For more information contact us at:
323 Wirtz Hall, DeKalb, IL 60115
Phone: (815) 753-1484
Email:
niuslp@niu.edu
Graduate Study: Specialization in Speech-Language Pathology
We offer a specialization in Speech-Language Pathology for those completing the master's program in Communication Disorders (M.S.), offered by the College of Allied Health & Communicative Disorders.
The specialization in Speech-Language Pathology is typically completed in five semesters. Students enroll for classes and engage in clinical practicum each semester. During the first four semesters, students attend class and work in the on-campus clinic and local off-campus clinical sites. The last semester of study consists of a full-time off-campus practicum. Students typically spend ten weeks in a school setting and ten weeks in a hospital/rehab setting.
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Students select courses from a broad menu including Pediatric Swallowing, Adult Swallowing Disorders, Craniofacial Anomalies, Counseling in Communicative Disorders, Aphasia, Family-Based Treatment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Advanced Stuttering, Child Language Disorders, School Age Language Disorders, Advanced Clinical Phonology, Voice Disorders, and a number of others.
Students with special interests may design a focus of study in a particular area (e.g., Aural Rehabilitation, Early Intervention, Neurological Disorders, Fluency Disorders, and others).
Off-Campus sites for practicum are available in essentially all the major hospitals and rehabilitation centers in northern Illinois and a large number of school districts. Specialized practicum is available in essentially any type of setting in which students express an interest. We have placed students in neonatal intensive care units, special education classrooms, head injury centers, dysphagia units, etc. Out of state practica may be arranged for interested students.
A thesis option is available for students interested in completing original investigations under the supervision of a faculty member.
Upon completing the master's degree, students specializing in Speech-Language Pathology meet the requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence and most qualify for licensure by the state of Illinois. Employment is 100%. Most graduates of the Communicative Disorders program choose to work in Illinois. However, nearly all states have a Northern Illinois graduate working in speech-language pathology.
Learn more about preparing for graduate work in Speech-Language Pathology for students with a bachelor's degree in an area other than Communication Sciences and Disorders.
The program is accredited in Audiology by the Council on Academic Accreditation and in Speech-Language Pathology by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is designed for all students to meet the academic and clinical requirements for clinical certification (CCC-SLP).