M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Concentration in Speech-Language Pathology

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Master of Science program in speech-language pathology provides academic and practicum experiences basic to the development of clinical competence in the evaluation, diagnosis, and remediation of disorders of speech, and language.

The program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA), an independent body whose reports are received by the U.S. Secretary of Education and accepted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). All students are expected to acquaint themselves with department and University requirements and regulations, and to consult closely with their advisers in order to fulfill both academic and practicum requirements leading to the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology awarded by ASHA and to New York State licensure as a speech-language pathologist. Students are expected to adhere to University policies regarding academic integrity and professional behaviors, as outlined in course
syllabi.

See Program Statistics.

	This program is also offered at Adelphi University's Manhattan Center in addition to the Garden City location.

The master's program in speech-language pathology is 58-59 credits and can be completed in full-time or part-time study. In addition to the weekday program at the main campus in Garden City, the academic coursework for the Master's program is also offered at Adelphi University's Manhattan Center and in a Sunday program in Garden City. The weekday program at the Garden City Campus offers courses in a traditional 15-week semester. The Sunday program at the Manhattan and Garden City locations are held in 8-week cycles. All students must take academic course work at the program site (i.e., Garden City - weekday or Sunday, or Manhattan Center) to which they were admitted. Exceptions are granted only in extenuating circumstances with prior approval of the student's academic adviser. All clinical seminars, teacher prep courses, and inhouse practica are held on the Garden City campus.

Students must complete a series of supervised clinical practica, both at the Hy Weinberg Center for Communication Disorders and in at least two of our outside clinical affiliated agencies. Students must earn a grade of B– or better in SPH (0878) 660 prior to enrolling in an outside practicum. During their course of study, students are limited to one outside clinical placement during the summer session. All students should expect to do their outside placements during daytime hours. In addition, students will be required to provide full-time availability for at least one of their outside clinical placements during a regular academic semester (fall or spring). Students who plan to complete an internship in a hospital or rehabilitation setting must do their residency at that time. For students whose undergraduate education did not include supervised clinical practice, it may be necessary to enroll in additional clinical practica in order to meet the clockhour requirements mandated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Students pursuing NYS Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) Certification or the Bilingual Extension to the TSSLD in addition to NYS license and ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) must consult with the coordinator of TSSLD to develop a program of study.

To be eligible for graduation, master's level students must pass a departmental comprehensive examination. The student's academic adviser must approve applications for this examination during the semester prior to taking the examination. The comprehensive exam is offered three times in an academic year (fall, spring, and summer semesters). Motivated students can complete a research project in lieu of the written comps.

Requirements and Procedures for Admission

All applicants to the master's degree program in speech-language pathology must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students applying to the M.S. degree program in Speech- Language Pathology who have not received undergraduate training in communication sciences and disorders are required first to complete a minimum of 18 credits in undergraduate prerequisite courses or their equivalent (see below), as approved by the department. The department requires a minimum of 4 graded pre-requisite courses before applying for graduate school. Students may not apply more than two times for admission to the master's program in Speech-Language Pathology. All master's degree students accepted provisionally pending completion of undergraduate prerequisite courses must complete their outstanding courses at Adelphi, and receive no more than one C grade (C+, C, C–) in order to matriculate. Prerequisite courses are typically offered at least twice a year on the Garden City campus. Students may take prerequisite courses at other institutions.

Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses
(or their equivalent as approved by the department)

General Competency Courses: ASHA Certification
Note: Additional course work in math, and in the biological, physical, and social/behavioral sciences, is required for ASHA certification. Students will be required to complete any missing course work following a transcript review and consultation with their adviser.

Required Course

Grading Policies
Academic Courses

The following grading policies apply to all students enrolled in the M.S. degree program:

1. If the GPA falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation with one semester to attain this required level.
2. If a student earns two grades of C (C+, C, or C–) within the first 24 credits of graduate course work (SPH (0878) courses), the student will be dismissed from the program.
3. If a student earns a second grade of C (C+, C, or C–) after the first 24 credits of graduate academic course work (SPH (0878) courses), the student will be required to retake one of the courses in which a grade of C was earned. The student must earn a grade of B– or better in this course.
4. If a student earns any additional grades of C (C+, C, or C–) in graduate academic course work (SPH (0878) courses), the student will be required to retake those courses or take an additional 3-credit academic course, to be determined by the student's academic adviser. The student must earn a grade of B– or better in these courses.
5. If a student earns a grade of F in a graduate course, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program. Appeal procedures can be obtained from the department. Grading policies 1–4 above exclude courses taken outside of the department of communication sciences and disorders, and any 500 level courses within the department. If a student receives a grade of C (C+, C, or C–) or F, the student is responsible for notifying and
   arranging to meet with his or her academic adviser.

Clinical Practicum

1. If a student earns a practicum grade of C (C+, C, or C–), the practicum must be repeated, and a grade of B– or better earned. A student may not register for any additional courses until the practicum course is successfully completed (B– or better). A second grade of C (C+, C, or C–) in clinical practicum will result in dismissal from the graduate program.
2. If a student earns a grade of F in a practicum course, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program. Appeal procedures can be obtained from the department.
3. Students must earn a grade of B– or better in SPH (0878) 660 and obtain approval of the students' clinical instructors and clinical director prior to enrolling in an outside practicum.
4. Letter grades are assigned for the following clinical practicum courses: SPH (0878) 648, 660 and 666.
5. The following clinical practicum courses are graded on a Pass/Fail basis: SPH (0878) 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 668 and 669.

NYS Certification as Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD)

Fran Redstone, Program Coordinator
Hy Weinberg Center - Room 125
p – (516) 877-4776
f – (516) 877-4783
e – redstone@adelphi.edu

Additional course work is required for students who want New York State certification as Teachers of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD). Undergraduate transcripts will be reviewed for required liberal arts and core pedagogical courses. These include, but are not limited to, artistic expression, human development, foundations of education, and health promotion or equivalent. Students will be advised accordingly. It is expected that many students will need at least a few of the following courses:

ECH (0807) 600 Childhood Development
ECH (0807) 601 School and Society
HED (0834) 610 Health Education Training for Teachers (1 credit)
In addition, students are required to take:
SPH (0878) 561 Speech-Language Pathology in a School Setting
and
SPH (0878) 674/675 Clinical Practice in a School Setting (replaces SPH (0878) 661 in the general master's curriculum). Students must pass the LAST and ATSW prior to SPH (0878) 674/675.

Bilingual Extension to the TSSLD

Students wishing to pursue this teacher credential must complete all TSSLD requirements, pass the NYS BEA proficiency exam and complete the following academic coursework.

The clinical requirement can be met by taking SPH (0878) 675: Clinical Practice in a Bilingual School Setting (in place of SPH (0878) 674 in the TSSLD program) or with one year full-time work experience with bilingual children, as per New York State guidelines.
EBE (0804) 600* Foundations of Bilingual and Multicultural Education
or
EBE (0804) 605* Foundations of Bilingual Special Education
plus
EBE (0804) 601 TESOL I
EBE (0804) 610 Methods and Materials in Bilingual Education
EBE (0804) 721 Theories of Second Language Acquisition
*25 hours of required fieldwork