Help People of All Ages as a Speech-Language Pathologist
While speaking, listening, and swallowing come naturally for some people, others need assistance with these skills—that’s where you can help. The clinical competencies you’ll learn in the MS in Speech-Language Pathology program will prepare you for a career with plenty of options.
This master’s program is clinically balanced. You’ll learn assessment and treatment techniques to support the entire scope of practice:
- Neonatal infants with swallowing difficulties
- Preschool and school-aged children with speech and language issues
- Adults with brain injuries or strokes
- Geriatric patients needing end-of-life care
Why Earn a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at IUP?
Your education will take place on campus and in clinical internships. You’ll strengthen your skills in IUP’s hospital simulation lab so you can be prepared for the medical side of the profession. Your training will provide you with the necessary skills for all practice settings:
- Neonatal ICUs
- Schools
- Outpatient clinics
- Inpatient hospitals
- Skilled nursing facilities
During your first year, you’ll have opportunities for state-of-the-art service delivery with burst session models (these are 10-minute intensive sessions) at local schools. In IUP’s campus clinic, you’ll learn individual and group therapy for:
- Adult neurogenic disorders
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Pediatric communication disorders
During your second year, you can relocate to almost anywhere in the state or country to complete your two full-time internships.
Imagine Your Future
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for speech-language pathologists is projected to grow 18 percent from 2023 to 2033. This is much faster than the average for all occupations.
Not only is there a high demand for speech-language pathologists across the United States, but it’s a career where you can choose where you’d like to work.
Approximately half of the graduates of IUP’s MS in Speech-Language Pathology program are working in adult healthcare settings. The other half of graduates are working with pediatrics in either education or clinical settings.
It’s consistently ranked in US News and World Report’s top 100 Best Jobs.
Speech-language pathologists are in high demand in the following settings:
- Early intervention programs
- For-profit and nonprofit agencies that offer speech-language services
- Hospital inpatient and outpatient facilities, including neonatal, pediatric, and adult intensive care units
- National and international businesses and corporations (often to address accent modification)
- Public and private school systems (including preschool education)
- Private clinics and private practices
- Rehabilitation centers, both pediatric and adult
- Skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies
- University clinics and clinical education programs
Career Benefits
- A rewarding career helping people
- Collaborative work with other healthcare and education professionals
- Financial stability
- Opportunities for career advancement and leadership
- Work-life balance
Classes and Requirements
During your first three semesters, you’ll learn through classroom instruction and clinical practica. Your classes will include cases and simulations so you are prepared to make evidence-based clinical decisions.
You’ll also learn to adapt your services to meet the individual needs of clients with different backgrounds, languages, cultures, and goals. In your second year, you’ll apply skills in two full-time internships most anywhere in the state or country.
You’ll be trained in all facets of the profession so you meet the requirements for certification and licensure.
Full Academic Catalog Listing
The course catalog is the official reference for all our degree and course offerings. Check it out for a full listing of the classes available and requirements for this degree.
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Program Accreditation and Credentials
- The Master of Science (MS) education program in Speech-Language Pathology (residential) at Indiana University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.
When you complete this program, you’ll meet the academic and practicum requirements for :
- A license to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (with reciprocity in many other states; however, check requirements for state licensure elsewhere)
- An education specialist certification through the Pennsylvania Department of Education to provide speech-language pathology services in the schools
- The Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by ASHA
Students enrolled in the program (24 per year).
Students receive funding in the form of scholarships, assistantships, or federal work-study.
Students have a greater than 95 percent on-time completion, PRAXIS pass rate, and employment within one year.
Watch: “Speech-Language Pathology at IUP”
Hear directly from alumni and faculty about what sets our program apart.
Student Outcome Data
We offer a clinically focused SLP Master of Science degree program, providing basic training for all practice settings (e.g., schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics, skilled nursing). Our graduates meet the academic and practicum requirements to apply for (a) the Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by ASHA, (b) a license to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and many other states, and (c) certification through the Pennsylvania Department of Education to provide speech-language pathology services in the schools.
We continually strive for excellence in preparing students for careers in speech-language pathology. To do this, we review our Speech-Language Pathology Program’s Long-Term Strategic Plan annually, including our Vision and Mission statements.
