Speech Language Pathology

Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) focus on the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders. SLPs work with a diverse population, which includes children and adults, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, patients with behavioral or neurological disorders, or people interested in enhancing their communication abilities.

Some key responsibilities may include:

  • Diagnosing speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders
  • Provide augmentative and alternative communication systems (AAC)
  • Creating treatment plans
  • Aural rehabilitation
  • Patient education

To learn more about SLPs, visit American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): Speech-Language Pathologists.

Speech Language Pathologist Preparation

  • Timeline

  • 1. Obtain a Bachelor’s degree and complete all pre-SLP requirements, including prerequisites, GRE (if applicable), and experiences (4+ years)
    NOTE: Most graduate programs may prefer a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). Because UC Davis does not offer this, students will still be on track to graduate in four years with different majors
    2. Students may earn a SLP Preparatory Certification Program to fulfill any missing prerequisites before applying to SLP master’s programs (length varies). This may be completed through a (1) 2nd bachelor’s degree in CSD, (2) certificate or post-baccalaureate program (some institutions may also refer this as leveling programs), or (3) direct-entry SLP graduate programs that do not require CSD prerequisites for admission, but instead integrate the required prerequisite coursework into the graduate curriculum.
    Note: The terms “SLP” and “CSD” may be used interchangeably.
    3. Attend a Council of Academic Accreditation (CAA)-accredited SLP Master’s Program (2-3 years) and earn a Master’s in Speech Language Pathology.
    4. Pass the Praxis Exam in Speech-Language Pathology
    5. Become licensed in the state you wish to practice.
    Optional: Obtain ASHA Certification (also known as a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology (CCC-S))
    Optional: Pursue a PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders

    Upon matriculation into a SLP program, there are additional steps students must complete in order to obtain licensure or professional certification. These steps vary by field and by program, and may include board examinations, supervised clinical hours, background checks, or other program-specific milestones. Once you are in your program, your program advisor will provide guidance on the post-graduation next steps.

    For more information about the timeline, visit American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): Planning Your Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

  • Pre-Requisites

  • Prerequisite courses are the academic foundation that most programs require students to complete before beginning SLP programs. No matter which major you choose, you will need to fulfill the specific science and non-science prerequisites set by each school. Always review and cross-check the requirements of your major with the prerequisite coursework for your chosen health profession to ensure you are completing both UCD requirements as well as the requirements of your intended SLP program.

    While HPA has developed a suggested prerequisite chart from a sample of SLP direct-entry graduate and certificate programs as well as referencing ASHA’s SLP Standards for Certification, prerequisite coursework and entrance requirements will vary by program, hence it is important to check individual schools' websites to familiarize yourself with their exact prerequisites.

    Program Prerequisites1

    Courses to Take at UC Davis

    Most schools require (per ASHA guidelines): 

    		 

    1 course in Biological Sciences 

    BIO 1 AND BIO 1L

    1 course in Physical Sciences (chemistry or physics) 

    Chemistry: CHE 2A OR CHE 4A

    Physics: PHY 7A OR PHY 9A

    1 course in Statistics

    STA 13 OR STA 100

    1 course in Social Sciences and Behavioral Sciences

    Social Sciences: 

    • Anthropology: ANT 1 OR ANT 2
    • Economics: ECN 1A OR ECN 1B
    • Communications: CMN 10 OR CMN 114

    Behavioral Sciences: 

    • Psychology: PSC 1 OR PSC 132
    • Linguistics: LIN 1 
    • Cognitive Science: CGS 1 

    Some schools may require:

    		 

    Lifespan Human Development

    HDE 100ABC

    Human Anatomy with Lab

    (EXB 106 & EXB 106L) OR (CHA 101 & CHA 101L)

    Language Development

    LIN 173 OR EDU 173

    Phonetics

    LIN 112

    Child Development2

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    Anatomy/Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism2

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    Articulation/Phonetic Disorders2

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    Audiology2

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    Speech Science2

    Course not offered at UC Davis

    Prerequisite Chart Footnotes:
    1. While most SLP 2nd bachelors, masters, and certificate programs follow the ASHA’s SLP Standards for Certification as a baseline in establishing prerequisite coursework, some programs may have additional prerequisite coursework and admissions requirements. Students are encouraged to research their programs of interest for further information on possible requirements. To learn more about the ASHA’s prerequisite for the SLP Standards for Certification, visit ASHA: Prerequisites Course Content Areas related to SLP Certification Standards.
    2. Prerequisite courses that are not offered may be taken at another institution, 2nd bachelor’s degree in CSD, SLP certificate or post-baccalaureate program, or SLP direct-entry graduate program that incorporates the prerequisite coursework in the graduate curriculum.

