Prior to beginning a graduate degree in speech-language pathology, students must observe a minimum of 25 clock hours of clinical practice to meet the requirement of the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Students entering graduate school in Audiology are not required to complete observation hours above and beyond those required within coursework.
It depends on what sort of courses you find difficult. A few students find that the science-oriented coursework in the major may be a little more challenging, e.g., theories, anatomy and physiology and neurology, etc. Expectations for good performance in courses is high and at the graduate level, a C is unacceptable work. Each graduate course in the major has competencies that must be met, usually at 80% or better, and if not met, remediation work must be done by the student.
The minimum degrees to practice are the M.A. for speech language pathology, and the AuD for audiology. The MA program takes around 6 semesters if all coursework and clinical experience is passed successfully on first try. The typical student takes six semesters to complete all requirements and graduate with the M.A. in speech pathology. The AuD takes around twelve semesters.
Starting salaries vary a lot, depending on geography and type of setting. Median salaries with experience are trending mid $50K to $60K per year, according to the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (2008). Starting salary information is a little harder to find, but you might expect $40K to mid $50K range your first year out of school depending on setting and geographic area. Speech Pathology and Audiology are in high demand, and are anticipated to be so for the next decade.
Speech language pathology requires you to have a Master's degree to practice, so that is really the only option. Audiology requires you to have an Audiology Doctorate (AuD) to practice.
Where would I work?
Jobs are available in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, private practice, nursing homes, etc. The job market in speech pathology and audiology is outstanding and job satisfaction is high. Our students historically have nearly a 100% job rate after graduation with the Master's or AuD.
Students may declare their major in SPA upon entering Kent State University. Before taking advanced (junior level) SPA courses, students must apply for the professional phase of the major. The progression within the undergraduate program depends upon the student catalog year (the year the student entered Kent State University).
Students with a catalog year of 2013 and prior should apply for the professional phase of the SPA major when they have earned, or will earn by the end of the term, 45 credit hours and a GPA of at least 2.75.
The "combined program" is an opportunity available only to KSU undergraduates. During the fall of your senior year you may apply for admission to the graduate program. If accepted, you are then admitted "early" to the Master's program and will begin graduate school during the spring semester of your senior year. Nine semester hours of the spring semester will "double count" toward completing your undergraduate degree and your master's degree. Students must have a minimum of 90 credit hours to apply.
The Kent CORE coursework and the required courses for the SPA major on the GPS Roadmap (PDF) are required for successful completion of the undergraduate degree in SPA. Be aware that the American Speech Language Hearing Association requires minimum coursework in order to be eligible for clinical certification.
The courses in SPA build upon each other. The content in one class is used to help students learn the content in the next class. Taking the courses out of sequence can really interfere with learning. Students should discuss any changes they want to make with an advisor.
Students should contact the professor for the class they are taking to talk about how to improve their own performance. Students should also contact their SPA advisor to discuss concerns and get help as soon as possible. There are many resources at Kent State to help students succeed and learn. Students can learn about these on the website and talk this over with an advisor or the class professor.
