Speech-Language Pathology

Master of Science

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Through coursework and extensive hands-on clinical experience, gain knowledge and skills to evaluate, treat, and advocate for people with communication and swallowing disorders.
  • Opportunities for interprofessional collaboration and practicum experiences across ages, disorders, and settings.
  • Individualized curriculum based on your career interests and on your educational background, to prepare you for three credentials: the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP), New York State license, and Teachers of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) (required to work with children in preschool-21 years).
  • Program is ideal for people who want to become a licensed speech-language pathologist and/or a certified New York state teacher of students with speech and language disabilities (TSSLD).

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Mix of daytime and evening classes

 

Complete full-time in as fast as 2 years (traditional) to 3 years (extended)

 

Extensive clinical opportunities on and off campus

 

Conduct research and present at conferences

Program Options

  • Traditional program (minimum 51 credits) is ideal for students with an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (or equivalent). Can be completed in 6-8 semesters.
  • Extended program (maximum 81 credits) is ideal for students with a degree from another major. This option includes taking undergraduate foundational courses. Can be completed in 8-10 semesters.

Curriculum Examples

  • Neuroanatomy of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
  • Alternative and Augmentative Communication
  • Feeding and Swallowing Disorders
  • Autism Supports Across the Lifespan
  • Medical Speech-Language Pathology
  • Cognitive Rehabilitation
  • Aphasia
  • Counseling

Value of your Degree

  • Our graduates have a 97% pass rate on the Praxis examination.
  • Our graduates report 100% employment rates after graduation.

Speech-Language Pathology 3-year Student Achievement Data »

The Master of Science (M.S.) in speech-language pathology (residential) at Nazareth University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

Nazareth University curriculum is designed to help students complete the CAA-accredited master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and meets educational requirements in New York to apply for certification as a Speech-Language Pathologist. 

Certification by ASHA is required by New York as well as by most states to acquire a state license to practice the profession of speech language pathology or for employment as a licensed speech language pathologist.

Nazareth University cannot determine whether completion of the master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology meets educational requirements to apply for licensure as a Speech-Language Pathologist in other states. Please contact ASHA for information about certification in other states.

For questions regarding the program, please contact Melissa Johnson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, mjohnso2@naz.edu

Making Grad School Affordable

Grants, scholarships, veterans benefits, loans, and undergraduate loan forgiveness are options for paying for this grad degree. Are you committed to teaching in high-needs schools? See if you are eligible for the Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) Scholarship.

Affordability

Graduate's Perspective

"I developed close friendships with people who I remain connected to today. The graduate program provided a strong feeling of community especially with frequent communication between students and professors, as well as being located in the York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute, which houses multiple disciplines and provides frequent opportunities for interprofessional work and collaboration within the Nazareth clinics. These interdisciplinary opportunities were extremely valuable in preparation for my career, as I collaborate closely with other disciplines to best support the students on my caseload. I also participated in leadership opportunities related to my areas of interest, through collaboration with a professor to design and implement a peer mentoring program to expose high school students with autism spectrum disorder to post-secondary opportunities. I gained research experience, completed a thesis, and had the opportunity to present this research on a local, state, and national scale."

— Julia Hess '17, '19G, speech-language pathologist, Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Newark Education Center, working with medically fragile students and students with multiple disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication to express themselves.

"The speech-language pathology graduate program at Naz is one of a kind. It is full of hands-on opportunities and educational resources (study abroad opportunities, scholarships, grants). The professors and clinical supervisors encourage and challenge you to your best ability and support you. Being a part of the bilingual extension (Spanish) as a SLP grad student best prepared me for my career. I gained so much valuable knowledge and experience, while working in the Rochester City School District and in the Neurogenic Communication and Cognition Clinic campus clinic with bilingual clients."

— Stacey Rymer '19G, speech language pathologist, independent contractor with New York City Department of Education and BOCES

What to Expect

  • Nazareth's speech-language pathology graduate program is nationally accredited. Graduates are eligible to apply for certification by ASHA, and to apply for licensing and teacher certification by the New York State Education Department.
  • Supportive, accessible faculty members are licensed, experienced as practitioners and instructors, and have a variety of research interests.
  • You have the option to get specialized preparation in working with children with autism through Nazareth's Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism (I-SPAN) specialization.
  • You have the option to take a three-course elective sequence in the deafness specialization program.
  • If you are highly proficient in Spanish, you can take three additional classes to earn a bilingual extension. Speech-language pathologists with bilingual certification are in high demand in schools across New York state.
  • You have the option to enroll in Nazareth's four-course Medical Specialization Program for preparation to work in medical settings across the continuum of health care (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, etc.) and across the lifespan.
  • You have the option to include an early-intervention interprofessional concentration (track): Rochester Scholars for Early Intervention helps you develop specialty knowledge and skills to be a strong advocate for young children and their families.
  • Nazareth's York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute opened in 2015, doubling on-campus clinic space, increasing research opportunities, and enhancing inter-professional collaboration across Nazareth's College of Interprofessional Health and Human Services and School of Education.

Catalog: Program Requirements & Course Descriptions »