Course variations

Course summary

This program emphasizes a research-clinical approach to Communication Sciences and Disorders. A master's graduate is best characterized as a general practitioner with many skills in specific areas of Speech-Language Pathology. Through academic preparation, practica, research, and externship experiences, the graduates are capable of functioning independently with some initial supervision and guidance. This program provides: academic courses in speech-language pathology; research training and experiences; opportunities to work with nationally-recognized faculty on basic and applied research projects; opportunities to observe and conduct diagnostic evaluations and therapeutic procedures for a variety of speech, language, and hearing impairments under supervision at the Penn State Speech and Hearing Clinic and at other selected sites; opportunities to develop an understanding of the process of working with individuals who have speech, language, or hearing disorders in relation to the broader aspects of human adjustment, and in various educational and clinical situations; training in state-of-the-art technology for assessment, therapy, and research; experience in reading and understanding the professional literature and standard works in speech and language pathology, as well as in areas of related and general interest; experiences in professional report writing.

Entry requirement for international students

Applicants must hold the equivalent of an American four-year baccalaureate degree. The graduate program requires: Cumulative GPA, GPA in the major, and/or last 60 credits GPA greater than 3.0; Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores greater than the fiftieth percentile on the verbal and quantitative sections and a 4.5 or above on the writing section; Excellent letters of recommendation; A strong, well-written personal statement; The completion of several undergraduate courses. Required Courses for admission into the master's program: Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Mechanisms (3 credits); Introduction to Audiology (3 credits); Aural Rehabilitation (Auditory Training, Speech Reading, etc.) (3 credits); Clinical Phonetics (3 credits); Normal Language Development (3 credits); Acoustic Principles in Communication Sciences and Disorders (3 credits); Introduction to Disorders of Articulation and Phonology (3 credits); Introduction to Organic Disorders of Speech and Language (3 credits); Principles of Clinical Management in Communication Sciences and Disorders (3 credits); Clinical Observations in Communication Sciences and Disorders (1 credit); Statistics (3 credits); 3 credits in biological sciences; 3 credits in physical sciences; 3 credits in mathematics; 6 credits in behavioral and/or social science. Qualified applicants will be admitted to the master's degree program even if they do not have all of the prerequisite course work. Their programs will be designed to provide prerequisite course work during the master's degree program. However, due to the sequence of undergraduate and graduate courses, students who have not completed these courses will extend their two-year program. Applicants with no previous practicum experience should expect to enroll for extra practicum experiences, which might increase the length of their programs. All international applicants must have scores for the TOEFL or the IELTS.

Qualification

Masters

Awarding body

Pennsylvania State University University Park Campus

Department name

College of Health and Human Development, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders