Northwestern University Roxelyn & Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

What Northwestern University Roxelyn & Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders does

The Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) is an endowed academic department within Northwestern University's School of Communication, established in 2005 through a charitable gift from alumni Richard and Roxelyn Pepper (both class of 1953). The department focuses on the science and clinical practice of human hearing, speech, language, learning, and swallowing, operating as a hybrid research-academic-clinical unit. It houses two nationally ranked graduate programs: the Doctor of Audiology (AuD), ranked #2 nationally by US News and World Report (up from #3), and the Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Learning (MSSLL), ranked #3 nationally (up from #4). The AuD program enrolls approximately 18 students per cohort across 12 quarters, while the MSSLL serves roughly 125 students across the two-year program.

The department operates the Northwestern University Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (NUCASLL), an interdisciplinary clinical facility that accommodates 5,000-7,000 clinical sessions annually and serves approximately 8,000 patients across the lifespan. NUCASLL functions simultaneously as a clinical service provider and a teaching facility for AuD and MSSLL students, integrating audiology and speech-language pathology services under one roof. The department also houses the Knowles Hearing Center, a specialized research center focused on hearing science and auditory research. Core subject areas include hearing loss and management, speech perception, psychoacoustics, cochlear physiology, and auditory neuroscience.

The department's revenue model is a composite of academic tuition (for AuD and MSSLL programs), clinical services revenue through NUCASLL, and research funding. As a university department, it does not publish standalone financials, and pricing is governed by Northwestern's institutional fee structure. Customer segments split between graduate students pursuing clinical careers and clinical patients seeking diagnostic and therapeutic services for communication and hearing disorders. Strategic partnerships span Northwestern Medicine (clinical services integration), the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts (interdisciplinary theatre-SLP collaborations including Theatre for the Very Young programming for infants and young children aged zero to five), and the Pepper Family Foundation as a financial backer. The department is led by Chair Bharath Chandrasekaran, with Kristine Riley directing the AuD program and Stacy Kaplan directing the MSSLL program.

Name

Northwestern University Roxelyn & Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Legal name

Northwestern University Roxelyn & Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Website

https://communication.northwestern.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

An endowed academic department within Northwestern University's School of Communication that delivers top-ranked graduate programs in audiology (AuD) and speech-language pathology (MSSLL) while operating the NUCASLL clinical facility, serving approximately 8,000 patients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Clinical Services in Communication Sciences and Disorders

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (61171), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAFAKAH

Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Diagnostic & Imaging Centers

SECONDARYHLADAJAF

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) & Swallowing Therapy Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Elder Care & Long-Term Care/Rehabilitation & Post-Acute Care Centers (Inpatient/Outpatient)

SECONDARYEDAGANAJ

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

SECONDARYEDAAALAC

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDANAIAA

Healthcare & Medical Licensure Exam Prep (USMLE/COMLEX, NCLEX, Dentistry, Pharmacy, PA)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Professional Certification & Licensure Exam Prep

SECONDARYEDAGABAG

Medicine & Allied Health (Clinical)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Higher Education Textbooks & Courseware

Keywords

• Audiology graduate programs
• Speech-language pathology
• Communication disorders research
• Clinical audiology services
• Higher education CSD

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Academic Tuition and Programs: Revenue generated from graduate and undergraduate degree programs including AuD and MSSLL programs
2. Clinical Services Revenue: Revenue from Northwestern University Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (NUCASLL) serving 5,000-7,000 sessions annually across the lifespan

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The department delivers top-ranked graduate clinical education in audiology (AuD, ranked #2 nationally) and speech-language pathology (MSSLL, ranked #3 nationally), alongside lifespan clinical services through NUCASLL that handles 5,000-7,000 sessions annually as both a teaching and service facility. It also operates the Knowles Hearing Center for hearing science research and pursues interdisciplinary initiatives in collaboration with peer departments such as Theatre.

Product overview

The Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University offers a portfolio of academic programs (AuD and MSSLL) and clinical services through NUCASLL. The department operates as an academic unit within the School of Communication, providing graduate education in audiology and speech-language pathology while delivering clinical services to approximately 8,000 patients annually. The department's programs are nationally ranked (AuD #2, MSSLL #3) and supported by research centers including the Knowles Hearing Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Northwestern University Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (NUCASLL): State-of-the-art interdisciplinary clinical facility serving 5,000-7,000 sessions annually, providing audiology and speech-language pathology services
• Knowles Hearing Center

