Many students may choose to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders as their second degree. Post-baccalaureate coursework provides students with the academic and clinical foundation to enter a master’s degree program in speech language pathology.
This post-bac program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours. It provides a strong foundation for future SLPs who want to work with children and/or adults. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree.
The Role of Speech Pathologists
Speech pathologists provide services in such areas as speech sound production, fluency, receptive and expressive language, literacy, impacts of hearing loss on speech and language, swallowing, feeding, and cognition.
Clients may have conditions like aphasia, autism spectrum disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, developmental language impairments, acquired brain injury, intellectual disability, reading and/or writing impairments.
SLPs work in hospitals, preschools, schools, veteran care sites, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and universities.
Admission Requirements
- Completion of a B.A. or B.S. degree
- A meeting with the Undergraduate Coordinator, Dr. Stephen Kintz
- No specific prerequisite coursework is required
Minimum Qualifications to Practice as an SLP
To practice as an SLP, you must have a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, successful completion of the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association (ASHA) national praxis examination, successful completion of a 9-month Supervised Clinical Fellowship Experience (post M.S.), and receipt of the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competency.
Post-Baccalaureate Course Sequence
The course sequence begins in the fall semester and each class is taught once per year. No courses are offered during the summer, and no online courses are offered. Students may attend full-time or part-time.
AUSP Fall Courses:
- 3340 Introduction to Audiology
- 3350 Applied Phonetics
- 3360 Language Acquisition
- 3361 Speech Anatomy and Physiology
- 4310 Neural Processing Speech/Language
AUSP Spring Courses:
- 3363 Speech Sound Disorders
- 3364 Speech & Hearing Sciences
- 3365 Clinical Management
- 3366 Children with Language Impairments
- 4364 Assessment in Speech Lang Path