School of Communication Sciences & Disorders

As part of the College of Education, faculty in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders are committed to developing and supporting speech-language pathologists who are well-prepared for entry-level practice.

Introduction

What do Speech-Language Pathologists do?

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide clinical services that include prevention, diagnosis, habilitation and rehabilitation of communication, cognitive, and swallowing disorders.

Speech-language pathology is a dynamic and continuously changing profession that requires attention to detail, a professional attitude, and excellent communication skills. SLPs are professionals who enjoy working one-on-one with people and with groups. Having a broad academic background is an asset in the field.

Candidates who enter a master’s degree program in SLP must have completed an undergraduate degree. Applicants may have a degree with a major or minor in any discipline. Certification requirements include a minimum of 2 credits (preferably 3 credits) in each of the following areas: Biological Science, Physical Science (chemistry or physics), Social Science, and Statistics as offered by departments or programs other than Communication Sciences and Disorders coursework. . These classes must have been completed at the college level with an earned grade of C or better. Pass/No pass grades are accepted if the course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis. Course audits are not accepted. Program requirements also include prerequisite coursework in phonetics, speech science, audiology and aural rehabilitation, anatomy and physiology of the speech and swallowing mechanism, speech and language development, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology with a focus on communication behavior with a minimum of 3 semester credits in each area (unless otherwise specified) and an earned grade of C or better.

The Master of Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology {residential} at Pacific University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.