Traditional StudentsThese students have graduated from high school but have not yet entered college. For these students, the speech-language pathology curriculum is a 5-year 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:
The speech-language pathology department includes additional admissions criteria. Traditional students entering the 5-year program must have the following criteria to be considered for acceptance into the speech-language pathology department:
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:
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. Undergraduate students who are currently at Misericordia University must apply directly to the Speech-Language Pathology Department. The applications of these students should include the required documents from the admission requirements for traditional undergraduate students as well as Misericordia University transcripts. 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 speech-language 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:
Please refer to CSDCAS Centralized Application Service website (www.csdcas.org) for more details. 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:
Please refer to CSDCAS Centralized Application Service website (www.csdcas.org) for more details. 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 under-graduate coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3, 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. Teacher Certification Students who plan to work in the school system in Pennsylvania will need to complete TED 231 (Education Psychology) (3 credits), TED 364 (Methods in Life Skills) (3 credits), SLP 300 (2 credits), SLP 260 (3 credits), SLP 230 (3 credits), PRAXIS exams (PRAXIS I & II tests, a school fieldwork SLP 610 or SLP 620 (supervised by a SLP who has the CCC, school certification, and is licensed) with completed PDE 430 forms, and other PDE requirements (6 credits of math; 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 all classes. Students will need to maintain a 3.0 GPA to obtain Teacher Certification. Before a student begins student teaching (Fieldwork), the student will successfully complete the PRAXIS I and II tests and all courses required by PDE. The SLP department does not award Teacher Certification. It is awarded by the Special Education department on campus. The student will obtain any waivers of course work from the Special Education Department. To obtain Teacher Certification, the student must apply to the Special Education Department after completing the school fieldwork and a portfolio. Students from other states should check their state requirements to determine whether their states will accept Pennsylvania Teaching Certification. Graduation To graduate with the master of science degree in speech-language pathology, students must meet the following criteria:
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 speech-language pathology. Statement Concerning Program Accreditation The master's program in speech-language pathology is accreditated by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 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 |