Products and services

• Doctor of Audiology (AuD) Program A Doctor of Audiology (AuD) graduate program ranked #2 nationally by US News and World Report (up from #3). Welcomes approximately 18 students each year across 12 quarters of academic coursework, supervised clinical practicums, and capstone research, covering hearing loss management, speech perception, psychoacoustics, cochlear physiology, and auditory neuroscience. Designed for prospective clinical audiologists.
• Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Learning (MSSLL) Program A Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Learning (MSSLL) program ranked #3 nationally by US News and World Report (up from #4). Combines concept-based and immersive curricula with clinical training, team-based learning, and assessment to prepare clinicians for leadership in speech-language pathology. Serves approximately 125 students across both years of the two-year program.
• NU Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (NUCASLL) Clinical Services An interdisciplinary clinical service combining audiology and speech-language pathology care across the lifespan. NUCASLL delivers 5,000-7,000 clinical sessions annually to patients of all ages and simultaneously serves as a teaching facility for graduate students in the AuD and MSSLL programs.
• Knowles Hearing Center Research A specialized research center focused on hearing science and auditory research, situated within the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Supports the department's research mission and complements the clinical services delivered through NUCASLL.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Department of TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Three collaborative initiatives: introducing kids and teens who stutter to improv; offering vocal screenings for music theatre students; engaging graduate students in research behind new theatre programming for infants and very young children.
• Northwestern MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership providing integrated healthcare services in audiology and speech-language pathology. NUCASLL operates as a teaching facility while serving patients in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine's broader healthcare network.
• NU Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (NUCASLL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-of-the-art interdisciplinary clinic combining audiology and speech-language pathology services. Serves 5,000-7,000 sessions annually as both a clinical service and teaching facility for AuD and MSSLL students.
• Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerforming arts center providing theatre facilities and collaborative programming. CSD partners with Theatre department on three initiatives: introducing kids who stutter to improv, vocal screenings for music theatre students, and research on theatre programming for infants and young children.
• Knowles Hearing CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized hearing center focused on hearing science research and clinical services, part of Northwestern's communication sciences ecosystem.
• Goodman TheatreflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago's Tony Award-winning regional theatre. Northwestern University Directing Fellowship program provides recent MFA graduates hands-on experience as part of the Goodman's artistic staff. Fellowship conceived by Dean E. Patrick Johnson and Goodman artistic director Susan V. Booth (C87).
• DePaul University Theatre SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint course offering Theatre 390: Arts Leadership & Innovation Collaboration, combining Northwestern's theatre major with DePaul's BFA programs for collaborative student learning with industry professionals.
• Northwestern Prison Education Project (NPEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBachelor's degree-granting program for incarcerated students in Illinois. CSD professor teaches theatre and storytelling; Northwestern is the only top 10 university granting a four-year degree to incarcerated students.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Clinic Audiology: Broad incumbent hospital-based audiology service offering comprehensive hearing care at scale; comparable to NUCASLL's clinical offering though embedded in a much larger integrated health system rather than a university department.
• Mayo Clinic Department of Audiology: Broad incumbent clinical audiology provider serving patients across the lifespan; comparable on the clinical-services side of Northwestern CSD's NUCASLL, though operating primarily as a clinical (not academic) unit.

Direct peers

• University of Iowa Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders: Direct peer academic department ranked among the top SLP and AuD programs nationally; shares the same structure of PhD/AuD/MS training alongside clinical service provision, competing for the same applicant pool.
• University of Texas at Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders: Direct peer combining an academic department with a clinical center delivering audiology and SLP services; similarly interweaves research, education and patient care under one institutional umbrella.
• University of Washington Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences: Direct peer graduate program in audiology and SLP within a major research university; offers research-clinical-education integration comparable to Northwestern CSD and competes in the same US News rankings cohort.
• University of Pittsburgh Department of Communication Science and Disorders: Direct peer offering AuD, MS-SLP and PhD programs with on-site clinical services; operates the same research-clinical-education triad model and regularly competes with Northwestern CSD in national rankings.
• Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences: Direct peer offering audiology and SLP graduate programs plus the M.D. Steer Audiology and Speech-Language Clinics; comparable structure combining graduate training with an in-house clinical operation.
• Vanderbilt University Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences: Direct peer academic department offering AuD and SLP graduate programs plus clinical services through the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center; comparable in operating model (research + clinical services + graduate training) and top-tier program ranking to Northwestern CSD.
• Indiana University Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences: Direct peer academic department running AuD and MS-SLP programs along with on-site clinical services; competes for similar students and faculty as Northwestern CSD.

Regional players

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders: Direct peer offering AuD, MS-SLP and PhD programs with UW Health-linked clinical services; comparable academic-clinical model and serves overlapping Midwest student and patient markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NU_SoC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NorthwesternU
• Facebookfacebook.com/Northwestern-University-School-of-Communication-44138563338
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwestern-department-of-communication-science-and-disorders
• Instagraminstagram.com/nuschoolofcommunication

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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