Admission Procedures
The applicant for degree should have completed an undergraduate concentration in communication sciences and disorders or equivalent. Applicants, who have not done so, must complete prerequisite course work as per advisement by the Graduate Program Director. 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, GRE scores, including the writing subtest (obtained no more than five years prior to application). 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 M.A. program in Speech Language Pathology occurs in the fall semester. Applications received by January 15, will be given priority. Applicants are advised to contact the Office of Graduate Admission at least two weeks prior to January 15, to confirm that their applications are complete. Applications received after January 15 will be reviewed if space becomes available. Upon acceptance, a nonrefundable tuition deposit of $250 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.
Scholarships and Assistantships
Scholarships and assistantships are available for qualified students. Awards are made annually based on merit. Prospective students must file scholarship applications with their graduate application. Matriculated students must file their applications with the Graduate Program Director. Scholarship and assistantship applications must be filed no later than January 15.
Program Policies
All semester hours after acceptance must be completed in residence. The M.A. degree must be completed within a five-year period from the date of completion of the student’s first M.A. level course. No more than nine semester hours of graduate courses from another university will be accepted toward Hofstra’s M.A. 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 Professor Ferrand, Graduate Program Director, 106 Davison Hall.
Program Requirements
Speech-language pathology majors require a minimum of 53 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 M.A. 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 M.A. Program in Speech-Language - Semester Hours: 53
Students who have not completed an undergraduate-level course in aural rehabilitation are required to take SPCH 138 in addition to the 53 graduate credits. The following are required courses.
Choose two courses from the following - Semester Hours: 2
Option II - M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology (With Teacher Certification) - Semester Hours: 58
Students who have not completed an undergraduate-level course in aural rehabilitation are required to take SPCH 138 in addition to the 58 graduate credits. In addition to the course work for Option I, students who choose Option II must complete the following courses:
And 3 s.h. chosen from the following:
Notes:
Students taking either Option I or Option II who do not have an undergraduate degree or concentration in Speech-Language Pathology must complete SPCH 209 and one graduate-level course in both speech and language disorders prior to registering for SPCH 228. Option II prepares students for eligibility toward New York state teacher certification.
In addition to the above course work, students taking Option II are required to complete seminars regarding OSHA’s Universal Precautions for blood- borne pathogens, identification and reporting of child abuse and child abduction, and school violence prevention and intervention and fire safety.
In their final semester of study, students must successfully complete all required New York state teacher examinations. Following completion of the M.A. degree and the teacher education requirements, students should submit their application materials directly to Hofstra’s Advisement and Certification Office.
Graduation Requirements:
- Completion of all program requirements.
- 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.
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