Communication Sciences and Disorders

Master of Arts in Speech-Language-Hearing

General Description

The Master's Degree Program in Speech-Language Pathology has been in existence for decades. The Department has achieved consistent recognition as one of the premier departments of its kind in the United States. The faculty maintains a strong commitment to the education of first-rate clinical professionals able to deal creatively with the broadest possible range of populations and settings. We are also committed to maintaining an active research program in the Department. The Department is able to provide students with a rich variety of supervised clinical experiences at its own Speech and Hearing Center on the University's main campus and at any of more than eighty field settings throughout the Delaware Valley. In addition, the Department maintains strong connections with faculty members and practitioners at Temple University Hospital, Medical School, and other departments in the College of Health Professions.

The master's education program in speech-language pathology at Temple University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, (http://www.asha.org/about/credentialing/accreditation/), 2200 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850-3289, Members: 800-498-2071, Non-Members: 800-638-8255, Fax: 301-296-8580. 

A complaint about the program may be submitted by any student, instructional staff member, speech-language pathologist, audiologist, and/or member of the public to the CAA through the contact information listed above. For a complaint to be considered by the CAA, it must: (a) be against an accredited education program or program in Candidacy status in speech-language pathology and/or audiology, (b) relate to the Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Education Programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, and specify where possible the relevant standards, and (c) include verification and documentation (e.g., copies of grievance processes, communications verifying completion of processes, etc.) if the complaint is from a student or faculty/instructional staff member at that institution, that the complainant exhausted all relevant institutional grievance and review mechanisms before submitting a complaint to the CAA, if relevant to the complaint.  For more information, go to the complaint procedures section of the ASHA website.

ASHA accreditation has been maintained without interruption since 1970. The Program also has been approved in Speech-Language Pathology by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Graduates of the Program have consistently gone on to significant careers throughout the United States and abroad. Opportunities exist for pursuing research interests under faculty guidance through independent study courses or the writing of a Master's thesis. In addition, students may elect coursework and practicum options emphasizing clinical service to Latino populations.

Criteria for Admission

• A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

• Scores of 500 or higher on the verbal and on the quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), as documented by official ETS score reports.

• A grade point average of 3.0 or above in all previous post-secondary academic work, as documented by official transcripts from all institutions attended.

• At least two letters of recommendation from persons able to assess realistically the applicant's potential for graduate study.

• A personal statement addressing one’s interest and aptitude for this area of study including both academic and clinical considerations.

In a limited number of cases, exceptions are made to the requirements noted in the second and third bullet points above. That is, some students present credentials showing that they can bring special or unusual strengths to the program, and we do take such factors into consideration.

Additionally, foreign students who are not native speakers of English must submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Score criteria are those established by the Graduate School and published in the Graduate Bulletin. Foreign applicants must also document their financial ability to study at Temple in order to receive a student visa. Forms for this purpose are available from the Office of International Services, 1700 N. Broad 203B, Temple University 062-57, Philadelphia, PA. 19122. Finally, foreign students must be engaged in full time study.

Prerequisites

Entering graduate students are required to demonstrate knowledge in certain content areas regarded as prerequisite to successful graduate study in speech, language, and hearing. While these prerequisite requirements have been determined by the Department faculty, they closely parallel requirements established by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Because these prerequisites are stated in terms of academic content rather than specific coursework, it is possible to meet them either by showing evidence of prior coursework of appropriate depth and rigor or by examination. The prerequisite areas are listed below, together with the Temple undergraduate courses that fulfill them.

Students entering the Graduate Program with a Baccalaureate degree in speech-language-hearing will usually have sufficient prior coursework to fulfill all or nearly all prerequisites. Those who enter from other fields, or from undergraduate speech and hearing programs with markedly different requirements, will usually find that they must take a substantial number of undergraduate courses and/or examinations to satisfy these requirements. Students who are admitted to the Program with a small number of prerequisites not fulfilled may make arrangements to complete them in their first year of graduate study. Students who need to fulfill greater than 75% of the prerequisites should expect to spend at least one additional year of study in the program.

Academic Prerequisite Areas (includes Temple undergraduate coursework which fulfills requirement):

Area 1: Structure of Language
CSD 2207 Phonetics
CSD 2208 Phonology
CSD 2217 Grammatical Analysis
CSD 2218 Language Processing

Area 2: Speech and Language Development
CSD 3301 Speech and Language Development

Area 3: Anatomy, Physiology, Neurology, and Physical Aspects
CSD 3233 Basic Speech Science
CSD 3234 Basic Hearing Science
CSD 3235 Human Neuroscience

Area 4: Quantitative Methods and Research
CSD 2201 Research Methods in Communication Science

Area 5: Clinical Processes
CSD 4301 Principles of Audiology
CSD 4396 Orientation to Clinical Management

2.2 Required Graduate Courses and Sequence:
The graduate program should be completed in 2 calendar years, which includes 2 academic years and the summers that follow them.  What follows is the sequence of courses required for our M.A. program in Speech-Language Pathology.

