Mar 26, 2025  
2025-2026 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog

Speech Pathology and Audiology, MS


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The Master of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology introduces students to advanced study and specialization in communicative disorders, instructs them in methods of independent investigation, enables them to satisfy the academic requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in speech-language pathology, state licensure, and allows them to acquire the requisite skills to become responsible professionals.

Admission and Prerequisites


In addition to the general application and admission requirements from the Graduate School, all applicants are required to submit:

· Responses to the Personal Prompt Questions designed by the department and available from the Graduate School. 

· The Graduate School requirement for letters of recommendation applies to ALL students, including graduates from the UL Lafayette CODI undergraduate program. These recommendations take the form of a completed rating scale available from the Graduate School.

· Submission of the GRE is not required, but encouraged. If submitted, GRE scores must be sent directly from the test administrator to the Graduate School.

Students admitted to the program are expected to have basic foundational knowledge which is typically obtained in an undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders or related fields of study. Specific prerequisite courses include the following:

  • a course in phonetics
  • a course in normal speech and language development
  • a course in the anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism
  • a course in basic speech science
  • an introductory course in audiology
  • a course in aural habilitation
  • a course in language disorders
  • a course in speech sound disorders (other disorder area courses may be substituted)
  • a course in clinical methods/observation and
  • a course in applied statistics

In addition to the prerequisite requirements above, applicants should have a course in a biological science, a course in chemistry or physics, and a course in a behavioral science.

Failure to meet all of the above prerequisites shall not be reason to be denied admission; however, a student is expected to have completed a majority of the courses prior to admission. A student may not be advanced to candidacy prior to satisfying any deficiencies.

Course Requirements (43 credit hours)


The Master of Science Degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology requires 43 graduate credit hours.

Electives (12 credit hours)


In addition to the 31 total credit hours of required courses, 12 graduate credit hours of elective coursework are required. Electives are chosen in consultation with the graduate coordinator and academic advisors who provide individual counsel to determine which elective courses best match student interests and their degree plan.

Students electing to take CODI 550, please note that CODI 550 is typically taken as 2 credit hours in the fall semester and 1 credit hour in the spring semester of the second year.

Demonstration of Comprehensive Knowledge (1-2 credit hours)


All students are required to demonstrate a general, comprehensive knowledge of the field of study through the successful completion of the capstone seminar course. The capstone seminar is required of all students and is typically taken during the student’s final semester. All students must pass the capstone seminar in order to qualify for graduation.

Clinical Requirements (minimum 325 clock hours)


Students will be required to register for a clinical course during each semester of study. Clinical courses are not applicable to the 43 credit hours of course work required for the master’s degree. Students must complete a minimum of 325 clock hours of clinical practicum at the graduate level. The actual number of clock hours of practicum performed at the graduate level will be determined by the number of hours the student had at the undergraduate level and the number of hours needed to complete the practicum distribution required for the certification being sought. Undergraduate clock hours will be integrated into total clock hours earned for ASHA certification and state licensure at the discretion of the Clinic Committee.

Other Requirements


Students are expected to have writing and speaking abilities acceptable for purposes of employment as a speech and language clinician and those who do not possess these skills will be expected to pursue remedial work.

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