Curriculum and Prerequisites
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
Loyola's graduate program is a two-year, five semester, full-time cohort program and is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Loyola graduate students not only excel in the profession; they become effective and compassionate advocates for persons with communication disorders in the community. After completing the master’s degree, passing the Praxis examination, and completing a Clinical Fellowship Year, graduates have fulfilled all requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence for Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).
The graduate program challenges students academically, clinically, and personally through academic coursework integrated with clinical training in the assessment and treatment of infants, children, and adults who have communication disorders. The program provides opportunities for students to acquire and demonstrate knowledge of the nature of speech, language, hearing, and communication disorders and differences, as well as prevention, assessment, and intervention for people with communication and swallowing disorders across the life span. The program also provides opportunities for students to acquire and demonstrate knowledge in standards of ethical conduct, research principles in evidence-based clinical practice, and contemporary professional issues. See course descriptions for detailed course information.
What Makes Loyola's Curriculum Distinctive
- Direct clinical experience with clients in the first semester of study, including interdisciplinary teamwork with Loyola Psychology graduate students, at the Loyola Clinical Centers – Belvedere;
- Off-site school partnerships serving students preschool through high school;
- Interprofessional collaboration experience with graduate students in ancillary disciplines including a simulation lab;
- Gender-affirming care and Voice clinic with direct training from faculty and an otolaryngologist on instrumental examinations;
- A culturally-responsive clinical practice curriculum incorporated into the first year of study.
Courses and Schedules
The following shows the typical sequence of courses and weekly schedules of first- and second-year students. (Please note course offerings and semesters are subject to change.) As ours is a cohort-based program, students are in the same courses each semester. Academic courses take place on Mondays for both years of study. Students interested in pursuing doctoral-level study and/or clinical research activities may elect to do an optional thesis.
Year One: Fall Semester
| Monday Classes | Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday |
|
SP601 Language Disorders: Aphasiology SP602 Language Disorders: Infancy through Early Childhood SP646 Tests and Measurements in SLP SP613 Articulation and Phonological Disorders SP660 Professional Practices Seminar I |
Clinical Internship I (in the LCC or in area schools) |
Year One: Spring Semester
| Monday Classes | Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday |
|
SP624 Language Disorders: School-Age Populations SP625 Research Strategies and Design SP666 Dysphagia: Evaluation and Management SP661 Professional Practices Seminar II |
Clinical Internship II (in the LCC or in area schools) |
Year One: Summer Semester
| Monday Classes | Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday | Friday |
|
SP650 Augmentative and Alternative Communications SP704 Cognitive-Communication Disorders SP662 Professional Practices Seminar III |
Clinical Internship III (in the LCC or in area schools) |
(no internship) |
View the First-Year Interdisciplinary Lab Experience
Year Two: Fall Semester
| Monday Classes | Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday |
|
SP604 Voice Disorders SP643 Language Disorders: Autism Spectrum and Social Communication Disorders SP715 Motor Speech Disorders in Children and Adults SP663 Professional Practices Seminar IV |
Clinical Externship (medical, educational, clinics, private practice, infants and toddlers) |
Year Two: Spring Semester
| Monday Classes | Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday |
|
SP617 Fluency Disorders SP645 Multicural Issues in SLP SP663 Professional Practices Seminar V Electives |
Clinical Externship (medical, educational, clinics, private practice, infants and toddlers) |
Speech-Language Pathology Program Entry Requirements
Students must have completed an undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology (or communication sciences and disorders). Students are also encouraged to have a course in Professional and Technical Writing in SLP/A (or equivalent). Prospective students whose undergraduate major or degree is in a field other than speech-language pathology are required to complete the following prerequisite courses:
Prerequisite Coursework for Non-CSD Majors
- Anatomy and Physiology: Speech and Voice
- Articulation and Phonology
- Aural (Re)Habilitation
- Clinical Audiology
- Hearing Science
- Phonetics
- Speech and Language Development
- Speech and Voice Science
- Professional and Technical Writing in SLP/A (recommended, not required)
- Survey of Communication Disorders (recommended, not required)
Applicants who did not complete a CSD major can use the Prerequisite Worksheet to compare any coursework already taken and for inclusion in your CSDCAS application. This can be submitted to slp@loyola.edu for review prior to submission.
Note: Admitted students must submit proof of 25 observation hours signed by an ASHA certified supervisor prior to enrolling in the graduate program.
