Misericordia University

Catalog - Table of Index

Speech-Language Pathology Major

College of Health Sciences
Degree MS, Speech-language Pathology
Department Chair Glen Tellis, PhD

Faculty

Glen Tellis, Associate Professor, MA California State University, Fresno; PhD The Pennsylvania State University

Cari Tellis, Assistant Professor, BA The Pennsylvania State University; MS University of Pittsburgh; PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Ruixia Yan, Assistant Professor, BA and MA Shanxi University, China; Ph.D. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Introduction
The speech-language pathology program is a five-year, professional master’s degree program with admission in the first year. Students admitted as first year or undergraduate transfers who successfully complete all major and university requirements are awarded a BS degree in health sciences in addition to an MS degree in speech-language pathology. Students who have baccalaureate degrees—whether in communication disorders or another field—are conferred the MS degree in speech-language pathology upon completion of all requirements but do not receive the BS in health science.

For traditional five year and transfer students, the program’s first two years of study provide a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences appropriate breadth to develop the ability in students to think independently, weigh values, and understand fundamental theory. This further serves to develop skills of critical thinking and communication, inherent in baccalaureate education and essential to professional socialization. The speech-language pathology professional curriculum is initiated in the first year and continues through the fifth year.

The program is guided by the accreditation and certification standards put forth by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) as the accrediting agency for entry-level speech-language pathology programs. Graduates of programs accredited by ASHA are eligible to apply for national certification by ASHA and for state licensure as speech-language pathologists in the individual United States and territories in which licensure is mandated. The master’s program in speech-language pathology at Misericordia University is a candidate for accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This is a "pre-accreditation" status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of five years. The candidacy period for this program is from November 1, 2002 through October 31, 2007.

Mission
The speech-language pathology program is committed to providing an educational experience which produces competent speech-language pathologists who are critical thinkers and educated consumers of research, and which prepares its graduates for productive careers in speech-language pathology and as advocates for, and participants in, life-long learning. As an entry-level professional program, the speechlanguage pathology curriculum reflects a commitment to the complementary relationship between liberal arts and professional studies that enables graduates to adapt to constantly evolving societal and professional needs. The department of speech-language pathology is committed to the provision of affordable, quality professional education that expresses the founding Sisters' values and attitudes of hospitality, justice, mercy, and service. The overall goal is to develop a well-rounded empathetic competent professional who will provide the highest quality of care to individuals with communication disorders.

Philosophy
The speech-language pathology department is based on the belief that graduates of entry-level allied health professional programs should possess the clinical decision making and problem solving skills which enable them to function as peer colleagues in the contemporary, dynamic health care and educational systems. Speech-language pathologists need to be sensitive to the needs of a culturally diverse society as evident in their interactions with clients, families, and fellow health care and education professionals in the community in which they practice.

An educational program for speech-language pathologists should reflect the concepts of androgogy (adult education) to include problem solving, critical thinking and analysis, integration of theory and practice, clinical decision making, mentoring, and self-directed learning.

Speech-language pathologists should have the ability to articulate and exchange knowledge, and seek additional knowledge and skills. They should also have the ability and desire to remain open to input from and collaboration with other health care and education professionals. Speech-language pathologists value collaboration and communication in a spirit of mutual collegiality among health care and education providers as essential to meeting the health care needs of society.

A speech-language pathology professional education program prepares students to be practicing generalists but also provides graduates with the tools that enable them to develop specialty expertise through the application of critical thinking and problem solving skills and a wholistic approach to health care. The academic and clinical faculty and the academic and clinical education environments must reflect and foster professional values and behaviors. The academic and clinical faculty and curriculum components must be inextricably linked for the provision of professional education programs preparing competent health care practitioners.

A diverse faculty whose members have responsibilities and activities consistent with their areas of teaching and scholarly expertise strengthens and enhances a professional education program in speechlanguage pathology.

Goals
The goals of the speech-language pathology department at Misericordia University are to prepare graduates who:

Engage in contemporary, competent, legal, and ethical practice.
Value the critical inquiry in the validation and advancement of the science of speechlanguage pathology and audiology.
Describe the roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists as professionally autonomous practitioners within the health care and educational systems.
Accept the responsibility for education of self, the community, the profession, clients, and colleagues in the health care and educational systems.
Value and foster communication and interaction with colleagues for the benefit of optimal service to clients with communication disorders.
Respect and respond to contemporary bio-psycho-social diversity in interactions with clients, families, colleagues, and the community.