The Master of Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Indiana University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. Our current accreditation period extends through May 31, 2028.
Our traditional master's degree program is a two-year (five-semester, 52 credit) full-time program. The first three semesters are residential, on-campus with face-to-face classes and campus clinics. The final two semesters are devoted to full-time internships, with one online seminar each semester (distance education fees apply). Students have the option to live away from campus during the final year.
IUP undergraduate students enrolled in the early admission program complete 15 graduate credits during their senior year, and then four semesters (37 credits) as graduate students. See that sequence of coursework here. Students have the option to live away from campus during their last semester while completing their second internship and an online seminar (distance education fees apply).
Here are the student outcome data for on-time program completion, program completion, praxis examination rates, and employment rates:
| Reporting Period | # Completed within Expected Timeframe | # Completed Later than Expected Timeframe | Did not complete | % Completed within Expected Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recent Year (2023–24) |
24 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| 1 Year Prior (2022–23) |
18 | 1 | 0 | 95% |
| 2 Years Prior (2021–22) |
24 | 1 | 0 | 96% |
| 3-Year Average | 97% |
| Reporting Period | # Taking the Exam | # Passed Exam | % Passed Exam Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recent Year (2023–24) |
24 | 24 | 100% |
| 1 Year Prior (2022–23) |
19 | 19 | 100% |
| 2 Years Prior (2021–22) |
25 | 25 | 100% |
| 3-Year Average | 100% |
| Reporting Period | # of Graduates from prior year | Employed within 1 year of graduation |
% Employed within 1 year of graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recent Year (2022–23) |
19 | 19 | 100% |
| 1 Year Prior (2021–22) |
25 | 25 | 100% |
| 2 Years Prior (2020–21 |
23 | 23 | 100% |
| 3-Year Average | 100% |
Watch: “Innovation in SLP Training”
IUP’s MS in Speech-Language Pathology program has an innovative hospital simulation lab designed specifically for your SLP training purposes.
In this lab, you’ll build on your knowledge, learning new skills while working with manikins and actors. These experiences improve your competence and confidence for working in the medical side of the profession.
The lab can be converted to a:
- Intensive care unit
- Neonatal intensive care unit
- Radiology suite
- Skilled nursing setting
Case-based experiences with the manikins and standardized patients allow for progressive clinical decision-making opportunities before your healthcare internships.
Balanced Expertise in Our Faculty
Our program faculty have balanced expertise in pediatric and adult disorders, and design coursework that integrates teaching on current evidence-based practices with cases and clinical simulations. Faculty bring clinical expertise from varied settings and disorder populations, and all are committed to student-centered education and the use of innovative teaching strategies. Our clinical faculty have advanced training in supervision and service delivery. They scaffold first-year clinical instruction to your emerging skill level and prepare you for your internships during the second year of the program.
Description of First-Year Clinical Experiences
You’ll complete five clinical rotations during the first year of the program.
There are two treatment clinics under the supervision of our clinical faculty. One semester will include a mix of burst sessions (intensive, 10-minutes each)and individual and small group sessions in local school districts. This practicum gives you experience with high-volume and repeated opportunities to develop clinical instruction, feedback, and data-taking skills.
Another semester will include a varied caseload of pediatric speech and language, autism, and adult neurogenic communication disorders in IUP’s campus clinic.
You’ll also work in a diagnostic clinic so you can develop skills in diagnostic assessment and progress monitoring. In addition, all students gain experience performing screenings of speech, language, and hearing in the community. A hearing clinic rotation includes hearing screenings for children and adults in a variety of settings.
The final first-year clinical rotation is the medical simulation clinic that occurs in IUP’s hospital simulation lab. You’ll work in this clinic during the summer before your second-year internships, honing your skills with acute care patients. The focus is on disorders of swallowing, cognition, and motor speech.
Second-Year Internships (almost) Anywhere
You have the option to leave campus during the second year of the program to complete your full-time internships. You decide if you want to stay in Indiana, live at home, or live in another state. This is possible because the two courses you take during the second year are delivered through distance education (distance education fees apply).
