Specialty Certificates

Speech-language pathology (SLP) is a rapidly expanding field, with new roles and responsibilities being added to the SLP’s scope of practice. Students pursuing a Master’s Degree in SLP at SHU have the option to take elective credits above the general Master’s Degree Program in order to earn a Specialty Certificate that allows for in-depth study and practicum experience in an area of interest. Students should be aware that this certificate is not recognized by any state or national credentialing agencies, but will demonstrate interest and added experience with the certificate’s topic to potential employers. Earning the certificate will entail spending an extra summer following the Master’s degree to complete the specialty course sequence.  Students may elect to pursue a specialty certificate  in one of two areas:

Autism Spectrum Disorder

This specialty certificate will focus on learning strategies for collaborating with special education and other professionals in the education and support of indiviudal on the autism spectrum. People with autism spectrum disorder is a high priority within school and rehabilitation settings and practitioners with advanced levels of knowledge and experience are in short supply. [It should be noted that this certificate will not qualify candidates for state educator certification as they are not completing approved planned programs, nor can these candidates use these courses for purposes of cross-endorsing from SLP to another endorsement (e.g., TESOL (#111), remedial reading (#102) or the comprehensive special education endorsement (#165).] Students pursuing this elective specialization will follow the curriculum sequence below, in addition to the standard Master’s Degree curriculum.

Autism Specialty Certificate Requirements (6 - 10 credits) 

Required courses for certificate:  

  • SLP 681: Autism in Adulthood (1 cr.)
  • SLP 682: Autism in Childhood (1 cr.)
  • SLP 535: Cultural Linguistic Diversity (1 cr.)
  • SLP 691L Counseling in Communication Disorders (1 cr.) 
  • SLP 509: Specialty Practicum (1-3 cr.)
  • SLP 699: Special Topics in Communication Disorders (1-3 cr.)

Medical Speech-Language Pathology

This specialty is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills for addressing the needs of clients with communication disorders in acute care and medical rehabilitation settings. Students pursuing this specialization will follow the curriculum sequence below, in addition to the standard Master’s Degree curriculum.

Medical Specialty Certificate Requirements (6 - 10 credits) 

Required courses for certificate: 

  • SLP 611: Adult Medical SLP (1 cr.) 
  • SLP 620 Pediatric Medical SLP (1 cr.) 
  • Cultural Linguistic Competence (1 cr.) 
  • Counseling in Communication Disorders (1 cr.) 
  • SLP 509: Specialty Practicum (1-3 cr.)
  • SLP 699: Special Topics in Communication Disorders (1-3 cr.)