It is the mission of the speech-language pathology program to educate and prepare students who will be ethical and competent clinicians in the provision of services to persons with speech-language-hearing disorders.

Program Objectives
To ensure that graduates of the speech-language pathology program will be prepared for their professional roles and responsibilities, the following are the program's curriculum objectives. Upon successful completion of the speech-language pathology program, graduates will be able to:

Provide prevention, screening, consultation, assessment and diagnosis, treatment, intervention, management, counseling, and follow-up services for disorders of:
1. speech (i.e., articulation, fluency, resonance, and voice);
2. language (i.e., phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatic/social aspects of communication) including comprehension and expression in oral, written, graphic, and manual modalities; language processing; preliteracy and language-based literacy skills, including phonological awareness;
3. swallowing or other upper aerodigestive functions such as infant feeding and aeromechanical events;
4. cognitive aspects of communication (e.g., attention, memory, problem solving, executive functions);
5. sensory awareness related to communication and swallowing.
Establish augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) techniques and strategies including developing, selecting, and prescribing of such systems and devices (e.g., speech generating devices).
Provide services to individuals with hearing loss and their families/caregivers (e.g., auditory training; speech reading; speech and language intervention secondary to hearing loss).
Screen hearing of individuals who can participate in conventional pure-tone air conduction methods, as well as screening for middle ear pathology through screening tympanometry for the purpose of referral of individuals for further evaluation and management.
Use instrumentation (e.g., videofluoroscopy, EMG, nasendoscopy, stroboscopy, computer technology) to observe, collect data, and measure parameters of communication and swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive functions in accordance with the principles of evidence-based practice.
Select, fit, and establish effective use of prosthetic/adaptive devices for communication, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive functions (e.g., tracheoesophageal prostheses, speaking valves, electrolarynges). This does not include sensory devices used by individuals with hearing loss or other auditory perceptual deficits.
Collaborate in the assessment of central auditory processing disorders and providing intervention where there is evidence of speech, language, and/or other cognitive-communication disorders.
Educate and counsel individuals, families, co-workers, educators, and other persons in the community regarding acceptance, adaptation, and decision making about communication, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive concerns.
Advocate for individuals through community awareness, education, and training programs to promote and facilitate access to full participation in communication, including the elimination of societal barriers.
Collaborate with and provide referrals and information to audiologists, educators, and other health professionals as individual needs dictate.
Address behaviors (e.g., perseverative or disruptive actions) and environments (e.g., seating, positioning for swallowing safety or attention, communication opportunities) that affect communication, swallowing, or other upper aerodigestive functions.
Provide services to modify or enhance communication performance (e.g., accent modification, transgendered voice, care and improvement of the professional voice, personal/professional communication effectiveness).
Recognize the need to provide and appropriately accommodate diagnostic and treatment services to individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and adjust treatment and assessment services accordingly.
Be critical consumers of professional literature.
Accept responsibility for service to one's fellow human beings.

The academic curriculum, practicum experiences, research requirement, and service activity requirements that students must complete in this program have been designed and will be implemented in a way that will ensure that graduates meet or exceed these objectives. The net result of the student's educational experience in this program will be a well-prepared, service-oriented, competent professional who is fully prepared and eligible for ASHA certification as a speech-language pathologist.

Undergraduate Program In Speech-Language Pathology

Students may enter the undergraduate speech-language pathology program in one of two ways: (1) as traditional five-year students who have graduated from high school but have not yet entered college, or (2) as students who have entered college and have taken speech-language pathology courses at other colleges or universities and wish to transfer, or have either chosen a different major or have not selected a major but wish to transfer into the speech-language pathology program.

Admission of Traditional Five-Year Students
Students must have graduated from high school but have not yet entered college. For these students, the speech-language pathology curriculum is a 5 year professional program leading simultaneously to the baccalaureate and master's degrees. Prospective undergraduate applicants must meet both Misericordia University's and the speech-language pathology department's admissions criteria. For more information, please see applying to the speech-language pathology program section of this catalog.

