Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology

Chair and Professor Sorensen
Professors Bain, Longhurst, Schow, Smedley
Associate Professor Deputy
Assistant Professors Detweiler, Griffing, Kangas, Mercaldo, Weston, Pimentel
Clinical Affiliate Instructors Batt Boysen, Brockett, Kline,Loftin, Malepeai, Medley, Towsley, Willer

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology OR Master of Science in Audiology OR Master of Science in Deaf Education

Admission

For admission to the M.S. degree program in speech-language pathology, audiology or deaf education, the applicant must:

  1. Have obtained a 3.0 GPA for course work taken during the last two years of undergraduate training.
  2. Submit three letters of recommendation.
  3. Have obtained a score equal to or better than the 35th percentile on any one of the three general sections of the Graduate Record Examination. Students with GPAs between 2.75 and 3.0 will receive consideration for admission as conditional students.

    International Students

    International students whose native language is not English must achieve at least the 50th percentile on the Verbal section of the GRE, and a total score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Once admitted, non-native English-speaking students must also receive a pssing score on a text of spoken English to participate in clinic.

    Required Courses for Speech-Language Pathology Emphasis

    SPA 600		Principles of Research in 
		Communication Disorders				2 cr
SPA 601		Service Delivery Issues in 
		Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology		2 cr
SPA 602		Clinical Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology	7 cr
SPA 604		Off-Campus Clinical Practicum			1-2 cr
SPA 606		Externship in Speech-
		Language Pathology				8 cr
SPA 612		Language Development/Analysis			2 cr
SPA 613		Hearing Conservation				2 cr
SPA 614		Language Disorders: Preschool			2 cr
SPA 616		Language Disorders: School Age			2 cr
SPA 618		Augmentative and 
		Alternative Communication			2 cr
SPA 622		Phonologic Disorders: 
		Assessment and Treatment			3 cr
SPA 624		Experimental Phonetics				2 cr
SPA 630		Fluency Disorders				2 cr
SPA 632		Oral Anomalies					2 cr
SPA 634		Voice Disorders					2 cr
SPA 636		Dysarthria/Dysphagia				2 cr
SPA 642		Aphasia						2 cr
SPA 644		Closed Head Injury				2 cr
SPA 646		Computer Applications in 
		Speech-Language Pathology			2 cr
SPA 650		Thesis						6 cr
OR
SPA 651		Master's Paper					3 cr
		Total  						50 - 54 cr

    Required Courses for Audiology Emphasis

    SPA 600		Principles of Research 
		in Communication Disorders			2 cr
SPA 601		Service Delivery Issues in Speech-Language 
		Pathology and Audiology				1 cr
SPA 603		Clinical Practicum: Audiology			8 cr
SPA 605		Externship in Audiology				8 cr
SPA 611		Advanced Audiology				4 cr
SPA 621		Conservation and AR: 
		School and Industry				2 cr
SPA 623		Pediatric Audiology				3 cr
SPA 631		Impedance/Special Tests				2 cr
SPA 633		ABR/ENG						3 cr
SPA 633L	ABR/ENG Lab					1 cr
SPA 635		Speech Audiometry				1 cr
SPA 641		Hearing Aids I					2 cr
SPA 641L	Hearing Aids I Lab 				1 cr
SPA 643		Hearing Aids II					2 cr
SPA 643L	Hearing Aids II Lab				1 cr
SPA 645		Auditory Theory I				2 cr
SPA 647		Auditory Theory II				2 cr
SPA 691		Topical Seminar(s)				3 cr
		Total  						48 cr
    A student majoring in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology who has not taken a multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) course as an undergraduate is required to register for SPA 517, Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team, prior to graduation.

    Required Courses for Deaf Education Emphasis

    SPA g301	Developmental Psycho-
		linguistics and Reading				3 cr
SPA g457	Teaching Speech to 
		the Hearing Impaired				3 cr
SPA g458	Teaching Language to 
		the Hearing Impaired				3 cr
SPA g459	Teaching Academic Subjects to 
		the Hearing Impaired				3 cr
SPA g482	Independent Study:  
		Specific Teaching Project			3 cr
SPA g491	Seminar:  
		Speech and Hearing Science			3 cr
SPA 607		Directed Observation in Education of 
		the Hearing Impaired				3 cr
SPA 608		Communication Practicum	6 cr
SPA 617		Psycho/Social Foundations in 
		Education of the Hearing Impaired		2 cr
SPA 627		Reading/Writing Curriculum in 
		Education of the Hearing Impaired 		3 cr
SPA 628		Curriculum Organization in 
		Education of the Hearing Impaired		3 cr
SPA 637		Philosophical/Theoretical Foundations 
		of Education of the Hearing Impaired		2 cr
SPA 691		Top. Seminar: 
		Audiometry/Tympanometry				2 cr
		TOTAL 						39 cr
    Many of our applicants will have completed student teaching and had enough experience that the 607, 608, 582 courses will fulfill the training and requirements for a graduate degree and credential. If they do not have this qualification, they may take the following course. Some students may take this as an elective.

    SPA 609	Teaching Internship in Education 
		of the Hearing Impaired				8 cr

    Requirements

    Students must pass eight and one-half hours of written comprehensive examinations. Graduate students may elect a thesis option (SPA 650, 6 credits) in lieu of comprehensive exams with approval by a graduate faculty advisor. Completion of a thesis involves an oral defense of the project.

    According to the university regulations, no student may be granted a graduate degree who does not have a 3.0 grade point average upon completion of all academic work. In addition, the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology will terminate the graduate program of any student who has received grades of "C" or lower in three or more departmental courses. If a student's graduate education is terminated for reasons of poor academic performance, s/he may reapply for admission no sooner than one full semester following the semester of termination.

    Students with inadequate backgrounds in speech pathology and audiology may be required to take up to one year in undergraduate coursework in addition to the above courses. In addition to the required graduate courses, students may have to take other courses in the department and related areas such as psychology and statistics. In addition to taking clinical practice (SPA 602, 603, or 608) in the department, all graduate students must complete a minimum of an eight-week, full-time externship in some professional program or agency. Other courses taken during the semester in which the externship is done must be in a block program. Exceptions will be made depending on the student's background. Graduate students deemed by the faculty not to have made satisfactory progress in the acquisition of clinical skills may be required to enroll for further credits in clinical practicum in addition to the minimum required of all students. Students may be dismissed for failure to make satisfactory progress in clinical practicum.