Master's Degrees-Speech-Language Pathology

Speech-Language Pathology

Speech-Language Pathology

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Master's Degree Program

Master of Science Program

Speech-Language Pathology

The Master of Science degree program in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Central Arkansas is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). Graduates from the program earn a Master of Science degree and meet academic and clinical practicum standards for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology granted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Speech-Language Pathology license issued by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Graduates also meet the requirements for the Speech-Language Pathology credential from the Arkansas State Department of Education.

The Master's program in Speech-Language Pathology completed the re-accreditation process during the 2008-2009 school year. The CAA voted to re-accredit the program for a period of 8 years beginning December 1, 2008 through November 30, 2016.

Fifteen Speech-Language Pathology faculty members hold Certificates of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. All faculty members are licensed by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Although all are engaged in teaching, several have written or contributed to textbooks and journals in fluency disorders, child and adult language, dysphagia, clinical supervision, and phonology. All are active in professional affairs.

Achievement data for students completing the Master's program during the past 3 years includes:

95% of the students achieved a passing score on the Praxis II Speech-Language Pathology Area test
99% of the students were employed in the profession within one year of graduation
94.6% of the students completed the program (90.1% completed in five or six semesters; 4.5% required additional semesters; 5.4% did not complete the program due to personal or academic reasons)

Admission

Admission to the M.S. Program in Speech-Language Pathology is competitive, selective, and limited. Selection is based on academic and personal qualifications of the applicant and is granted without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in oral communication prior to admission to practicum courses. The minimum entry criteria are:

Overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 (with priority given to students demonstrating outstanding academic achievement)
Graduate grade point average of 3.0on any hours taken. Credit hours may be transferred from another master of science program, subject to the approval of the Graduate Advisor
Submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination (General Test)

Application Deadline For Master's Program Is February 1st

Checklist for Master's Application Materials

Recommendation Form for Master's Students

Departmental Financial Aid Application for Master's Students

Graduate School Application

Degree Requirements

Completion of the Master's degree requires six consecutive semesters of full time enrollment. Students must complete a minimum of 47 semester credit hours of academic and clinical courses including 33 hours of academic study and 14 hours of practicum. Students enroll in academic courses during the first 3 semesters and enroll primarily in clinical practicum courses during the last 3 semesters.

Students may begin their Master's program in Summer (link here for summer plan of study) or Fall (link here for Fall plan of study)..

Required Coursework (30 credit hours)

6216 Cleft Palate and Velopharygeal Incompetence
6225 Voice Disorders
6227 Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders
6240 Neurogenics I
6241 Neurogenics II
6243 Neurogenics III
6302 Research Fundamentals in Speech Pathology
6311 Aural Rehabilitation
6314 Adult Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders
6317 Augmentative /Alternative Communication
6345 Topics in School-Age Language Disorders
6360 Professional Issues in Speech-Language Pathology

Electives

6105 Clinical Seminar: Evidence Based Practice
6220 Fluency Disorder
6235 Assessment and Intervention for Children with Severe Disabilities
6306 Advanced Independent Study & Readings in Speech Pathology
6316 Data Analysis
6330 Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Practices
6336 Thesis

*Course descriptions are listed in the current Graduate Bulletin.

During the initial advising meeting, the graduate advisor and the student review the student's undergraduate transcript to ensure that he/she will meet the requirements for ASHA Certification when the graduate program is completed. In addition to the required graduate courses listed above, students must complete at least once course in each of the following areas with a grade of C or better:

Biological Science
Physical Science
Mathematics
Behavioral/Social Science

Additionally, students must complete courses in basic human communication processes and the nature of speech, language, and hearing disorders including courses in the following areas: phonetics, normal language development, anatomy and physiology of the speech mechanism, speech and hearing science, clinical methods, audiology, language disorders, and articulation disorders. All students must take a course in fluency disorders at UCA (either the undergraduate course, 4230 Fluency Disorders or the graduate course, 6220 Fluency Disorders). Undergraduate deficiencies are identified and a program of study is developed for each student. Students who want to substitute a course completed at the undergraduate level which is similar in content to one of the required graduate courses, meet with the instructor of the graduate course to review to course content. If approved, the student must enroll in an additional graduate course.

A maximum of 17 to 18 credit hours may be transferred from another CAA approved Master of Science program, subject to the approval of the Graduate Advisor. Verification of any transfer work (official transcript) must be submitted by the student and is placed in the academic advising file.

M.S. Thesis Option

Students who choose to complete a thesis enroll in 3 or 6 hours (6336 Thesis).