Admission of Transfer Students
Students may seek admission into the program as a transfer, either from another department at Misericordia University or another institution of higher learning. Applications for admission of transfer students will be considered on a competitive, space-available basis. All students accepted into the program as undergraduate transfers must meet Misericordia University’s requirements for a baccalaureate degree by taking the necessary coursework to ensure compliance with the requirements.

Advancement to the Undergraduate Speech-language Pathology Program
For both traditional five-year students and transfer students, advancement to the undergraduate program (traditionally the junior year) is continuous. Students who are admitted to the program take Speech-language Pathology undergraduate courses in their freshmen, sophomore, and junior years. Students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the undergraduate program.

Advancement to Graduate Study in Speech-language Pathology
To advance to the graduate portion of the speech-language pathology program (typically the senior and fifth years of study), students must:

Maintain an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Receive a grade of "C-" or better in the undergraduate speech-language pathology courses.
Successfully master all course objectives for all speech-language pathology courses taken prior to the senior year (first year graduate school).

Advancement within the Graduate Portion of the Speech-language Pathology Program
To advance from the first year (traditionally the senior year) to the second year (traditionally the fifth year) of study, students must:

Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all coursework and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the graduate professional courses.
Receive a grade of "B-" or better in all graduate level professional courses (courses at the 500 and 600 levels). Students are allowed one "C" in graduate professional courses in speech-language pathology. Clinical courses must be completed with a grade of "B" or higher to meet graduation requirements. The practicum hours in clinical courses with a grade of "C" or lower will not apply to ASHA certification or state licensure requirements.
Successfully master all course objectives for all speech-language pathology courses taken during the senior year (first year graduate school).

Sequence of Required Courses

First Year
Fall		18 credits	Spring		18 credits
PSY 123	Or SOC 101	3	SOC 101	Or PSY 123	3
SCI	Natural Science Core	3	SCI	Natural Science Core	3
HIS	Core	3	ENG	Core	3
ENG 103	Composition	3	ENG Core	Amer or Brit Literature	3
SLP 210	Intro to Com Dis	3	SLP 240	Norm SP & Lang Dev	3
Free Elec	TED 231, PDE, EDPSY	3		HIS Core	3
Summer Semester	6 credits
PHL Core Course or PHY 107		3
FA Core Course or PHY 108		3
Sophomore Year
Fall		18 credits	Spring		17 credits
FA	Core	3	MTH 115	Statistics	3
MTH	Bank I	3	RLS	Core	3
PHL	Core	3	FA	Core	3
PSY 275	Child & Adol Psych	3	SLP 250	Speech & Hearing Science	3
SLP 220	A&P of Speech & Hr Science	3	SLP 330	Intro to Audiology	3
SLP 260	Artic/Phon/Lang Dis	3	SLP 305	OB & Clin Procedures I	3
Junior Year
Fall		18 credits	Spring		18 credits
PHL	Core or Natural Science Cognate	3	PHL	Core or Natural Science Cognate	3
SLP 300	SLP in Schools	2	SLP 310/512	Research Methods	3
SLP 410	Aural Rehab	3	SLP 350	Adult Comm Dis	3
SLP 230	Phonetics	3	SLP 450	Optional Clinic	3
SLP 325	Stutt/Voice/Cleft Palate	3	Free Elective	TED 364 Meth in Spec. Educ	3
SLP 340	Communication & Aging	2	Free Elective	TED 365 Meth in Sp Ed Lrng Supp	3
SLP 415	OB & Clinical Procedures II	2
Senior Year (Graduate Year I)
Fall		14 credits	Spring		17 credits
SLP 500	Artic & Phon Disorders	3	SLP 510	Fluency Disorders	3
SLP 530	Voice DIsorders	3	SLP 525	Child Language Disorder	3
SLP 575	Motor Speech Disorders	3	SLP 545	Aphasia & Cog Comm Dis	3
SLP 560	Diag (3cr) with SLP 555(1cr)	4	SLP 585	SLP Seminar III	3
SLP 505	Clinic I (sec I-IV)	3	SLP 560	Diag (3cr) with SLP 555 (1cr)	4
SLP 565	SLP Seminar I	1	SLP 605	Clinic II (sec I-IV)	3
SLP 515	Hearing Sem	1	SLP 566	SLP Seminar II	1
			SLP 515	Hearing Seminar	1
*15 with Diagnostics			*18 with Diagnostics
Summer Semester			6 credits*			6 credits*
SLP 589	Dysphagia	3	SLP 540	AAC	3
SLP 560	Diag(3cr) with SLP 555 (1cr)	4	SLP 602	Summer Clinic II (I-IV)	3
SLP 601	Sum Clin I (I-IV)	3
*10 with Diagnostics
Graduate Year II
Fall		12 credits	Spring		up to 15 credits
SLP 610	Fieldwork I and Seminar	9	SLP 620	Fieldwork II and Seminar	9
SLP 650	Professional Issues	3	SLP 680	Thesis Option	3
			RLS	Core Course	3

