Prerequisites for Non-Majors
The Speech-Language Pathologist is a professional who engages in clinical services, prevention, advocacy, education, administration, and research in the areas of communication and swallowing across the life span from infancy through geriatrics. Given the diversity of the client population, the American Speech-Language and Audiology Association requires that accredited educational programs provide course work and clinical experiences to prepare individuals to work in a variety of settings.
Miami offers an undergraduate and a graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. For undergraduate students, Miami offers a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. However, a Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist must have a graduate degree in order to practice. You cannot be licensed in Ohio without the additional, required graduate courses. Miami does not offer online or distance-learning undergraduate coursework.
The graduate program provides academic study and clinical experiences in Speech-Language Pathology leading to a M.S. or M.A. degree. Students enroll in core curriculum for Speech-Language Pathology during the first year and coursework and professional field experiences during the summer and in the second year. All applications to our program undergo the same process of review and must meet the same admission standards regardless of possible external funding sources.
Requirements
- While applicants to the graduate program come from a variety of fields they must all have completed a Bachelors Degree.
- There are several "leveling" or prerequisite courses which establish a foundation for graduate work in the profession. These courses can be taken at any school and at any time in a program in Speech Pathology as a non-degree status student. Miami University does reserve the right to assess courses taken at another institution to determine if these courses adequately prepare the student for graduate work at Miami.
Courses commonly taken at the undergraduate level and which usually are taken as prerequisites to graduate classes include:
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
- Phonetics
- Language Development
- Language Disorders
- Introduction to Audiology
- Aural Rehabilitation
- Speech and Hearing Science
These courses are not required to be admitted to the program, but any
course you take before you apply to or start in a graduate program can have significant advantages.
Advantages of Taking Prerequisites Prior to Admission
First, it will help keep students on track for timely program completion. The graduate program is two years, but those have not taken any undergraduate courses in Speech and Hearing will take longer.
Second, in order to be eligible for graduate monetary support a student must be a full-time graduate student. Undergraduate credits cannot be counted as part of the minimum 12-hour full-time graduate course load.
Third, being able to show successful completion of undergraduate courses in the major helps to demonstrate a student's potential for graduate study.
Graduate programs in Speech-Language Pathology are very competitive and it is to your advantage to demonstrate your mastery of basic level courses.
Recommended Additional Experience
Prior to engaging in clinical practicum experiences the American Speech-Language and Audiology Association requires that students spend a minimum of 25 hours of observing accredited and licensed Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) and Audiologists engaged in the provision of clinical services. These hours must be carefully documented and must include the nature of the observation (age, type of disorder/therapy) the professional’s signature and their valid ASHA accreditation number. Completing these hours prior to entering the program provides you with valuable insight into some of the professional responsibilities of an SLP and enables you to be assigned to clinical experiences soon after you enter the program.