Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Website: https://twu.edu/communication-sciences-oral-health/communication-sciences-coms/coms-programs/ms-in-speech-language-pathology/

Working with the full range of human communication, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) evaluate and diagnose speech, language, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders and treat such disorders in individuals of all ages, from infants to the elderly (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association). 

The TWU master's degree program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).  The program has two different learning venues. 

The on-campus venue admits students each summer and fall and provides evening classes on the Denton and Dallas campuses.  Students participate in clinical experiences two to five days a week at the TWU Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic in Denton, The Stroke Center - Dallas, and pediatric and adult externship sites throughout the Denton and Dallas-Fort Worth area. 

The distance learning venue runs in two-year cohort cycles and offers a schools-focused cohort and a healthcare-focused cohort. While most classes are offered synchronously online, students attend classes on the Denton campus up to one week each summer. 

  • Schools-focused cohort: Partially funded by the Texas Education Agency, this distance learning focus was created to help ameliorate the shortage of speech-language pathologists in Texas schools. This venue is offered to students across the state of Texas through partnerships with Education Service Centers and sponsoring school districts and admits students in summer semesters of odd years.
  • Healthcare-focused cohort: This distance learning focus was created to address the growing need for SLPs in healthcare. Students across the country participate in synchronous online evening courses each semester as well as practicum experiences in their local communities. Cohorts are admitted in summer semesters of even years.

Pre-Master’s Leveling Courses for SLP

Students who plan to pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology (SLP) at TWU but have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than communication sciences and disorders, speech-language pathology, or an equivalent will need to complete leveling courses prior to starting the graduate program. While TWU offers these pre-master's leveling courses, they may be taken at another university. The TWU pre-master's leveling coursework does not meet the requirements for state licensure as an SLP-Assistant.

Note: Acceptance into and completion of the leveling coursework does not guarantee acceptance into TWU’s SLP master’s program.

About the Leveling Courses

  • Offered to individuals who plan to apply to the TWU MS SLP program
  • Includes eight online undergraduate-level courses over three consecutive semesters beginning each summer
  • Classes meet synchronously online two to three evenings each semester
  • Students must maintain grades of A or B to continue with leveling coursework

Admission Requirements

Applications are accepted each year between January 1 and April 1 for classes beginning in the summer semester. To be considered for acceptance into the leveling courses, applicants must:

  • Have a bachelor's degree
  • Have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for the last 60 hours of college coursework
  • Apply to TWU as an undergraduate transfer student by completing the Transfer Apply Texas application
    • Select Communication Sciences as the first school program choice. 
    • On page 3 of the GoApplyTexas application (Educational Background), check the boxes for the first question indicating that you already have a bachelor’s degree AND are seeking a second bachelor's degree. Do not check the last boxes.
    • Submit official copies of all transcripts to TWU’s Office of Admissions Processing. As it may take Admissions Processing several weeks to approve your application to the university after receiving all transcripts and any other required documents, these items should be submitted prior to the April 1 leveling application deadline.

  • Once admitted to TWU as an undergraduate transfer student, complete the Pre-Master’s Leveling Department Application. To complete the department application, applicants must first create their TWU Pioneer Portal account and log in to their TWU Google Drive account using their TWU email address and Pioneer Portal password.
  • To complete the department application, applicants must submit: 
    • The names, titles/positions, employers, and email addresses of two recommenders (The department staff will email the recommenders directly asking for a letter of recommendation)
    • A one-page letter of intent describing the reasons you would like to be a speech-language pathologist (this will be uploaded within the online department application)

Students must be accepted by both the university and the department. Department notices of acceptance will be emailed by May 1.

Course Sequence

The pre-master’s SLP leveling coursework consists of eight courses (total of 22 semester credit hours). The courses listed below meet the leveling requirements for TWU's MS in Speech-Language Pathology program. Leveling courses taken at other universities should have equivalent course content.

