Admission Requirements and Procedures

The applicant for the degree should have completed an undergraduate concentration in communication sciences and disorders or the equivalent, and have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or the equivalent must complete prerequisite course work as per advisement by the graduate program director. Course work includes:

• SPCH 005A (Phonetics)
• SPCH 006 (Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism)
• SPCH 102A (Normal Language Development)
• SPCH 103 (Introduction to Speech Science)
• SPCH 131 (Introduction to Communication Disorders)
• SPCH 133 (Clinical Methods in Speech and Language Disorders)
• SPCH 137 (Introduction to Audiology)

Successful completion of prerequisites, even if taken at Hofstra, does not guarantee admission to the Master of Arts programs. The application must include:

• A personal essay (500 words).
• Current letters of recommendation from the institution from which the candidate received the baccalaureate degree, are also required. These three letters should be from faculty members or university administrators who are familiar with the candidate’s academic work.
• An interview may be required.

Approval of admission by the Graduate Admissions Office at Hofstra and the graduate program director of the department are also required.

Admission to the MA program in Speech-Language Pathology occurs in the fall semester. Applications received by January 15, will be given priority. Applications received after January 15 will be reviewed if space becomes available. Upon acceptance, a nonrefundable tuition deposit of $500 is required of all part-time and full-time matriculated students. When registering for the semester for which the student has been admitted, the deposit will be credited toward tuition.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate program. As such, candidates who do not fully satisfy one of the admission criteria are still open to apply.

Scholarships and Assistantships

Scholarships and assistantships are available for qualified students. Awards are made annually based on merit. Students are considered for scholarships on the basis of their application to the program. Opportunities for scholarships and assistantships are announced when they become available.

Program Policies

All semester hours after acceptance must be completed in residence. The MA degree must be completed within a five-year period from the date of completion of the student’s first MA level course. No more than nine semester hours of graduate courses from another university will be accepted toward Hofstra’s MA degree. These semester hours must have been completed prior to acceptance into the graduate program. Course work which was completed more than

five years prior to admission into the graduate program will not be accepted toward the degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

All programs of study in speech-language pathology must be designed under advisement by a faculty member and approved by the graduate program director. All part-time students are strongly encouraged to complete at least 6 semester hours per semester. Candidates must maintain a minimum 3.0 average throughout their course of study. Any candidate falling below a 3.0 average will be placed on probation. A probationary status may not be maintained for more than one semester, inclusive of summer sessions. Any candidate who fails a required course in the program is subject to dismissal.

Students who have accumulated 2 or more incomplete grades at the start of a semester, including summer sessions, may not begin clinical practica. Clinical practica in students’ minor area are excluded from this policy. Students who have an incomplete grade for any clinic course in the major area may begin the next clinic practicum in the sequence only after the incomplete clinic grade has been eliminated and a satisfactory letter grade has been assigned.

All students are required to successfully complete the comprehensive examination during the last full semester of graduate study. Applicants must file for the examination within the first month of the semester in which they plan to take the examination.

For further information regarding graduate programs and scholarships, contact the graduate program director.

Program Requirements

Speech-language pathology majors require a minimum of 52 semester hours of graduate work taken within the department. Students who have completed a 3 semester hour undergraduate course in aural rehabilitation are required to complete only 4 graduate level semester hours of audiology. All other speech-language pathology students are required to complete 7 semester hours in audiology including aural rehabilitation.

Each student must complete 25 hours of supervised clinical observation prior to registering for graduate clinical practica. A minimum of 375 clock hours of direct contact are required at the graduate level with at least one practicum scheduled during a fall or spring semester. Within the first year of study, speech-language students must complete at least 10 hours of clinical work in audiology. Each student must provide documentation of: inoculation for measles/mumps, rubella, hepatitis B and, annually, documentation of a negative TB test and physical examination.

The MA program in SLP offers students two options. Option I is intended for students who seek ASHA certification and New York state licensure as a speech-language pathologist in clinical, hospital and private practice. Option II is for students who plan to work in educational settings, and seek ASHA certification and New York state licensure as a speech-language pathologist.

Option I - The MA Program in Speech-Language - Semester Hours: 52

In addition to graduate course work, ASHA requires at least 3 s.h of undergraduate course work in each of the following areas: biological sciences, physical sciences (must be a course in physics or chemistry), statistics, and social/behavioral sciences. Deficiencies in any of these areas must be made up prior to graduation.

The following are required courses.

• SPCH 206 - Speech Science: Production and Perception Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 207 - Research Seminar: Speech and Hearing Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 209 - Developmental Psycholinguistics Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 212 - Communication in Healthy Aging Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 225A - Introductory Speech-Language Practicum Diagnostic (Preschool, K-12, Adult) Semester Hours: 1
• SPCH 225B - Advanced Diagnostic Practicum (Preschool, K-12, Adult) Semester Hours: 0.5
• SPCH 226 - Clinical Practicum in Audiology I (Internship) Semester Hours: 1
• SPCH 227 - Speech-Language Specialty Clinic Semester Hours: 0.5

• Students must take two specialty clinics, totaling 1 s.h.

• SPCH 228 - Introductory Speech-Language Practicum (Preschool, K-12, Adult) Semester Hours: 1
• SPCH 228P - Introductory Speech-Language Practicum: Professional Issues Semester Hours: 0.5
• SPCH 229 - Evaluation and Interpretation of Communication Disorders Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 230 - Disorders of Fluency Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 232 - Speech Sound Disorders Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 241 - Pediatric Communication Disorders: Birth to Five Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 242 - Aphasia and Related Disorders Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 243 - Language, Learning and Literacy: Development and Disabilities From Kindergarten Through Adulthood Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 248 - Motor Speech Disorders Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 249 - Voice Disorders Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 253 - Swallowing Disorders in Children and Adults Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 254 - Audiologic Assessment and Interpretation for the Speech-Language Pathologist Semester Hours: 3
• SPCH 262S - Practicum IV: Teaching Students With Speech-Language Disabilities in Educational Settings Semester Hours: 1
• SPCH 277 - Seminar in Cleft Lip and Palate Speech Disorders Semester Hours: 1

Option II - MA in Speech-Language Pathology (With Teacher Certification) - Semester Hours: 57

In addition to the coursework for Option I, students who choose Option II must complete the following courses:

• SPCH 264 - Speech and Language Pathology in the Schools Semester Hours: 2
• SPCH 267 - Communication and Communication Disorders in Multicultural Populations Semester Hours: 3

Graduation Requirements:

1. Completion of all program requirements.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.

The Advanced Certificate: Teacher of Students With Speech-Language Disabilities  is available for students who have completed a Master of Arts: Speech-Language Pathology but who do not hold a teaching certificate for Teaching Students With Speech and Language Disabilities.