Masters in Speech Pathology and Education Requirements

Masters in Speech Pathology has become one of the most sought-after programs. I have written details about the prerequisites of speech pathology degree and post-admission.

If you have the interest to get a Speech Pathologist degree, you are at the right place.

In this article, I will write on the following topics.

• Course Overview
• Eligibility for Admission
• Assessment Criteria
• Outcomes of the program
• Recommendations for interested students
• Course Outline

Overview of Masters in Speech Pathology

1. The goal of this program is to produce professional Speech-Language Pathologists. They have to deal with patients having difficulty in communication or swallowing.

After passing out, they can start clinical practice in different work settings. They become able to conduct therapy sessions on their own.

2. It starts with theoretical classes for basic knowledge. As the course proceeds, students have to study advanced subjects. This includes associated disorders and their management.

3. Students enhance their knowledge through observations in clinical settings. Under the supervision of experts, trainees also get opportunities for practical work. This helps them to enhance their skills.

4. Trainees have opportunities for placement in various departments of healthcare setup. It has positive consequences on professional development and inter-department coördination.

5. Faculty members include different subject experts according to the requirements of the course. These are as follows.

• Therapists
• Medical Doctors for subjects like ENT, audiology, Neurology, and others
• Psychologist/Psychiatrist 

6. After completion of the program, graduates will get their degree in speech pathology. They will be able to assess and manage all the impairments.

Masters in Speech Pathology Online

There are universities that offer an online master's program in the USA. Not only this, they have accreditation from the American Speech and Hearing Association.

The tuition fee for this program ranges between $10,000 to $30,000 per year. Interested students should check for CAA affiliation before enrollment in the online SLP program.

You should visit the link to know more about this online degree.

Education Requirements

• You should have a Bachelor's degree in speech pathology to get into this course. 
• Students must have a 3.0 GPA (Grade Point Average) in their previous degree. 
• The average GPA for speech pathology grad school for 2018 was 3.7. 
• Some universities may require submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• The average GRE scores for 2017 are as follows.
1. Verbal Reasoning: 149 - 160
2. Quantitative Reasoning: 146 - 156
3. Analytical Writing: 3.7 - 4.7
• Few grad schools recommend only those who have a relevant degree of bachelor's. 
• Universities usually select shortlisted students on the basis of merit.

Institutions in different countries can have different criteria. So, make sure to research properly.

Assessment 

Institutions take the exam every semester. They consist of theory papers and vivas. Assignments and Research also have weight in marks.

Fee Structure

It varies from University to University. Let's take a look at the tuition fee for some universities. The following figures are an estimation of per year fee.

• Marrywood University: $10,700
• Bloomsburg University: $14,000
• Duquesne University: $22,200
• California State University: $7,500 
• Eastern Washington University: $11,700
• Arkansas University: $5,900
• Vanderbilt University: $44,900
• Calvin College: $34,300

Outcomes

The end of the course will make you a qualified Speech Pathologist. It will have a  great impact on your résumé. Healthcare setups or educational institutes will consider you for your services. That is why the employment rate is very high after the Speech Pathologist master's program.

After this course, you will be able to apply for CCC-SLP.  It stands for Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech and Language Pathology.

Many people want to know about Speech-Language Pathology salary and career. I recommend you to visit the link above. I have written details about SLPs in that article.

Should I join the Speech Pathology program?

It is important for a student to know about the course before getting into it. If you are considering a master degree, you need to do the following things.

• Check the course outline of the course in the lower section of this article. 
• You must have some knowledge of this field. Check who are SLPs and what do they do. You can search for related books and guides from the internet. 
• Inquire about the places where they work. 
• What is the scope of the profession in your city or country? 
• Search on the internet about subjects of the course. For example, phonetics, speech impairments, anatomy, and physiology. It will help you to explore your interests. 
• You must have side skills for excelling in the field. These are as follows. 
• Great verbal and written communication
• Creative mind
• Decision Making
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Leadership
• Team Work
• Understanding of different cultures and language in the country

Recommendation for Choosing University

Your alma mater decides your career path and future. So it is important for a student to choose the best Speech Pathologist school. Masters in speech pathology is a challenging program. You should inquire about a few things before taking admission.

• Qualification of faculty members should meet international standards. They must have vast experience in the relevant field.
• University should have accreditation with relevant authorities.
• It should give opportunities for therapy training in professional settings. Especially in tertiary care hospitals.
• It should have advanced study approaches like related equipment, tools, labs, etc. 
• Its speech-language pathology degree should have international recognition. 
• Try to meet seniors or graduates of the program for precious advice. So visit speech pathology and audiology department of a nearby university. 
• Check for SLP education requirements and complete them within time. 
• Try to know more about Speech and language therapy. It will give you an idea about their work. 