*Students are only required to take SLP 560 Diagnostics (3cr) with SLP 555 Diag Clin (1cr) once and SL 515 Hearing Seminar once.

Note 1: Students who decide to pursue teacher certification (to work as a school SLP in PA) will need 9 cr of TED classes

Note 2: Students may need to take SLP 630 – a third field placement until they have satisfied the department’s and ASHA’s certificate requirements pertaining to clinical experiences.

Note 3: For prerequisites, please refer to the catalog or advising sheet

Applying to the Speech-language Pathology Program

A potential applicant can enter the program in speech-language pathology under one of five circumstances, they are as follows:

a traditional student who has been accepted into the 5-year professional program;
an undergraduate transfer who has not been conferred a baccalaureate degree;
a graduate holding the baccalaureate degree with communication sciences and disorders;
a graduate holding the baccalaureate degree in a major other than communication sciences and disorders-post-baccalaureate non-major; or
an individual working in the field with a baccalaureate degree who desires to work toward the master's degree on a part-time basis-part-time student

Traditional Students
These students have graduated from high school but have not yet entered college. For these students, the speech-language pathology curriculum is a 5-year professional program leading simultaneously to the baccalaureate and master's degrees.

Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Prospective undergraduate applicants must meet both Misericordia University's and the speech-language pathology department's admission criteria.

Misericordia University's general criteria for acceptance into an undergraduate program are:

Evidence of the completion of 16 Carnegie Units, or evidence of a High School Equivalency Diploma.
Results of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) program.
A letter of recommendation from the high school principal, a guidance counselor, or a teacher.

The speech-language pathology department includes additional admissions criteria. Traditional students entering the 5-year professional program must have the following criteria to be considered for acceptance into the speech-language pathology department:

Preference will be given to students who have graduated in the top 1/3 of their high school graduating class or achieved a minimum combined SAT score of 1000 or the equivalent ACT score with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
The student must provide an essay of no more than 500 words indicating why the student wishes to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

Evidence of exposure through volunteerism or service-learning related to working with children and adults is highly desirable.

Graduate Admission Requirements
Graduate study begins in the fourth (traditionally the senior) year and continues through to the fifth year of study. For traditional students to advance to graduate study, certain prerequisite criteria must be met:

Maintain an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Receive a grade of "C-" or better in the undergraduate speech-language pathology courses.
Successfully master all course objectives for all speech-language pathology courses taken prior to the senior year (first year graduate school).
1. Students begin their speech-language pathology courses in their freshman year and will typically complete all undergraduate coursework by their junior year. Upon completion of each semester, the progress of each student in terms of which course objectives were and were not mastered during that semester will be reviewed.
2. For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level course work if they have not mastered all objectives.

Once criteria (1) through (3) above are successfully met, the candidate is automatically granted permission to commence to graduate study (i.e., there is no need for the student to make a formal application to graduate school).

Undergraduate Transfer Students
These students are individuals who have completed college-level courses either at Misericordia University or another institution of higher education, and who have a major other than speech-language pathology, but would like to major in speech-language pathology

Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Students who transfer into the program, either from another academic unit within the university or from another institution of higher education, also will be required to meet the department's admission criteria. Students will be required to meet Misericordia University's requirements for a baccalaureate degree by taking the necessary coursework to ensure compliance with the requirements. Please refer to undergraduate admission requirements for traditional students. A recommendation letter from a current professor may be substituted for a letter from a principal, guidance counselor, or teacher.

