Have you ever thought of becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist? Becoming an SLP requires a master’s degree in Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences, 400 hours of clinical experience, and a fellowship year. After all this work, you will be on your way to a rewarding career working with people in all stages of life, from newborns to adults.
The first step is undergraduate school where you obtain a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology or another related field. Speech-Language Pathology programs include introductory coursework such as anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms, hearing science, speech science, articulation, hearing and language disorders, fluency disorders, and aural (hearing) rehabilitation. Some undergraduate programs may also offer observation opportunities and supervised clinical experience to help reach the mandatory 400 hours of experience.
The second step is graduate school where you obtain a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Prerequisites for acceptance into a graduate school program typically require a minimum GPA of 3.0, letters of recommendation, a personal statement essay, GRE (not required by all), and completion of the Bachelor of Science degree. Graduate school will consist of both an academic course load and clinical experience. Graduating students must have their 400 hours of clinical experience completed as required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; 25 of these hours are observations of certified SLPs and 375 are supervised clinical experience.
The third step is the Praxis Exam. The exam evaluates a student’s knowledge and skills in areas related to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of various communication and swallowing disorders. It is recommended that individuals take the Praxis exam no earlier than the completion of their graduate coursework and graduate clinical practicum or during their clinical fellowship year.
The fourth step is the Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY). Following completion of the master's degree, it is required to complete 1,260 hours of clinical experience and a minimum of 36 weeks of full-time experience working under the guidance of a certified SLP. This helps a newly graduated SLP gain confidence and independence in their work.
The fifth step is securing National ASHA Certification and State Licensing. An official transcript from graduate school, documentation of the 400 hours of supervised clinical experiences, official passing Praxis score, and completion of the Clinical Fellowship Year are required for ASHA certification and state licensing in Michigan. (State licensing varies).
I hope you enjoyed this “funtastic” blog post!
~ Kali Spomer, Graduate Student Clinician
References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). About the speech-language
pathology praxis exam. ASHA.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Michigan licensing
requirements for audiology and speech-language pathology. ASHA. https://www.asha.org/advocacy/state/info/mi/licensure/
Northern Michigan University. (n.d.). Speech, language, and hearing sciences.
School of Clinical Sciences. https://nmu.edu/clinicalsciences/SLHS
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. (2022, Apr. 12). How to become a
speech therapist: Steps to a meaningful career. Speech-Language Pathology SLP. https://www.usa.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-speech-pathologist-2/
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