Speech-Language Pathology, MS

Two master’s degree plan options are available: a non-thesis degree plan and a thesis degree plan. The master’s degree plan options in speech-language pathology each consist of 39 graduate credit hours of course work.

39 semester hours of courses plus clinical practicum, or
33 semester hours of courses plus 6 semester hours of thesis credit plus clinical practicum.

Each of these options includes 6 graduate semester hours in audiology.

A final written comprehensive examination is required of all students who do not write a thesis. The comprehensive examination will focus upon the various content areas of speech-language pathology, including normal aspects of speech, language, swallowing and hearing, rather than upon specific courses that may constitute an individual degree plan. Those who write a thesis will be examined by the thesis committee about the thesis topic.

Many candidates for the master’s degree in speech-language pathology choose to concurrently pursue clinical certification and licensure in speech-language pathology, while they are completing the course requirements for the master’s degree. For master’s candidates who are also pursuing clinical certification and licensure, clinical practicum is an integral part of their graduate study. The Master of Science degree with a major in speech-language pathology is one of the requirements for clinical certification and licensure. In addition, candidates for a master of science degree with a major in speech-language pathology who intend to pursue clinical certification and licensure must concurrently enroll in clinical practicum/externship courses during their master’s degree program and must pass clinical practicum/externship courses to earn the minimum of observation hours and supervised clinical practicum clock hours required for state licensure and for the Certificate of Clinical Competence of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Finally, additional ASHA-defined course content requirements for certification and licensure must be completed during the master’s program and prior to earning the master’s degree to be eligible for clinical certification and licensure if said content was not included in the candidate’s undergraduate course work prior to matriculation into the master’s program. The graduate advisor guides students in fulfilling all requirements for certification and licensure.

Program policies

Candidates must consistently maintain a B grade point average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) throughout their time in the program to remain eligible for the master’s degree.
Candidates may earn a grade of C or lower in no more than two academic courses within their degree plan to remain eligible for the master’s degree, regardless of whether the course is repeated for a higher grade.
- Candidates who earn a C in a course may repeat the course to try to earn a higher grade in the course, but they may repeat said course only once. Candidates may repeat no more than two courses during the graduate program.
- Candidates who are concurrently pursuing clinical certification and licensure and who earn a grade of C or lower in any academic course within their degree plan are defined as not having demonstrated the knowledge and skills required for certification and licensure relative to that course content. To demonstrate the knowledge and skills associated with the course content, the candidate for certification and licensure will be required to complete additional learning activities after the end of the course, to document his or her mastery of all knowledge and skills associated with that course content, as defined in consultation with the course instructor and the Graduate Director. This may include re-taking the course to earn a grade of B or higher. Once mastery of the knowledge and skills associated with the course is documented, the student remains eligible for clinical certification and licensure.
Candidates for clinical certification and licensure are expected to make satisfactory progress in clinical practicum/externship throughout their program. If a candidate for clinical certification and licensure does not earn a passing grade in clinical practicum/externship in any given term, the candidate will not receive credit for the clinical clock hours associated with said term. Clinical hours for a term in which the student does not pass clinical practicum/externship may not be applied toward the clinical clock hours required for clinical certification and licensure.
A student may be removed from the master’s program in speech-language pathology when failure to make satisfactory progress has been documented. Failure to make satisfactory progress toward earning the master’s degree is documented by one or more of the following occurrences:
- a grade of C or lower in more than two academic course enrollments as listed on the student’s master’s degree plan;
  - repeated degree-plan courses in which the student earns a C are included in the definition of failure to make satisfactory progress toward the master’s degree
- failure to pass the comprehensive examination after three attempts in a 12-month period; or
- unsatisfactory defense of a master’s thesis.
A student may no longer be eligible for clinical certification and licensure when failure to make satisfactory progress toward clinical certification and licensure has been documented.Failure to make satisfactory progress toward clinical certification and licensure is documented by one or more of the following occurrences:
- failure to make satisfactory progress toward earning the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology;
- a grade of NP in two or more enrollments in clinical practicum/externship courses; or
- a grade of C or lower in an academic course on the master’s degree plan and a grade of NP in a clinical practicum/externship course enrollment.
Students may appeal any decision made upon the basis of these department policies. Such an appeal should be made in writing to the chair of the department. Appeals will be considered by the department in adherence with appeal procedures set forth by the university.