Speech Pathology

Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology

The University of Louisville Speech-Language Pathology program offers a unique opportunity to pursue a Master of Science degree to students with and without undergraduate degrees in speech-language pathology.

The program includes two phases. Applications for students without a background in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Preparatory phase of the program.

Applications for students who currently hold the Bachelor degree in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Core phase of the program.

Please Note:
Current undergraduate students may enroll in Preparatory phase courses without applying to the program. These courses may be taken as electives. Completion of the courses does not guarantee admission into the Core phase of the program. Students must formally submit an application to the Graduate School and qualify for admission. Post baccalaureate students must be formally accepted to the preparatory phase.

Master’s Degree Preparatory Phase

The Preparatory phase of the program is designed for students with Bachelor’s degrees in fields other than speech-language pathology, who wish to pursue the Master’s Degree. It is a two or three semester sequence in which students take courses that will prepare them to enter the core phase of the program. Students who successfully complete the Preparatory phase with a 3.0 or higher grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) will matriculate into the core program without any additional application steps.

Students who do not meet minimum admission requirements may apply to the Preparatory phase.  These students will not be guaranteed automatic matriculation into the Core phase of the program.  If accepted, these students may use the Preparatory phase to improve their overall credentials.  Upon completion of the Preparatory phase, their credentials will be reevaluated and they will be placed within the pool of current applicants to the Core phase of the program. 

Master’s Degree Core Phase

The Core phase of the program is a five semester sequence of classes and practical experiences for students who already hold the Bachelor degree in speech-language pathology, or who have successfully completed the Preparatory phase of the program.

• Thesis or Comprehensive Exam Options
  Students in the Core phase may either elect to write a thesis, which will require the completion of an advanced statistics course, or take comprehensive written and oral competency exams at the end of their coursework. Please see the Graduation Requirements page for more information.
• Teacher Certification Option
  In addition to obtaining the Master's degree, students may choose to complete the coursework necessary to obtain teacher certification. Teacher certification is not currently required to work in the Kentucky Public School System, but students may find it to be an asset to their overall qualifications upon graduation. The education classes necessary to obtain certification are offered through the College of Education and Human Development. Required education classes are noted on the Course Offerings page. Prior undergraduate credit may be accepted with the approval of the College of Education and Human Development. 

   Students must obtain 60 credit hours to receive Rank I status for employment within the public schools.  Rank 1 refers to a pay level in the public school system in the state of Kentucky.  School districts are required to award Rank 1 status to individuals who have Kentucky teacher certification and 60 graduate credit hours.   Rank 1 status can be awarded, at the discretion of the district, to licensed and certified speech language pathologists with 60 graduate credits.  Districts are not required to give Rank 1 status to individuals who lack teaching certification. The Division’s Master of Science degree consists of 54 credit hours. Most students will qualify for Rank 1 by adding the two courses required by the College of Education for teacher certification.  The required courses are: EDSP 637 Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Inclusion and EDSP 540 Introduction to Exceptional Children.  However, students may take any graduate course to complete the 60 hours for Rank 1. Other courses recommended at the graduate level are those that add to the student’s knowledge of multicultural issues, human learning and development, counseling and/or special education issues. Students who completed the preparatory phase at UofL before transitioning to our core phase will have enough graduate credits to qualify for Rank 1.  Some students may have taken all of the preparatory phase courses as an undergraduate at the University of Louisville.  These students will need to request a letter from the Division, documenting that these courses were at the graduate level.

Requirements for ASHA Certification: Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA)

Throughout the Master's program, students will learn the skills and knowledge required for ASHA Certification. To obtain certification upon completion of the program, ASHA requires the submission of a KASA summary form to show competencies achieved in an array of disciplines (for more on KASA, please visit the Certification Frequently Asked Questions page on ASHA's website).

ASHA also requires that students have completed one undergraduate class with a grade of C- or better in each of the following areas:

• Biological Sciences
  (general human anatomy, physiology, biology, microbiology, or zoology)
  
  
• Physical Sciences
  (physics, inorganic or organic chemistry)
  
  
• Mathematics
  (college-level statistics, or a computer course in which a major portion of the course content includes mathematics)
  
  
• Social/Behavioral Sciences
  (sociology, psychology, gerontology, or anthropology)
  

Students who have not completed these courses prior to acceptance into the Preparatory or Core phase of the Master's program will need to schedule them into their courseload in addition to the classes required for the Master's degree.

Students should familiarize themselves with the certification requirements described on ASHA's Membership and Certification page.

Applying to the Program

For information on applying to the program and prerequisites for admission, please see "How to Apply" on the Admissions Requirements page.