THE M.A. PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders prepares students through the master's level to serve individuals of all ages who exhibit speech, language, cognitive, and/or hearing disorders. The undergraduate program is a preprofessional degree program. It first emphasizes the study of the development and functioning of the individual who presents normal speech, language, and hearing. It also stresses academic course work and clinical observation experiences in the nature, symptoms, and treatment of those who possess various kinds of communication disorders.

The master's level program is designed to provide students with intensive course work in the various communication disorders and exposure to a wide variety of challenging clinical activities. This includes a full time, off-campus clinical externship for at least eight weeks which serves as an excellent transition from on-campus practicum to an actual professional position after graduation. Students who graduate from this department are prepared to take positions in public schools, hospitals, community speech and hearing centers, private practices, and other related settings. All graduates meet the academic and practicum requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and licensure by the State of Oklahoma in speech and language pathology. In addition, almost all students elect to earn the state teaching certificate. The program is nationally accredited in speech-language pathology.

 

GRADUATE PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Other than the general requirements of the Graduate College, no other prerequisites are required for the Master of Arts degree. Students holding undergraduate degrees in other fields are encouraged to apply for admission. The amount of course work taken at the undergraduate level in speech and language pathology and related areas will determine the amount of time required for the degree. Undergraduate prerequisites will add approximately 37 credit hours to the program.

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should have a grade-point of 3.00 ("B") in all work and at least a 3.00 in the major, strong letters of recommendation from those familiar with the student's previous academic background, and GRE scores acceptable to the Graduate Faculty. Beyond that, the number of students admitted will depend on the number of places available in the program. Interviews are conducted prior to admission. Students with a baccalaureate degree are required to be admitted to the graduate program to take course work in this department. Application deadlines can be obtained from the department of communication sciences and disorders.

International students follow the same application procedure as U.S. students with one addition. If English is not the student's native language, he or she is required to score a minimum of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a minimum of 220 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). (It is especially important that students have readily intelligible spoken English because they will be conducting therapy sessions in English.) International students are eligible to apply for graduate assistantships which also qualify them for in-state tuition. The International Student Services Office is available on campus to assist international students.

 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The program leading to the Master of Arts in speech provides a thorough exposure to the nature and causes of communication disorders and to clinical procedures. It includes extensive practical experience within the OSU clinic and in a variety of off-campus settings, and a full-time externship for at least eight weeks toward the end of the program. All practicum experiences are supervised closely by faculty members or by other highly qualified and certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists.

The degree consists of a minimum of 29 semester credit hours in courses that examine the nature, causes, and treatment of communication disorders and related areas, and a minimum of nine semester credit hours in clinical practicum courses. This includes an eight-week off-campus externship for which the student may receive up to six semester credit hours.

 

EXAMINATIONS

Students must pass comprehensive examinations and complete the required creative component before graduation. Students preparing a thesis will not be required to take comprehensive written examinations or complete the creative component. They must pass an oral examination over their thesis. All students are required to submit a report at the termination of the externship which critically evaluates their experiences.

 

GRADUATE COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

  1. Completion of a minimum 21 hours of 5000 and 6000 level courses at OSU.
  2. Completion of a minimum 16 semester hours in SPATH beyond the undergraduate prerequisite courses.
  3. Completion of a minimum 30 graduate credit hours with thesis or 32 credit hours with a report or creative component.

 

DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENTS

  1. Completion of all courses on the Plan of Study.
  2. Maintenance of a 3.00 or greater GPA in all academic courses on the Plan of Study and undergraduate prerequisites taken as a graduate or special student.
  3. Maintenance of a 3.00 or greater GPA in all clinical practicum hours on the Plan of Study.
  4. Passing the written comprehensive exams in SPATH and successfully completing a portfolio or successfully completing and defending a Master's thesis in SPATH.
  5. Completion of externship with a grade of "B" or above.
  6. Must obtain a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinic practicum and must meet the minimum clinical practicum (hours requirements as specified) by ASHA for certification in Speech-Language Pathology.

