS) Cardinal Community is available to all levels of students, so some students may not be enrolled in the same coursework. Our community introduces you to and expands your knowledge of Speech and Hearing Sciences as a major and a career. Professor and student mentors facilitate learning and encourage questions in a safe, fun, nurturing environment. Outside of learning about the Department and its programs, students engage in fun activities and service opportunities, learn more about the university and how to be an excelling student and develop lifelong relationships! Some examples of meetings from our 2017-2018 Cardinal Community include: "Being a 'broke' college student: How to coupon," "Understanding the impact of your involvement in SPHS student organizations," "Where is that? How to find things on campus," as well as, group Zumba, potlucks, holiday parties and more! Major students who join the Speech and Hearing community network with SPHS student organizations, upper undergrad classmen, graduate students and faculty members. This network of faculty and peers will provide moral support to all involved students while navigating college life.

To join, you should first contact your Cardinal Community pro-mentor, Dr. Lekeitha Morris at lmorris6@lamar.edu to learn more. Second, undergraduate students who have not already taken the following courses should select at least one “Course Connection” in SPHS: Introduction to Speech & Language Disorders and/or Interprofessional Education for Fall Semester. Then, with the assistance of Cardinal Lead, enroll in the Cardinal Community “course.” Contact Cardinal Lead at (409) 880-8115 or at cardinal.lead@lamar.edu. Additionally, there may be opportunities for students to live in the same dormitory. Cardinal Lead will be able to provide more information about this opportunity!

Note: Weekly meeting attendance is expected. Every effort is made to schedule these meetings when all involved are most available.