Before writing about the course outline, I have a long list for you. Here we go. 

Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Programs by State

Here is the list of universities in different states of the USA. You can easily search for an SLP program near you. 

Boston University	Arkansas State University	Bloomsburg University
Auburn University	Baylor University	Bowling Green University
Ball University of Pennsylvania	Biola University	Baldwin Wallace University
Alabama A&M University	Appalachian State University	Arizona State University
East Stroudsburg University	Eastern New Mexico University	Young University Baptist
Abilene Christian University	Adelphi University	Andrews University
Fullerton California State University	Long Beach California State University	East Bay California State University
Calvin College Carlos	Buffalo State College California	Bridgewater State University
CUNY Lehman College	Albizu University	Washington University
College Duquesne University East Carolina University	Los Angeles California State University	Northridge California State University
Sacramento California State University	San Marcos California University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania Elmhurst
Speech Pathology Program California State University	Fresno California State University	California State University
Eastern Edinboro College	Central Michigan University	Indiana University
Chapman University	Cleveland State University	Eastern Michigan University
Faulkner University of Florida	Florida International University	CUNY Brooklyn College
Florida State University	Fontbonne University	Fort Hays State University
Clarion University of Pennsylvania	CUNY Hunter College	James Madison University
CUNY, Queens College	Emerson College	Francis Marion University
Case Western Reserve University	College of Saint Rose	East Tennessee State University
Eastern Kentucky University	Eastern Illinois University	Atlantic University
Governors State University	Loma Linda University	Jackson State University
LIU Brooklyn	Jacksonville University	Longwood University
Ithaca College	George Washington University	Louisiana Technical University
Harding University	Pocatello Illinois State University	Kansas State University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania	LIU Post	Loyola University
Indiana State University	Marshall University	Maryville University
Hampton University	Georgia Southern University	Kean Kent State University
Lamar University	La Salle University	Maryland Marquette University
Hofstra University	Grand Valley State University	Midwestern University
Gallaudet University	Howard University	Marywood University
Idaho State University	Iona College	University of New Jersey
Bloomington Inter American University of Puerto Rico	Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans	Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport
Louisiana State University and A&M College	Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions	Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Mercy College	Michigan State University	Northeastern State University
Monmouth University	Minot State University	Nazareth College
Molloy College	Mississippi University for Women	North Carolina Central University
Miami University	Montclair State University	MGH Institute of Health Professions
Mankato Minnesota State University	New Mexico State University	New York Medical College
Moorhead Misericordia University	Missouri State University	New York University
Illinois Minnesota State University	Murray State University	Arizona Midwestern University
Northern Illinois University	Northeastern University	Ohio University
Northwestern University	Oklahoma State University	Portland State University
Old Dominion University	Pace University	Radford University
Pacific University	Rockhurst University	Rush University
Nova Southeastern University	Northern Arizona University	SLP Pennsylvania State University
SLP Program Ohio State University	Purdue University	Saint Mary's College
Saint Louis University	San Diego State University	Connecticut State University
Southeast Missouri State University	Sacred Heart University	Our Lady of the Lake University
SLP Program Samford University	South Carolina State University	San Jose State University
Seton Hall University	Southeastern Louisiana University	St. Ambrose University
San Francisco State University	Salus University	St. Cloud State University
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale	Southern University and A&M College	Syracuse University Teachers College
St. Xavier University	SUNY at Cortland	Stockton University
SUNY at Fredonia	SUNY at New Paltz	SUNY at Plattsburgh
St. John's University	Stephen F. Austin State University	SUNY at Buffalo
Tennessee State University	Temple University	Touro College
Kingsville Texas Christian University	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Columbia University	Texas State University	Towson University
Universidad Ana G. Mendez - Recinto de Gurabo	University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign
University of Central Oklahoma	University of Alabama	University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
University of Akron	Tuscaloosa University of Arizona	University of Central Arkansas
Truman State University	University of Central Florida	University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado	Gainesville University of Georgia	University of Florida
University of Hawaii at Manoa	Boulder University of Connecticut	University of Houston
University of Delaware	University of Central Missouri	University of Iowa
University of Kansas	University of Kentucky	Monroe University of Louisville
Lafayette University of Louisiana	University of Louisiana	University of Maine Orono
University of Massachusetts	Amherst University of Memphis	University of Minnesota
Chapel Hill University of North Carolina	Greensboro University of North Dakota	University of Maryland College Park
Reno University of New Hampshire	University of Mississippi	University of North Carolina
Minneapolis University of Missouri	University of Nebraska	University of Montana
University of Montevallo	Duluth University of Minnesota	Kearney University of Nebraska
Omaha University of Nevada	Lincoln University of Nebraska	University of New Mexico
University of Northern Iowa	University of Pittsburgh	University of Wisconsin
University of Oregon	University of Puerto Rico	University of Northern Colorado
University of Wisconsin, Madison	University of North Texas	San Juan University of Redlands
University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center	University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences	University of Tennessee Health Science Center
University of Texas at Dallas	University of South Dakota	University of South Florida
Masters in speech pathology University of Texas	University of Southern Mississippi	Milwaukee University of Wisconsin
University of Rhode Island	University of South Alabama	University of South Carolina
University of Texas HSC San Antonio	El Paso University of the District of Columbia	University of the Pacific - SLP Program
Austin University of Texas	University of Tulsa	University of Toledo
University of Utah	University of Virginia	University of Washington
University of Vermont	University of West Georgia	University of Wisconsin River Falls
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire	University of Wisconsin Milwaukee	Utah State University
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point	William Paterson University of New Jersey	University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Washington State University	Wayne West Chester University	Valdosta State University
West Texas A & M University	Vanderbilt University	West Virginia University
Western Illinois University	Western Kentucky University	Western Washington University
Western Michigan University	Western Carolina University	Katz School of SLP
University of Wyoming	Yeshiva University	Wichita State University
	Worcester State University