Selection of a thesis topic is the responsibility of the student. The department chair approves a major research faculty advisor. All members of the thesis committee must be approved and appointed by the department chair. the thesis committee shall be composed of a minimum of three members who hold graduate faculty status: the major professor, a second faculty member within the department, and a third member from outside the department.

The Thesis and Dissertation Preparation Guide

is published by the Graduate School. After the thesis has been read and approved and before the student is recommended to the Graduate Dean for graduation, the thesis committee meets with the student for an oral examination, which consists principally of a defense of the thesis. A majority of the student's committee must approve the thesis and its defense. If approval is denied, the student will not be recommended for graduation. in this event, the student may be reexamined at a later period , no sooner than three months after the initial examination.

Independent Study Option

Students who choose to complete an independent study take Advanced Independent Study & Readings in Speech Pathology (6306). Students may also take 6316 Data Analysis.

The end product of Independent Study is a completed experimental study or project, the results of which is presented in one or more of a variety of formats. Students are encouraged to submit proposals for presentation at the ArkSHA convention, the ASHA Convention or other professional meetings. Work on the topic of the study begins in the Research course, so that this research project may span two to four semesters. Students are assigned to a faculty mentor who meets with the student on a regular basis until the end of the study (completion of requirements for Independent Study).

Clinical Research Option

Students who choose the clinical research option take 30 hours of required academic coursework, one elective (2 or 3 semester credit hours), and 6105 Clinical Seminar V: Evidence Based Practice. In this class students research a clinical case, typically one they are working with during the semester. The expectation is to "research the evidence" available in order to develop an assessment/treatment plan for the assigned case. It is expected that the student is able to document the efficacy and effectiveness of the recommendations for the assigned case.

Clinical Practicum (14 credit hours)

Students enroll in Advanced Clinical Practicum during the 2nd year of graduate study. During one semester, students will complete screenings, diagnostics, and therapy at the UCA clinic. during two semesters, students will be placed 4-5 days per week at off-campus sites. This supervised practicum will include experiences with patient/client populations across the life span and from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds. A total of 400 clinical practicum hours must be accrued with a minimum of 325 at the graduate level. Practicum experiences will be completed at the UCA Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and off-campus sites. The UCA Clinic serves approximately 60-70 clients per semester. Additionally, students enjoy a variety of clinical experiences in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, public schools, and early intervention programs throughout the state and sometimes in other states.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students completing clinical research or an independent study will be required to complete the comprehensive examination. Students who successively complete a thesis meet the comprehensive requirement.

Complaint Process

Students may file complaints according to the policies and procedures outlined in the UCA Student Handbook. These include policies for academic complaints, sexual harassment, and standards of student conduct. Processes for complaints/appeals vary depending on the category. Students may consult with the department chair regarding appropriate procedures as outlined in the UCA Student Handbook.

The Master of Science degree program in the Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Central Arkansas is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). Complaints against graduate education programs should be submitted to the chair of the Council on Academic Accreditation. Procedures for submitting complaints have been posted in the department.

Click here for complaint procedures.

Retention

Once admitted, a student's progress in the Speech-Language Pathology program is reviewed each semester. To remain in good standing, the student must:

Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0. A student whose cumulative GPA is less than 3.0 is on academic probation. In the next semester of attendance, the student must achieve a cumulative 3.0 or at least show meaningful improvement towards a 3.0 GPA. If the cumulative 3.0 is not met or meaningful improvement shown, the student is ineligible to continue graduate studies at UCA. A GPA of 3.0 or above is required for graduation. Up to 6 hours beyond the degree requirements can be used to meet this GPA, but all such hours must be approved by the student's advisor.
Observe the fundamental rules of ethical conduct as described in the Code of Ethics of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association.
Maintain satisfactory non-academic criteria that are important to function as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Consequently, students are required to meet the following criteria:

Oral communication abilities adequate to function as a Speech-Language Pathologist. The program adheres to ASHA's position statement, "Students and Professionals Who Speak English with Accents and Nonstandard Dialects."
Auditory ability adequate for assessing speech-language problems and providing treatment.
Interpersonal behaviors that reflect professional standards.

Assessment of non-academic requirements involves the professional judgments of faculty and administrators. It is crucial that clients and patients rights to appropriate speech and language services be protected. It is the University's responsibility to protect both students and the clients they serve. The UCA Speech-Language Pathology faculty deals with these issues through regular reviews of student progress during faculty meetings. Potential problems are raised as soon as possible with the student, remediation procedures are suggested, and the student is given time to respond. On rare occasions, it is necessary to counsel students out of the program for non-academic reasons. Before arriving at such a decision, there is extensive discussion, clear feedback to the student regarding the problems, and agreement among faculty as to the course of action. The intention of this policy is to give students a fair opportunity to succeed.

Interested in the Master's Program at UCA?