Summer

  • COMS 2233 Comparable Courses - Anatomy & Physiology courses offered through Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) departments. A&P courses offered through biology departments will not meet this requirement but will fulfill the basic biological science requirement.
  • COMS 3333 Comparable Courses - Phonetics courses offered through CSD departments. Phonetics courses offered through Linguistics or other departments must include transcription practice with IPA.
  • COMS 3001 Comparable Courses - An introduction of the etiology and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan.

Fall

  • COMS 3063 Comparable Courses - Normal speech and language development courses offered through Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) departments. Similar courses offered through psychology or other departments must be approved by the TWU COMS department.
  •  COMS 4103 Comparable Courses - Speech disorders, articulation disorders, speech sound disorders, or similar coursework offered through CSD departments. In the event that this course is combined with language disorders, two such “speech and language disorders” courses would be required.

Spring

  • COMS 3523 Comparable Courses - Basic foundational audiology courses offered through CSD departments.
  • COMS 3553 Comparable Courses - School-age language development courses offered through CSD departments. Often this course is taught as Language Science. Note: Not all CSD departments offer this course. In the event a student is able to take all leveling coursework except this one at another university, another CSD course will be permitted to replace it. 
  • COMS 3563 Comparable Courses - Language disorders (for children or adults) or similar coursework offered through CSD departments. In the event that this course is combined with speech disorders, two such “speech and language disorders” courses would be required.
 

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Effectively diagnose a variety of communication and swallowing disorders by evaluating and selecting appropriate assessment tools, administering the tools correctly, and interpreting the results accordingly. ​
  2. Effectively treat a variety of communication and swallowing disorders by designing appropriate treatment plans, implementing therapy, and assessing client progress.

 Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

This academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Program Requirements

  1. A minimum of 43 academic semester credit hours (SCH) plus six successful semesters (18 SCH) of clinical practicum are required for those seeking a graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Those individuals seeking a degree with an undergraduate major other than Communication Sciences may be required to take additional semester credit hours.
  2. All students must successfully complete a Comprehensive Exam for degree completion and graduation.

Additional Program Requirements

Immunizations: Speech-Language Pathology is a health care field. Each student must submit documentation that all required immunizations are current to Student Health Services at Texas Woman’s University after admittance and prior to attendance in any clinical experience. Immunizations must remain current throughout enrollment. Students who are out of compliance will be unable to participate in required externships, clinical rotations, or client interactions on campus which may result in a delay or halt of academic progression.

Background Check: A background check is required prior to any clinical experience and is conducted by a third party at the student’s expense and every subsequent 12th month in the program. Some externship sites require an additional background check which the students will complete at their expense. Instructions for completing this requirement are provided during orientation. Non-clearance of a background check could result in a delay or halt of academic progression.

Drug Screening: A drug screening is required prior to any clinical experience and is conducted by a third party at the student's expense and every subsequent 12th month in the program. Some externship sites require an additional drug screening which the students will complete at their expense. Instructions for completing this requirement are provided during orientation. Any student with a non-negative drug screen result or who refuses the drug screen will be dismissed from the SLP master's program.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training (CPR):  Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers from the American Heart Association is required of all students in preparation for the requirements of clinical rotations. This training is at the student's expense. Instructions for completing this requirement are provided after program admission.

Health Insurance: Many practicum sites require the student to have health insurance coverage. Documentation must be provided to the clinical site.

Retention Requirements

Students receiving a grade of C or lower in one graduate course must retake the course and earn a grade of B or higher in order to successfully complete the master’s program. Students must not receive more than one C (or lower) in graduate coursework. Students receiving two C grades or lower, in the same or different courses/practicum, will be dismissed from the program. Students must also maintain professional and academic integrity at all times and must abide by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), university, college, department, and program codes of ethics/conduct and policies and procedures while in the program.

Program of Study

61-62 semester credit hours (SCH).

