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
- 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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