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Speech-Language Pathology

Position Description

Speech-Language Pathologists diagnose and treat individuals with speech, language, and swallowing disorders. They work with clients of all ages, including children and adults, and provide a variety of services. They assist children who are delayed in their acquisition of speech and language or who demonstrate communicative disorders, for instance those due to cleft palate, or neurological dysfunction, such as cerebral palsy, autism, or mental retardation. They work with both children and adults who have speech and language difficulties, such as stuttering. Speech Pathologists also work with adult communicative disorders, including swallowing disorders, that may result from stroke or head injury, as well as voice problems caused by illness or disease or that are surgically related.

Most speech-language pathologists work in public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, medical clinics, and in private practice. They are also employed by nursing homes, research laboratories, community centers, colleges and universities, and state and federal agencies.

According to the 2006-2007 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the employment rate for speech-language pathologists is expected to grow about as fast as the average occupation through 2014 due to the anticipated increase in the elderly population, as well as advances in medicine which have increased the survival rate of premature infants and stroke and trauma victims who may require assessment and treatment.

The demand for speech-language pathologists is especially great in the public schools. Although about half work in schools, there is a shortage; there is a particular need for bilingual speech-language pathologists. Those who work in school settings may develop individual and group programs for their clients, counsel individuals and their parents and family members about coping with communication disorders, and assist teachers with classroom activities.

It is anticipated that as school enrollment increases so will the need for speech-language therapy. Since federal laws require schools to provide special education and related services to all eligible children with disabilities, the need for speech-language pathologists in schools will continue to grow.

Education and Training

  • Degrees offered:  Master of Science (MS), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).  The master’s degree is the minimum level of education required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to become certified as a Speech-Language-Pathologist.  With additional training, education, and appropriate coursework, students with a baccalaureate degree may also apply to law school, medical, or dental school or pursue graduate programs in areas including, but not limited to, psychology, special education, business, education, and social work. 
  • Program length:  Approximately 2 to 3 years for the master’s degree, depending on the curriculum of the program and the degree sought.
  • Additionally, between 300-375 supervised clinical experience and nine months of postgraduate professional clinical experience is usually required to receive a Certificate of Clinical Competence.
  • Almost all states require practitioners to be licensed if they work in a health care setting.

Application Timeline

  • Freshmen through junior years:  research field and graduate programs; gain insight through observation and volunteer experiences; develop leadership experience and communication skills through campus and community involvement; take prerequisite coursework and electives that complement your area of interest; visit schools; join a professional organization in your major; develop a resume and keep it up to date; identify and network with individuals who will write letters of evaluation.
  • Spring of junior year:  begin requesting information from all graduate programs you are considering.
  • Summer prior to senior year:  take GRE (may take earlier); continue collecting application materials from schools and begin filling out applications.  Work on drafting your personal statement.  Visit school websites, determine application criteria and deadlines and begin organizing information (use a checklist) so you can plan appropriately.
  • Fall of senior year:  Begin asking for letters of evaluation early in the semester (if not before).  Be sure to ask and provide them with all requested information they need to write you a strong letter. Complete and submit applications.  Be sure everything is complete—along with your application, submit official transcripts, letters of evaluation, GRE scores, personal statement, and any other materials requested.  Follow application instructions closely.  Type or print neatly.  Allow time to follow up to be sure all application materials have been received on time.  Make contact with schools to address questions you may have about their program; visit schools as time allows.
  • Spring of senior year:  continue to interview faculty and students about programs you are interested in, re-visit schools if needed, decide which program offers you the best fit.  Finish remaining coursework and arrange to have final official transcripts sent following graduation.

Note: This timeline is a suggested guideline. Students are responsible for knowing and complying with the requirements and deadlines of the schools to which they apply.

Admissions Criteria

  • Admissions Test:  GRE, some schools may have a minimum stated score for admission.
  • Prerequisite Coursework:  Grades of C or better are strongly recommended in all prerequisites
  • Clinical Experience:  Most programs will want to see exposure to the field.  Many require a minimum of 25 documented hours of observation of a certified professional in the field by the time they enter a graduate program.
  • GPA:  Generally a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.  Official transcripts from all schools attended are also required.
  • Letters of Evaluation:  Most programs require 2 to 3 letters of evaluation; it is recommended that the majority be academic performance letters (from instructors in the area you plan to pursue) but one may also be from a practicing clinician in the field.

Prerequisite Coursework

Note: Students should contact individual schools for accurate prerequisite information. These may differ among schools. The following list is intended only as a guideline.

Courses in normal and disordered communication may include but are not limited to:

  • General Phonetics
  • Anatomy and physiology of the speech mechanism
  • General speech science
  • Development of spoken language
  • Introduction to audiology and hearing disorders
  • Introduction to sound and hearing science
  • Aural rehabilitation of children to adults
  • Neurology
  • Introduction to stuttering
  • Introduction to voice disorders
  • Pre-practicum experience in speech-pathology

Other courses may include:

  • Courses in each of the following areas:  mathematics, biological science, physical science, behavioral and social sciences
  • These may include: 
  • One introductory course in psychology
  • One course in child psychology or child development
  • One course in normal or abnormal psychological perception or function
  • A course in Statistics (additional math courses may be required depending on the program)

Programs in Illinois

See all accredited programs in the American Speech-Language Hearing Association’s director

Professional Associations and Resources

 

 

 

We are a department in the Division of Student Affairs on campus. We are one of over twenty Career Services offices on campus.