Graduate Admission Requirements
Please refer to graduate admission requirements for traditional students.

Post-Baccalaureate Majors
These students have earned a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders or speechlanguage pathology and are eligible for direct entry into the graduate program in speech-language pathology at Misericordia University.

Graduate Admission Requirements
Students who apply to the graduate program in speech-language pathology and possess a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders must meet the following departmental admissions criteria:

A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
GRE scores. In certain circumstances, however, the GRE requirement may be waived after consultation with the admission office.
Original academic transcripts.
Two letters of recommendation from professors or instructors in speech-language pathology.
A type-written essay of no more than two double-spaced pages indicating why the student wishes to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.
In addition to meeting the admissions requirement above, applicants for whom English is not their primary language must provide evidence of proficiency in the language. Evidence of English proficiency should be presented in the form of a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

These individuals are admitted directly into the graduate speech-language pathology program. Students must provide evidence of meeting certain knowledge and skills outcomes obtained during their undergraduate studies. The knowledge and skills outcomes should be documented on the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) form used by ASHA for certification purposes. Any student who cannot provide evidence of acquiring certain knowledge and skills outcomes will be required to reconstruct their undergraduate experience so that the KASA form can be completed accurately.

If you are a student about to earn a baccalaureate degree in communication disorders or speech-language pathology, you should contact the chair of your department to inquire about documenting your undergraduate studies using the KASA form from ASHA.

As of January 1, 2005, new ASHA certification standards have taken effect. These standards may require you to take additional coursework to meet the new standards. For example, candidates for certification will be required to show evidence of having completed courses in both the biological and physical sciences. If your undergraduate transcript does not show evidence of having taken a course in the physical sciences, for example, you would be required to take a course in the physical sciences to meet the new certification requirements. Any additional courses you may have to take to meet ASHA's certification standards can be worked into your schedule (e.g., many of the basic science courses are offered during the summer).

Post-Baccalaureate Non-Majors
These students have earned a baccalaureate degree in any discipline other than communication sciences and disorders (e.g., biology, communications, education, English, linguistics). Graduate Admission Requirements Students who apply to the graduate program in speech-language pathology and possess a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology must have the following admission requirements:

A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
GRE scores. In certain circumstances, however, the GRE requirement may be waived after consultation with the admissions office.
Original academic transcripts.
Two letters of recommendation.
A type-written essay of no more than two double-spaced pages indicating why the student wishes to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.
In addition to meeting the admissions requirement above, applicants for whom English is not their primary language must provide evidence of proficiency in the language. Evidence of English proficiency should be presented in the form of a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Before the candidate can begin graduate studies, he or she must successfully complete prerequisite undergraduate courses. These courses provide the individual with the appropriate framework and background in communication sciences and disorders so that he or she will be prepared to enter graduate study. To be granted entry into graduate study, the candidate must complete prerequisite undergraduate coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, and must have earned a grade of "C-" or better in each of the courses. For any course objectives not mastered, students will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.

Part-Time Students
These students have earned the baccalaureate degree in communication disorders or speech-language pathology and are working in the public schools.

Graduate Admission Requirements
Please refer to graduate admission requirements for post-baccalaureate majors.

Teacher Certification:
Students who plan to work in the school system in Pennsylvania are required to obtain state teacher certification in speech and language disabilities. To be eligible for teacher certification, students must successfully complete the Praxis I and Praxis II Examinations offered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Teaching Speech to Students with Language Impairments Examination. Students must complete three courses in the Department of Special Education and SLP 300 – Speech-language Pathology in the Schools class. Student will also need 6 credits of math and 6 credits of English (3 American or British Literature and 3 English Composition) and 3 credits of lab science. Students will need a "C" or better in the math classes and a "C+" or better in the special education classes. During their fifth year of study one externship placement must be completed in a school setting. Students from states other than Pennsylvania will need to check the requirements with their state education departments. These students will also need to determine whether their states have reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania. Graduation To graduate with the master of science degree in speech-language pathology, students must meet the following criteria:

Complete all academic coursework.
Complete all clinical practicum requirements.
Pass a comprehensive examination or complete a thesis during the last semester of graduate study.
Show evidence of having taken the PRAXIS SLP

Students meeting criteria (1) through (4) above will be eligible for graduation. Traditional 5-year students and undergraduate transfers who have completed both the undergraduate and graduate curricula at Misericordia University will be granted both the bachelor of science degree in health sciences and the master of science degree in speech-language pathology. Students who have completed the graduate curriculum only (i.e., students who earned a baccalaureate degree prior to commencing graduate studies in the speech-language pathology program) will be granted the master of science degree in speechlanguage pathology.

