Speech-Language Pathology

Program Director: Laura Silva M.S. CCC-SLP, ATP, Southern Connecticut State University

The Master of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program prepares students to become healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians, teachers, and other rehabilitation professionals to meet the clients' needs. Students will gain knowledge and skills in the biological, psychological, and social areas. These skills are necessary to diagnose and treat a variety of communication disorders related to cognition and developmental delays. The SLP program prepares students to work as entry-level practitioners in a variety of settings.

There are two tracks for the SLP program. The two-year track is for students that have completed their undergraduate SLP prerequisite coursework. The three-year track is for students that need to complete the SLP prerequisite coursework.

Admissions Criteria:

The admissions criteria for the Master's in SLP program are:

Hold a Bachelor of Science or Arts degree from an accredited college or university.
Cumulative prerequisite course quality point average (QPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale; grades below a "C" are not acceptable.
Overall undergraduate QPA of 3.0 or better (4.0 scale)
It is not necessary to have an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders to pursue the master's degree. However, candidates must complete all prerequisite coursework prior to the start of the Master's program. Prerequisite courses, as shown below, must be completed within ten years preceding entrance into the graduate program.
A minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 for all applicants from non-English speaking countries
Two letters of recommendation from academic sources
Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Please Note: ALL prior schools' transcripts MUST be submitted for review, regardless of whether or not transferred courses appear on the current school transcript.
Nonrefundable application fee
Interview- personal interview. Spoken English skills, as well as ethical, personal, and professional qualities to fulfill the role of a speech-language pathologist will be assessed during the interview process.
Twenty-five (25) hours of observation of clinical practice by an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist; observation hours should vary across settings, ages, and disorders. These hours are only shadowing hours prior to admission; they are not part of the 375 hours required by ASHA, which should be completed as part of our academic program.
Personal Statement/Essay - Practice as a healthcare professional requires the ability to communicate in both verbal and written form. The Speech-Language Pathology program expects admitted students to demonstrate graduate level competence in verbal and written communication. A writing sample will be required of each applicant to assess their graduate level competence for written English. Writing samples will be blinded and scored by SLP faculty as part of the admissions process.

Prerequisite Course Requirements

Biological Sciences - 3 credits (e.g.. Human Anatomy and Physiology, Introduction to Biology)
Social/Behavioral Sciences - 6 credits (e.g. courses in Psychology, Sociology, Public Health)
Physical Sciences - 3 credits (e.g. college-level Chemistry or Physics)
Statistics - 3 credits (e.g. college-level Statistics course that is computational and not remedial or historical in nature)

SLP Prerequisite Coursework

Recommended equivalent coursework includes a minimum of one course in each of the following five subjects:

Introduction to Communication Disorders
Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanisms
Phonetics
Speech and Hearing Sciences
Language Acquisition (Course work in Normal Speech and Language Development in Children)
Introduction to Audiology

If the SLP prerequisite coursework is not complete, an individual may apply for the three-year track of the SLP program.