Academic Preparation for Careers in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology

SLP = Speech Language Pathology

General Knowledge, Skills, Aptitudes, and Experiences

• critical thinking, problem solving, logical reasoning skills
• exposure to the scientific method and opportunities for research experiences
• exposure to the culture of science (e.g., ethics, interdisciplinary research, team science)
• exposure to other disciplines and professional/scientific organizations
• opportunities for interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaborative learning
• exposure to “evidence-informed decision making” as a lifelong learning journey
• cultural competence
• competencies in oral and written communication (e.g., reading, writing, listening, speaking)

Social, Behavioral, Biological, and Physical Science Coursework

• Foundational coursework for a career in SLP or audiology includes
  • biology
  • human anatomy and physiology
  • linguistics
  • math and statistics
  • neuroscience
  • physics and acoustics
  • psychology and cognitive science
• also need exposure to research contributions across fields

Communication Sciences and Disorders Related Knowledge, Skills, Aptitudes, and Experiences

• historical and philosophical tenets of the professions
• normal communication (speech, language, hearing, cognition) across the lifespan
• overview of hearing and balance disorders
• overview of speech, language, and swallowing disorders
• overview of the clinical process, continuum of service delivery, and evidence-based practices
• co-curricular experiences such as grand rounds, colloquia, service learning, and undergraduate research
• exposure to health and education policy as well as advocacy
• knowledge of how to work in teams

Graduate Education

• an MA is an entry-level degree for SLP
• an AuD (doctor of audiology) is entry-level clinical degree for audiology
• there’s a minimum amount of shadowing hours to be completed (usually during undergrad) as well as clinical hours in grad school along with coursework
  • this teaches you how to do evaluations and treatment
• to practice, you have to do the following:
  • pass the national praxis exam
  • apply for the CCC (certificate of clinical competency)
  • apply for state licensure
• most SLP’s practice in schools but can also work in hospitals, universities, private practice, or come to an individual’s home
  • if you’re planning to work in a school, you may need state teacher licensure
• most audiologists work in medical settings, private practice, industry, or universities

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