Statement Concerning Program Accreditation
The master’s program in speech-language pathology is a candidate for accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This is a "pre-accreditation" status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of five years. The candidacy period for this program is from November 1, 2002 through October 31, 2007. If students have additional questions about Misericordia University's ASHA accreditation status, they should contact the Accreditation Department at ASHA at (301)897-5700, X142. Students may also file grievances with ASHA's Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA). To learn about ASHA's grievance policy, students can go to the following link: www.asha.org

Speech-Language Pathology

Students may enter the graduate speech-language pathology program in one of three ways: (1) those having successfully progressed to the senior year as traditional or undergraduate transfer students (the process for entering graduate study for these individuals is described in the section entitled Undergraduate Program in Speech-language Pathology above), (2) those having a baccalaureate degree in a field other than communication disorders or speech-language pathology, or (3) those having a baccalaureate degree in communication disorders or speech-language pathology. The sections that follow apply to individuals who meet circumstance (2) or (3).

Admission of Students with Baccalaureates Other than SLP
Students who possess a baccalaureate degree in a field other than communication disorders or speechlanguage pathology may apply for admission into the graduate portion of the SLP program. Applications will be considered on a competitive, space-available basis. As a minimum, students with a baccalaureate degree must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. In addition, these students must have obtained a combined score of at least 1000 on the verbal and quantitative subtests of the GRE, or a comparable score on the Miller’s Analogies Test (MAT). If the candidate does not meet these requirements, the department chair has the latitude to accept students who can present extenuating circumstances (for example, persons from cultural/ethnic minorities who traditionally do not perform well on standardized tests because of possible test bias).

Students who apply for admission should keep in mind that they will be required to take prerequisite courses as deemed appropriate by the department, prior to enrolling in any graduate-level courses. Application for admission should be completed by February 1 for admission into the fall semester of the same year.

Completion of the master’s degree for these individuals will take approximately three years. During the first year, the student will take prerequisite courses in preparation for graduate study in speech-language pathology. These prerequisite courses will include the SLP courses which are typically taken by undergraduate students during the sophomore and junior years (the SLP 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses). The remaining two years will consist of graduate study, with the student sequencing through all academic and clinical requirements in the same manner as all other students (see the senior and 5th years of study under sequence of required courses above).

Admission of Students with Baccalaureates in SLP
Students who possess a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders may apply for direct admission into the graduate portion of the SLP program. Admission requirements for these individuals are: (1) a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, and (2) a minimum combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE, or a comparable score on the MAT.

Application deadline for admission is February 1 for enrollment in the fall semester of the same year. Applications will be considered on a competitive, space-available basis.

Completion of the master’s degree for these individuals will take approximately two years. The student will enter the graduate program immediately, which is the senior year of study for traditional undergraduate students (see sequence of required courses above), and will continue through the fifth year of study.

Advancement within the Graduate Portion of the SLP Program
To advance from the first year to the second year of graduate study, students must:

maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in all coursework and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in the graduate professional courses;
receive a grade of “B-” or better in all graduate level professional courses (SLP courses at the 500 and 600 levels); and,
successfully master all course objectives for all SLP courses taken during the first year of graduate study.

Graduation
Students who have successfully met all requirements for graduation will be conferred the master of science degree in Speech-language Pathology. These requirements include: (1) successful completion of all academic coursework, including completion of a research project; (2) successful completion of all clinical requirements; and (3) passing a comprehensive examination, during or writing a thesis graduate study.

Statement Concerning Program Accreditation
The master’s program in speech-language pathology is a candidate for accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This is a preaccreditation status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of five years. The candidacy period for this program is from November 1, 2002 through October 31, 2007.

Speech-Language Pathology Course Descriptions (SLP)