Required Academic Courses
COMS 5003Research in Communication Sciences3
COMS 5012Aural Habilitation2
COMS 5521Contemporary Issues in Communication Disorders1
COMS 5211Counseling in a Cross-Cultural Society1
COMS 5232Language Disorders in Preschool Children2
COMS 5333Assessment and Diagnosis of Communication Disorders3
COMS 5353Adult Dysphagia3
COMS 5423Augmentative and Alternative Communication3
COMS 5452Pediatric Dysphagia2
COMS 5483Neural Bases of Communication3
COMS 5523Speech Science3
COMS 5542Fluency Disorders2
COMS 5553Speech Sound Disorders3
COMS 5583Management of Neurogenic Communication Disorders3
COMS 5603Language Disorders in School-Age Children3
COMS 5622Special Populations and Communication Disorders2
COMS 5722Voice and Resonance Disorders2
Required Clinical Practicum
COMS 5413Clinical Practicum (to be taken 5 times)15
or COMS 5443 Clinical Externship
COMS 5473Advanced Clinical Externship3
Electives
Select 2-3 SCH from the following2-3
Families and Young Children in Deaf Education
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Relevance to Communication Disorders
Healthcare and the Speech-Language Pathologist
Interprofessional Collaboration and Health Promotion
Total SCHs61-62

Recommended Plan of Study: On-Campus Venue (Fall start)

First Year
FallTCCNSCHs
COMS 5333Assessment and Diagnosis of Communication Disorders 3
COMS 5413Clinical Practicum 3
COMS 5483Neural Bases of Communication 3
COMS 5603Language Disorders in School-Age Children 3
 SCHs 12
SpringTCCN
COMS 5353Adult Dysphagia 3
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5553Speech Sound Disorders 3
COMS 5583Management of Neurogenic Communication Disorders 3
 SCHs 12
SummerTCCN
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5452Pediatric Dysphagia 2
COMS 5222Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Relevance to Communication Disorders 2
 SCHs 7
Second Year
FallTCCN
COMS 5003Research in Communication Sciences 3
COMS 5413Clinical Practicum 3
COMS 5423Augmentative and Alternative Communication 3
COMS 5523Speech Science 3
 SCHs 12
SpringTCCN
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5521Contemporary Issues in Communication Disorders 1
COMS 5542Fluency Disorders 2
COMS 5622Special Populations and Communication Disorders 2
COMS 5722Voice and Resonance Disorders 2
 SCHs 10
SummerTCCN
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS 
COMS 5012Aural Habilitation 2
COMS 5211Counseling in a Cross-Cultural Society 1
COMS 5232Language Disorders in Preschool Children 2
COMS 5473Advanced Clinical Externship 3
 SCHs 8
 Total SCHs:  61

Recommended SLP Plan of Study: Distance Venue (Summer start)

First Year
Summer 1TCCNSCHs
COMS 5222Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Relevance to Communication Disorders (Elective) 2
COMS 5333Assessment and Diagnosis of Communication Disorders 3
COMS 5553Speech Sound Disorders 3
 SCHs 8
Fall 1TCCN
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5483Neural Bases of Communication 3
COMS 5603Language Disorders in School-Age Children 3
 SCHs 9
Spring 1TCCN
COMS 5353Adult Dysphagia 3
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5583Management of Neurogenic Communication Disorders 3
 SCHs 9
Second Year
Summer 2TCCN
COMS 5211Counseling in a Cross-Cultural Society 1
COMS 5232Language Disorders in Preschool Children 2
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5542Fluency Disorders 2
 SCHs 8
Fall 2TCCN
COMS 5012Aural Habilitation 2
COMS 5423Augmentative and Alternative Communication 3
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5521Contemporary Issues in Communication Disorders 1
 SCHs 9
Spring 2TCCN
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS 
COMS 5003Research in Communication Sciences 3
COMS 5443Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5523Speech Science 3
 SCHs 9
Third Year
Summer 3TCCN
COMS 5452Pediatric Dysphagia 2
COMS 5473Advanced Clinical Externship 3
COMS 5622Special Populations and Communication Disorders 2
COMS 5722Voice and Resonance Disorders 2
 SCHs 9
 Total SCHs:  61