 

ASHA REQUIREMENTS

  1. Completion of 75 semester credit hours (SCH) of academic course work in Basic Science and Professional Course work.

     

  2. Completion of 27 SCH of Basic Science course work.
    1. Completion of 6 SCH in behavioral and/or social sciences.
    2. Completion of 6 SCH in biological/physical sciences and mathematics.
      1. Completion of 3 SCH college level math courses.
    3. Completion of 15 SCH in basic human communication processes.
    4. Of these 15 hours (refer to c), completion of a minimum of 3 SCH in each of the following areas:
      1. Anatomic and physiological bases for normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing.
      2. Physical bases and processes of production and perception of speech, language, and hearing.
      3. Linguistic and psycholinguistic variables related to normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing.

         

  3. Completion of 36 semester credit hours (SCH) in Professional Course work.
    1. Completion of a minimum of 30 SCH in speech-language pathology (no more than 6 SCH in practicum).
    2. Of these 30 SCH (a), completion of a minimum of 6 SCH in each of the following areas:
      1. Speech pathology (excluding practicum).
      2. Language pathology (excluding practicum).
    3. Completion of a minimum of 6 SCH in audiology.
    4. Of the 6 SCH (c), completion of a minimum of 3 SCH in each of the following areas:
      1. Pathologies of the auditory system and assessment of auditory disorders.
      2. Habilitative/rehabilitative procedures with speech and language problems associated with hearing impairment.
    5. Of the 36 SCH (a and c), completion of a minimum of 30 hours which were acceptable toward a graduate degree.
    6. Of the 30 graduate hours, completion of 21 in the area of speech-language pathology at a program accredited by ESB (excluding practicum, thesis, research methods, and professional issues).

       

  4. Clinical observation:
    1. Completion of a minimum of 25 hours of documented observation.

       

  5. Clinical practicum:
    1. Completion of a minimum of 250 clock hours of speech-language therapy and diagnostics at the graduate level from an ESB accredited program.
    2. Of these 250 clock hours (a), completion of the following minimum clock hour requirements:
      1. 20 clock hours evaluation: speech disorders in children.
      2. 20 clock hours evaluation: speech disorders in adults.
      3. 20 clock hours evaluation: language disorders in children.
      4. 20 clock hours evaluation: language disorders in adults.
      5. 20 clock hours treatment: speech disorders in children.
      6. 20 clock hours treatment: speech disorders in adults.
      7. 20 clock hours treatment: language disorders in children.
      8. 20 clock hours treatment: language disorders in adults.
    3. Completion of a minimum of 35 clock hours in audiological diagnostics and therapy.
    4. Of these 35 hours (c), completion of the following minimum clock hour requirements:
      1. 15 audiological assessment (maximum of 5 in screening).
      2. 15 aural habilitation/rehabilitation.
    5. Completion of a minimum grand total of 350 clock hours.
    6. Completion of 50 supervised clock hours in three types of clinical settings.

     

    DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS MASTER'S CURRICULUM EFFECTIVE FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTER THE PROGRAM IN FALL 1996

    Required:

    Menu:

    Research Methods (3)

    Group I: Neurogenic Disorders [1]

    *Dysphagia 1 (2)

    *Cognitive Disorders (2)

    *Neurological Communication Disorders (3)

    (Adults)
    *Motor Speech Disorders (2)

    *Voice Disorders (3)

    Group II: Lang/Phono Disorders [2]

    *Multicultural Issues (2)

    Clinical Audiology (3)

    *School Age Language (3)

    *Infant/Toddler (2)

    *Child Language (3) *Clinical Phonology (2-3)

    Clinical Practicum (9)

    Group III: Multiple Handicaps [1]

    *AAC (2)

    *Multihandicapped (3)

     

    Group IV: Miscellaneous (optional)

    Adv. Professional Issues (2)

    *Adv. Diagnostics (2)

    Counseling (1)

    Thesis (6)

    *Seminar (1-2)+

    One additional Selection from Groups I, II, III or IV (total of 5 selections from Menu).

     

    15 hours core course work + 12 hours elective course work =

    27 hrs. required

    9 hours practicum

    36 required total hours

     

    NOTES:

    -Must have 21 hours in disorders courses (indicated by asterisk*): ASHA requirement.

    -Number in brackets indicates number of course choices required in each area. Number in parentheses indicates number of course hours.

     

    FURTHER INFORMATION

    Dr. Nancy Monroe, Graduate Advisor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 121 Hanner Hall-OSU Campus, Stillwater OK 74078. 405-744-6021.