Best Universities offering graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Boston University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The goal of the program is to prepare students to meet ASHA certification standards and MA state licensure requirements for entering clinical practice.

When you enroll in one of the country’s top programs in speech-language pathology, you can expect to do much more than meet certification requirements. At Boston University’s College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, your education will include a rare combination of clinical, academic, and research opportunities.

If you wish to become a practicing speech-language pathologist and you have a bachelor’s degree in any area of study, the master of science program is designed for you.

Boston University ranks among the country’s best educators of future speech-language pathologists. U.S. News & World Report’s latest graduate school rankings rated our graduate Speech-Language Pathology program #10 out of 261 accredited programs.

Blalock, Ph.D., PT, DPT, MPH, CLT.

Dr. Prahl is also a certified speech-language pathologist and has worked with children with various speech and language disorders in the public school setting.

Ph.D., Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University (2020).

Hessling, A., Schuele, C.M. (2020). Individualized Narrative Intervention for School-Age Children with Specific Language Impairment: A Single-Case Research Study. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 51, 687-705.

M., Hessling, A., Kelly, E. M., Singer, L. B., Jones, R. Clinical Characteristics Associated With Stuttering Persistence: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 1-24. Doi: 10.1044 2020_JSLHR-20-00096.

The Master of Art (M.A.) education program in speech-language pathology {residential} at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The curriculum allows the student to meet the academic and clinical requirements for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). In addition, students enrolled in the M.A. program in speech-language pathology are eligible to apply to the Massachusetts Board of Education for licensure as a teacher of the speech, language, and hearing-impaired upon completion of their degree program.

To be eligible to participate in an off-campus practicum in a public school in Massachusetts (a requirement for teacher licensure), students are required to take and achieve a passing score on the Reading and Writing sub-tests of the Communication and Literacy Skills portion of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). Admitted students are strongly advised to take this test before beginning the graduate program.

All students must complete the required courses listed below. Students may be waived from one or more of the required courses only if comparable course work has been completed at another institution. Under no circumstance, however, will a student be permitted to graduate with less than 30 graduate degree credits, as required by the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and/or the necessary distribution of academic course work and clinical practicum experiences to be eligible for certification in speech-language pathology and initial educator licensure. While all clinical practica must be taken for credit, no more than six credits of clinical practicum may be applied to the minimum 30 credits of graduate course work required for the awarding of the master's degree. It is expected that it will take students four semesters (two academic years) to complete the program.

The Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) master’s degree is designed to prepare graduates to make significant contributions as speech-language pathologists. The program provides students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for work with individuals of all ages and of varying social, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The CDS program uses CHARTR (Charting Rational Treatment), which is an explicit model for clinical decision-making developed at the University of Oregon Speech-Language-Hearing Center. It provides a method to improve systematic training for student clinicians by making the clinical process more concrete and increasing the consistency of supervisor training and feedback.

It is important that clinicians provide clear, rational explanations for their decisions based on the best available research evidence and current theory. Evidence-based practice (EBP) encourages clinicians to integrate research evidence and current theory with a client’s values and preferences using their clinical expertise and experience.

The Department of Speech-Language Pathology offers a five-year, guaranteed-seat program that awards a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree and a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology. This program consists of 6-semesters of pre-professional (undergraduate) study followed by 6-semesters of professional phase (graduate) study.

The Pre-Professional Phase (six semesters) includes University undergraduate core requirements plus coursework selected to provide a liberal arts education, a basis in the sciences, and critical thinking skills to prepare students for the Professional Phase.

The two-year Professional Phase (six semesters) graduate program includes specialized knowledge and skills required to become professionally certified as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

In the program, students earn a Bachelor of Sciences in Health Sciences degree after completing the first two semesters of the Professional Phase curriculum and receive a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology four semesters later.

Students completing the Pre-Professional and Professional Phases of the program at Duquesne are eligible to apply for clinical certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, licensure to practice from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for Pennsylvania teacher certification.

The Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology degree will prepare students with the knowledge and clinical skills to prevent, assess, and treat all aspects of human communication and swallowing disorders. At Sacred Heart, students will gain hands-on internship experience starting in their first semester, and graduate with at least 375 hours of supervised clinical practicum in a variety of settings including public schools, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.

The Master of Science (MS) program in speech-language pathology at Sacred Heart University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The Master of Science (MS) program in Speech-Language Pathology at Sacred Heart University is accredited by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education. These accreditations allow the program to matriculate and graduate students who, upon successful completion of the program, will meet all requirements for national certification and state licensure as Speech-Language Pathologists. The program for teacher endorsement has also been approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education, making graduates eligible to serve as SLPs in Connecticut public schools.

Jacksonville University is training students to become top speech language pathologists who are knowledgeable and skilled in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of speech, voice, swallowing, language, and cognitive disorders. Under the direction of experienced faculty, students will gain the skills needed to assess and treat individuals who are in need of speech therapy.

The program is offered full-time only and takes five semesters to complete

The Master of Science education program in speech-language pathology at Jacksonville University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.