Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
The Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology degree will prepare you with the knowledge and clinical skills to prevent, assess, and treat all aspects of human communication and swallowing disorders.
At Sacred Heart, you will gain hands-on internship experience starting in your 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.
In the Speech-Language Pathology program, you will:
- Meet all requirements for national certification and state licensure as a speech language pathologist (based on ASHA's Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology and requirements from the CT Department of Public Health)
- Have the opportunity to earn a specialty certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder or Medical Speech-Language Pathology
- Participate in intensive externships and a capstone clinical research experience
- Have the opportunity to participate in inter-professional service learning trips
Degree Requirements
The SHU SLP program has two tracks:
- Two-year track for students with completed prerequisite coursework and observation hours in communication disorders. The two-year track requires five semesters of full-time study, over two calendar years, to complete graduate-level coursework and 375 hours of supervised clinical practicum, all of which will be provided as part of SHU’s graduate program.
- Three-year track for students without prerequisite coursework in communication disorders. The three-year track includes a pre-clinical year for completion of all pre-requisite courses and 25 hours of clinical observation. Upon successful completion of the pre-clinical year with a GPA of at least 3.3 and no grade below C, the student moves into the first clinical year of the two-year track program.
Both the two- and three-year tracks of the SLP program are offered only on a full-time basis to allow for professional socialization, clinical placements, and the integration of clinical and academic work. Both tracks lead to national certification and state licensure as a speech-language pathologist. All students must complete all academic and clinical coursework required for their track with no grade below B- and successfully complete 375 hours of supervised clinical practicum with no grade lower than B-. Students must successfully complete the supervised clinical practicum hours, as well as required coursework, in order to earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Students will be placed in practicum sites to earn these hours by the Program's Director of Clinical Education.
Request Information
For more information, fill out the form below or contact Cristen Meehl at 203-416-3031 or meehlc@sacredheart.edu.