IUP’s clinic director finds quality placements from a large network of schools, hospitals, rehabilitation, and outpatient clinic facilities. Your placement will be selected to match your career goals.
We have over 250 internship sites across Pennsylvania and a growing number of affiliation agreements with sites in other states (e.g., OH, NJ, VA, NC, SC, FL, CO, HI).
1. Prerequisite Coursework in SLP
Students must have required prerequisite coursework completed prior to enrolling in the IUP graduate program. Our program requires the following for graduate admission:
Basic Coursework
- Biology (with human content)
- Physics or chemistry
- Social and behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology)
- Statistics
Speech-Language Coursework
- Anatomy and physiology for speech and hearing
- Audiology and/or aural rehabilitation
- Language development
- Phonetics
- Speech and hearing science
Other Requirements
- Federal and state clearances (e.g., FBI fingerprinting, state police, child abuse, TB test)
- Twenty-five guided observation hours in the field signed by a certified speech-language pathologist
See our BS in Speech-Language Pathology website for information about enrolling in some or all of this prerequisite coursework as a visiting/non-degree student. Learn more by calling 724–357–2573 or email ing visiting-student@iup.edu.
2. Required Application Materials
Please be sure that all application materials are submitted to the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) prior to February 15 for matriculation at the beginning of the fall semester.
Required application materials include the following:
- Official transcripts that verify the prerequisite coursework listed above
- Two academic letters of recommendation
- Written responses to prompts on CSDCAS
- A self-recorded video interview (see CSDCAS for details)
3. SLP Graduate School Open Houses
Virtual informational sessions are conducted periodically, and students can visit campus as well.
Sign up online via SignUpGenius.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is committed to providing leadership in taking affirmative action to assure equal education and employment rights for all persons.
4. Applicants from Non-native English Speakers
If you are a non-native English speaker, you must submit your scores from one of these tests:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Your test scores must be within the past year. To demonstrate proficiency, you must submit a minimum score of 100 on the internet-based (iBT) or 7.0 on the IELTS.
Exceptions
If you are an international student with an undergraduate degree from an American university, you do not have to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Also, if you are from a country where English is a dominant language, you do not have to submit scores.
Observation hours and clinical practicum completed in another country will be accepted only if they have been supervised by a speech-language pathologist who holds the appropriate certification from American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA).
Mission and Vision
Vision
The IUP Speech-Language Pathology program aspires to:
-
Provide quality academic training that emphasizes evidence-based content using pedagogies that allow for synthesis and application of knowledge in a supportive environment
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Teach students to value, critically appraise, and judiciously implement the best examples of current clinical research to continually update their practice paradigm
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Foster a mindset of collaboration through interprofessional and clinical experiences that involve the community, clients, and families
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Develop sensitivity to cultural, linguistic, and individual diversity
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Serve as a community resource for individuals with communication, swallowing, and/or hearing disorders and their families
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Contribute to the knowledge base of the discipline of communication sciences and disorders.
Mission
The mission of the Bachelor of Science program in speech-language pathology is to provide an innovative and high-quality academic program that prepares students to enter graduate programs in speech-language pathology, audiology, or other professions, with a strong foundation in human communication, swallowing, and hearing.
The mission of the Master of Science program in speech-language pathology is to provide excellent academic, professional, and clinical preparation which reflects the art and science of our discipline. Graduates will be prepared to engage in interprofessional collaboration to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by communication, swallowing, and hearing disorders.
Graduates of both programs will be lifelong learners who fulfill the university goals of becoming critical thinkers and effective communicators. They will demonstrate ethical and professional behaviors that adhere to the high standards of contemporary practice in a culturally diverse and global society.
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of typical development as well as disorders of communication and swallowing.
- Manage clinical cases by applying principles of prevention, assessment, intervention, and evidence-based practice, and by analyzing data to make appropriate clinical decisions.
- Collaborate and communicate effectively with a diverse range of clients, families, supervisors, and other healthcare professionals both orally and in writing.
- Understand and demonstrate professional and ethical conduct in clinical practice.
Strategic Plan
View our 2022–25 Program Strategic Plan.