Speech-Language Pathology, M.A.
Minimum Total for Graduation: 62 hours
Admissions Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Admission Requirement Snapshot
GPA: 3.00 (see admission standards)
Application Deadline: January 15 (Summer II)
International Students not from English Proficiency Exempted Countries: TOEFL required – minimum score of 100 IBT, 250 CBT, 600 PBT (some exceptions may apply)
See Admission Requirement Details Below
Retention Standards
All students pursuing the Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology degree must comply with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association national certification requirements and maintain a 3.0 GPA. All students concentrating in speech-language pathology must complete a minimum of 400 hours of directly supervised clinical experience under the supervision of an ASHA certified (and state licensed, if applicable)supervisor during their undergraduate and/or graduate programs. Of these, a minimum of 325 hours must be completed at the graduate level. On-campus classes will begin during summer II of the year admitted. During the first summer of matriculation, graduate students will be enrolled in three classes and an online clinical orientation. No clinical assignments will be made during the first summer of matriculation. Following the first summer enrollment, each full-time graduate student will be expected to enroll in clinical practicum each semester in addition to classes.
Various clinical duties will be assigned in consultation with the Director of Clinical Instruction and Speech-Language Pathology Services. In addition, graduate students will be expected to participate in the Summer Speech-Language Specialty Clinics as a student clinician during the summer following their first year in the graduate program. Additional courses may be required, depending on the student's academic background. The final determination of course requirements is made in consultation with the student's academic advisor.
The Speech-Language Pathology program at Central Michigan University is designed to prepare graduates for clinical careers as Speech-Language Pathologists. The Essential Functions and Technical Standards for Speech-Language Pathology establish essential qualities that each individual admitted to the program and graduate of the program must possess in preparation for national certification by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. In the event that, during the educational process, a student is unable to fulfill these standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, then the student may be dismissed from the program. Acknowledgment and signatory of the document by the student is required upon admission. It is also reviewed on an annual basis or as appropriately requested by the student, faculty, or clinical supervisor. This document can be accessed at the link above.
To participate in clinical practicum in the CMU Carls Center (Speech and Language Clinic) as well as extern and internship sites, a National Criminal Background Check (CBC) is required. In addition, each student will be responsible to disclose any subsequent infractions which appear on her/his background checks during the duration of the graduate program to the Director of Clinical Instruction and Speech-Language Services. Failure to complete and pass a background check, or to disclose an infraction which subsequently appears on a background check could be grounds for dismissal from the Speech-Language Pathology Program. Please note that certain criminal convictions may preclude clinical externship and/or internship at certain facilities, which may impact the student's ability to complete the Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Be aware that some internships/externships may require a different form of background check than the one CMU requires and it will be the student's responsibility to complete such requirement before beginning an assignment with that site. All background check expenses are the responsibility of the student.
Admission Standards
Admission to the graduate program in speech-language pathology is a competitive process. Each Summer II semester, the program accepts approximately 40 students. The number of applicants ranges from 200-300 each year. In order to apply for admission, the student must meet the general university requirements, have a grade point average of 3.00 or higher in the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate credit and a grade point average of 3.00 or higher with no grade lower than a C in the major courses or courses determined by CSD to be communication-disorders related. Over the past decade, those accepted into the program have had a major GPA ranging from 3.40 to 4.00 and a mean of 3.80. Successful applicants have had strong overall and major GPAs, and strong letters of recommendation.
Capstone Experience
All speech-language pathology graduate students will complete a 6 credit hour "capstone" experience prior to graduation. Students may choose in consultation with an advisor one of the following options:
- Students will conduct a 3-credit research project resulting in a thesis study and a 3-credit clinical internship at an off-campus site, and participate in a presentation to synthesize and integrate their learning during this experience; or,
- Students will complete a clinical internship at an off-campus site, and participate in a presentation to synthesize and integrate their learning during this experience.
Program Requirements
Required Courses (48 hours)
| SLP 632 | Counseling Issues in Communication Disorders | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 638 | Adult and Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding Disorders | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 704 | Language Disorders in Preschool Children | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 708 | Language Disorders in School-Age Children | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 713 | Voice/Resonance Disorders/Laryngectomee Rehabilitation | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 714 | Motor Speech Disorders | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 717 | Aphasia and Right Hemisphere Disorders | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 722 | Cognitive-Communicative Disorders of Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 735 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 736 | Speech Sound Disorders in Children | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 739 | Stuttering | 3(3-0) |
| SLP 749 | Clinical Practicum in Speech-Language Pathology | 3-15(Spec) |
Note:
- Fifteen (15) hours of SLP 749 is required. Each full- time graduate student is expected to enroll in clinical practicum each semester for three (3) credits beginning with the first Fall Semester of enrollment.
- Participation in the Summer Speech-Language Specialty Clinics is required during the summer following the first year in the graduate program.
- Practicum coursework includes obtaining clock hours with clients. These clock hours are based upon student need as determined by the Director of Clinical Instruction and Speech-Language Pathology Services.
Additional Requirement
Select one of the following capstone experiences:
Plan A
Required Courses (6 hours)
Plan B
Required Course (6 hours)
Electives (8 hours)
Select from the following courses in consultation with student's academic advisor and approval of student's academic advising committee to bring total program credits to a minimum of sixty-two (62):
| CSD 512 | Supporting Students with Literacy Disorders | 3(3-0) |
| CSD 537 | Special Topics in Communication Sciences and Disorders | 1-6(Spec) |
| CSD 551 | Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Clinical Focus | 3(3-0) |
| CSD 790 | Advanced Independent Study | 1-9(Spec) |
| SLP 637 | Special Topics in Communication Disorders | 3(Spec) |
| SLP 639 | Hypopharyngeal Visualization | 2(1-2) |
| SLP 702 | Infant-Toddler Communication: Assessment and Intervention | 2(2-0) |
Total: 62 semester hours