Course Outline

The duration of the masters is two years It consists of four semesters. The following are the subject details.

1. Anatomy and Physiology 

It includes the study of structures and functions of the related system. Study of associated mechanisms, nervous system and muscles are important factors in it.

2. Speech and Language Science

It consists of human language systems and voice. It includes topics of linguistics like phonetics, semantics, and phonology. Students also study the acquisition of human language.

3. Hearing Sciences

It includes selective topics of audiology. Hearing mechanisms and impairments are a core part of this academic course. It also deals with the study of diagnostic procedures.

4. Clinical Psychology

Human psychology plays a vital role in communication. So it is important to study key topics. 

5. Craniofacial Anomalies

Study of structural impairments in the skull of human beings. These anomalies can affect swallowing as well as communication. 

6. Development Disorders

Study of different developmental disorders that result in swallowing or communication impairment. Examples are Autism Spectrum, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc. 

7. Phonological and Articulation Disorders

Impairment in the understanding of language system and production of normal speech.

8. Fluency Disorder

It is the interruption in normal speech flow. An example of this impairment is stuttering. 

9. Language Disorders 

Study of different language disorders in children and adults. It also covers the rehabilitation of these disorders. 

10. Cognitive-Communication Disorders

Cognition plays a vital role in communication. This subject covers various aspects of memory, attention, reasoning, etc. 

11. Voice Disorders

Verbal expression depends on the human voice. Students also learn about different voice impairments and their treatment. 

12. Motor Speech Disorders

These problems arise due to neurological impairment. One of the examples is dysarthria. 

13. Dysphagia

Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. In this topic, trainees study its types, causes, and treatment. 

14. Geriatrics

It deals with the healthcare of old people. In this age, people can have swallowing or communication problems. 

15. Aural Habilitation

It deals with the management of communication problems due to hearing impairments. Also, students learn all possible ways to help hard of hearing people. 

16. Augmentative and Alternative Communication AAC

AAC deals with different methods of communication other than verbal expression or writing. For example, pictures, sign language, modern equipment, etc. 

17. Evaluation and Diagnosis

It deals with the training related to methods used in clinical practice.

18. Clinical Rotations

Theoretical classes can't create professionals until you start practicing. Training with experts is a necessity in the healthcare profession. It prepares a student for starting a career as a professional. 

19. Clinical Research 

Researches are a vital part of higher studies. Trainers teach research methods and help the students in the process. 

Conclusion

"Masters in Speech Pathology" is a great addition to academics. A big chunk of the population is facing communication or swallowing problems in life. That is why society needs experts. I hope you got the idea of SLP education and degree requirements.

Consider my recommendations before getting into this program. Students need great dedication to earn a Speech Pathologist degree. Ask yourself if you are passionate about this field. We wish you the best of luck if you are keen to join this post-graduate program.

Do not forget to share your thoughts in the comments below.