COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology requires a total of 66 units and is designed to provide advanced academic knowledge, clinical expertise, and professional preparation for practice in communicative disorders across diverse populations. The program includes 39 units of core coursework covering a wide range of specialized areas such as voice disorders, phonological and fluency disorders, language disorders in children, neurological and motor speech disorders, dysphagia, cognitive-communication disorders, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and the impact of communication within cross-cultural contexts. Students also study school-age language and literacy development, contemporary professional issues, and complete a required research seminar in communicative disorders, which also fulfills the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement and requires a minimum grade of B. In addition to academic coursework, students complete 24 units of supervised practicum and fieldwork, which provide extensive hands-on clinical training and require a minimum of 400 total clinical hours, including direct service and observation experiences. These practicum courses include school-based fieldwork, advanced assessment training, and intensive clinical management experiences, ensuring students gain practical skills in evaluating and treating communication disorders across the lifespan. The program concludes with a 3-unit culminating experience, where students choose between a thesis (Plan A) or a comprehensive exam or project (Plan B), both designed to demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and clinical application. Overall, the curriculum integrates rigorous academic study with extensive real-world clinical practice, preparing graduates to become highly skilled, ethical, and culturally responsive speech-language pathologists capable of working in educational, medical, and community-based settings.