MS Speech-Language Pathology

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Dallas - College of Nursing and Advanced Health Professions

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program prepares students to provide high-quality speech-language services to patients with diverse speech, language, and swallowing needs across the lifespan in a variety of community settings including hospitals, schools, and clinics.

This 41-credit hour blended, hybrid training program provides future speech-language pathologists with the theoretical and clinical competencies they need including ethics, evaluation, diagnosis, theories, intervention, and interprofessional practice.

The program combines rigorous coursework presented in an 8-week online synchronous and asynchronous distance learning format, with four semesters of supervised clinical training practicums taking place within campus clinics as well as external partner sites that provide opportunities to put theory into practice in a variety of real-world settings. The program also includes a master’s thesis completed in three semesters of on-site seminars. Graduates will be prepared to provide speech, language, and swallowing services to individuals across the lifespan in a variety of areas including:

• Articulation
• Phonology
• Swallowing
• Voice
• Fluency
• Augmented & Alternative Communication

The Master of Science (MS) education program in Speech-Language Pathology (residential, distance education) at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is an Applicant for Candidacy by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Mission

The MS Speech-Language Pathology program at TCSPP is dedicated to interprofessional education and collaboration to advance students’ knowledge of human communication and its disorders. Students will engage in high-quality academic and clinical experiences as they prepare to become competent speech-language pathologists and participate in the advancement of the profession.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

Professional Practice:

• Identification/Evaluation, Assessment.  Apply technical knowledge to identify, prevent and diagnose speech and language disorders and provide evidence-based interventions to minimize the effects of communication and swallowing differences across the lifespan.
• Intervention and Evidence-Based Practice.  Integrate clinical decision making and patient/client centered care by incorporating valid scientific evidence and evidence-based practice to provide quality speech-language pathology interventions to diverse patients/clients.
• Foundations of Speech-Language Pathology Practice. Identify human communication and swallowing processes and be able to integrate information pertaining to human development and communication sciences and disorders across the lifespan with diverse patients/clients across a variety of settings.

Diversity:

• Cultural Competence. Evaluate their own cultural and linguistic variables and those of their patients/clients to advocate for and effect change across healthcare and educational systems to maximize service delivery outcomes and patient/client centered care in a variety of diverse settings.

Professional Behavior:

• Ethics and Accountability. Demonstrate accountability and integrity as they adhere to ethical and professional standards as dictated by professional, state and federal regulations and policies across various speech language pathology services.
• Collaborative Practice. Collaborate and coordinate strategies and resources as a member of an interdisciplinary team to improve the communication and swallowing outcomes for patients, clients, and the communities in which they work and live.

Scholarship:

• Research. a) Synthesize scholarship from a variety of sources and be able to translate that information to promote the implementation and use of the evidence-based practice, and b) critique evidence-based literature drawing from diverse theoretical perspectives and pertinent research to guide and inform decision making that demonstrates the best practices for speech-language pathology in a global society.

Licensure

For information on where The Chicago School of Professional Psychology meets, does not meet, or has not determined if the program meets licensure eligibility requirements for the state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit: https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/admissions/licensure-disclosures/.

Admission Requirements

The MS SLP program is currently accepting applications for Fall 2023 enrollment.

Before entering the MS SLP program, all students must meet the prerequisites indicated by ASHA, including the scientific underpinnings that support Speech-Language Pathology programming (i.e. sciences, physical sciences, social/behavioral sciences, and statistics). An undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders will be accepted or “leveling courses” that are equivalent.  Students who do not have an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders must have completed these undergraduate courses, or the equivalent, successfully with a grade of C or higher:

• Phonetics
• Anatomy & Physiology of Speech and Hearing
• Speech & Hearing Science & Disorders/Communication Science & Disorders
• Speech and Language Development
• Speech Sound Disorders (Motor Speech, Voice, Fluency)
• Intro to Audiology 
• Language Disorders
• Aural Rehabilitation
• Neurology of Speech & Hearing Science
• Clinical Methods in Speech-Language Pathology 

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures: Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver.

Training

The program requires four credits for clinical rotations held at approved sites.  Students registered in this program incur a one-time $100 Experiential Learning Technology Fee.

Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of 41 credits of coursework and practicum