All graduate coursework and clinical practicum required in the professional area for which the Certificate is sought must have been initiated and completed at an institution whose program is accredited by the CAA in the area for which the Certificate is sought. Students enrolling in Fall 2009 or later must complete at least 39 semester hours of graduate work in academic subjects plus a minimum of 375 hours of clinical practicum plus 25 hours of observation.

Tentative First Year
Fall:
CSD 5521 Foundations in Child Language Disorders (3 sh)
CSD 5522 Foundations and Management in Phonological Disorders (3 sh)

CSD 5526 Foundations in Adult Language Disorders (3 sh)
CSD 5531 Applications in Audiology (1 sh)
CSD 8187 Basic Practicum in Diagnostics (1 sh)
CSD 8287 Basic Practicum in Therapy (1sh)

Spring:

CSD 8726: Management of Child Language Disorders (3)

CSD 5528: Foundations and Management in Voice (3)

CSD 8724: Management of Adult Language Disorders (3)

CSD 8187 Basic Practicum in Diagnostics (1 sh)
CSD 8287 Basic Practicum in Therapy (1sh)

Summer:

CSD 8722: Foundations and Management in Dysphagia (2)

CSD 5532: Foundations and Management in Hearing Disorders (3)

CSD 5525: Foundations and Management in Fluency (3)

CSD 8721: Foundations & Management in Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) (2)

CSD 9387 Advanced Clinical Practicum (3 sh)

Tentative Second Year
Fall:
CSD 8830: Seminar in CSD* (1) (taken once in 2nd year)

CSD 8727: Written Language Development & Disorders (2)

CSD 5524: Foundations & Management in Motor Speech Disorders (2)

CSD 9387 (3 s.h.): Advanced Clinical Practicum

CSD 9187 (1 s.h.): Practicum in Voice

CSD 9287 (1 s.h.) Practicum in Fluency

CSD 8187 (1 s.h.): Practicum in Hearing
CSD Electives

Spring:
CSD 8824: Assessment & Treatment of Diverse Populations (2)

CSD Electives
CSD 9387 Clinical Practicum and any other practica not yet taken

Summer:

CSD 9387 Clinical Practicum and any other practica not yet taken

Clinical Practicum Sites

Temple University's graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology offers a multitude of clinical practicum placements. Placements provide students with exposure to clients ranging in age from infants to older adults, to a wide range of communicative disorders, and to ethnically diverse populations.

The City of Philadelphia and the surrounding regions (including Northeastern PA, Southern New Jersey, Northern Delaware) are rich in teaching institutions, hospitals, rehabilitation sites, and professional service agencies. Students therefore are exposed to a variety of clinical settings as well. We consider the breadth and depth of clinical practicum experiences that we offer to be one of the great strengths of our program.

Special Program Options

Master's Thesis

Students interested in conducting a major piece of supervised research may elect to write a Master's thesis under the advisement of a member of the departmental faculty. Up to six elective credits may be used for thesis research, and the finished work is presented orally to a meeting of faculty and students.

Bilingual Emphasis Program

The Bilingual Emphasis Program (BEP) is an emphasis area devoted to training students to provide clinical services to individuals of Latino descent. The objective of the BEP is to provide M.A. level bilingual students with the competencies they will need to provide appropriate services to monolingual (English or Spanish) and bilingual (English and Spanish) Latino children. Although students do not have to be native speakers of Spanish, their proficiency should be high enough to provide clinical services in Spanish. In order to receive the BEP Certificate of Completion, students must complete the following: 4 elective academic credits focusing on service delivery to bilinguals and at least 2 clinical practica that largely serve Latinos. For more information, contact Dr. Brian Goldstein.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students must have departmental permission to enroll in graduate courses. No more than 9 semester hours of graduate coursework taken as a non-matriculated student may be counted toward the degree. In order to enroll in courses as a non-matriculated student, individuals must supply the department with an official transcript from their undergraduate institution and a syllabus from the course that satisfies the prerequisite requirements for the graduate course.  Finally, non-matriculated students must have attained a grade of "B-" or better in the prerequisite class(es) and have an overall undergraduate GPA greater than 3.0.  If these requirements are met, non-matriculated students, with permission of the Department, are permitted to take 3 of the following courses: (1) CSC+DIS 5521:  Language Disorders:  The Pre-School Years (Fall); (2) CSC+DIS 5522:  Disorders of Articulation and Phonology:  Management  (Fall); and (3) CSC+DIS 8726:  Child Language Disorders: School Age (Spring); (4) CSC+DIS Foundations and Management in Fluency (Summer).  Contact Ms. Dawn Dandridge, Coordinator of Student Services, for more information.