    HPA Recommendations:
    1. Complete all prerequisite courses for a letter grade, not P/NP.
    2. Earn a “C” or higher in all prerequisite coursework. Some programs may require no lower than a B in any of your prerequisite courses.
    3. Maintain a minimum undergraduate and science GPA of 3.0 or higher. A competitive GPA will likely be higher for most programs.

    Please note that SLP programs do accept community college work in varying degrees, some accept all transferable work, some a certain amount of units, and others accept a very limited amount. If you have any questions about your major, prerequisite courses, or grade/GPA concerns, you are encouraged to make an appointment with one of HPA Staff Advisors.

  • Exam

  • Most SLP programs do not require the GRE. However, a few programs may still require it and it is recommended to be taken prior to applying. You can speak with a HPA Staff Advisor about your specific timeline. Check each individual school’s admissions webpage that you are applying to to see if they require it.

    Please note: The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is not a course-dependent test, meaning there are no specific UCD courses you need to take to prepare. The best way is to give yourself time to study the test by buying test prep books or taking a test prep course.

    To learn more about the standardized exam and preparing for it, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Standardized Exams and HPA’s Test Prep Events & Resources.

Applying to Speech Language Pathologist Programs

  • Choosing Schools

  • There are over 300 SLP/CSD programs in the U.S. Check out the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) list of accredited U.S. SLP schools.

    There are a variety of factors that go into choosing which SLP programs to apply to, including degree awarded, location, environment (i.e. urban), tuition, class size, focus or mission statement, etc. Spend some time researching schools online and create a spreadsheet that tracks the factors most important to you. On average, pre-SLP students apply to 3 to 4 SLP programs. HPA also recommends meeting with an advisor to discuss your school list.

  • Application System

  • Applicants typically apply the year before they matriculate into the SLP programs and CSDCAS is a centralized application system that is used by most SLP graduate programs. To learn more about CSDCAS, visit the webpage Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). Students are encouraged to refer to the Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application (CSDCAS): Applicant Help Center for additional guidance on how to complete their applications. Some graduate programs will have applicants participate in CSDCAS and will also have applicants complete an application through their own internal graduate school applications, while other programs do not use CSDCAS at all. HPA recommends for applicants to carefully review the application process of each individual programs that they are applying to.

    The CSDCAS opens in July and closes the following early July; these dates may vary for programs who are not utilizing the CSDCAS. While CSDCAS closes in early July, participating programs of CSDCAS may have earlier deadline dates, which are the deadlines applicants should be submitting by. These deadlines may also vary by programs or some may admit students on a rolling basis; please check your individual programs for specific dates. If that is the case for your programs of choice, be sure to submit your application early, but only when you are ready. Come see an advisor at Health Professions Advising to review your application.

    For SLP certificate, post-baccalaureate, or 2nd bachelor’s programs, most have their own unique application that can be found on the programs’ admissions page. The application deadlines may also vary by programs or the program start date. Students, who are pursuing the SLP certificate or post-baccalaureate or 2nd bachelor’s programs, are recommended to carefully review the application process and deadlines of the programs they are interested in applying to.

    Programs and application systems may have specific guidelines about what is considered a completed application, and these components may vary based on the application system and/or individual program. Some examples include but are not limited to submitting the application fee, receiving letters of recommendations, completion of prerequisites, and official transcripts. Prerequisite completion is often the most variable by programs. Students are responsible for ensuring their applications are complete, submitted, and verified by the application deadline.

    To learn more about applications and application timeline, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Applications and Application Timelines.

  • Personal Statement

  • The prompt and/or character or word count may vary per year. HPA recommends applicants  begin drafting their personal statement in advance of the application opening. It is very common for applicants to write multiple drafts before they finalize their personal statement. To learn more about approaching personal statements, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Personal Statements.

  • Experiences and Activities

  • Experiences and activities help students learn more about their motivations, interests, and goals, and to explore the field of SLP/CSD. What you do with your time helps define who you are in your application. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are dedicated, passionate about it, and understand your motivation for pursuing it. It is important that you balance your co-curricular activities with your academics to ensure you are maintaining strong academic performance while still engaging meaningfully outside the classroom.

    Some SLP programs may require observation hours or related experiences. These may include shadowing, volunteering, or paid experiences in an SLP-related environment under the supervision of a licensed Speech Language Pathologist. HPA recommends researching each program’s experience requirements as they may vary by program.

    To learn more about experiences and various on- and off-campus opportunities, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Experiences. UC Davis students are also encouraged to subscribe to HPA Today (HPA’s newsletter).

  • Letters of Recommendation

  • Letter of recommendation requirements vary by health professional schools. For many health fields, HPA recommends two lecture-based science instructor recommendations (this excludes research PI), one lecture-based non-science instructor, and additional letters from your co-curricular experiences. This can include a research PI, mentor, volunteer coordinator, professional you shadowed, etc. Your specific program list will determine what letters you may actually need.

    To learn more about the etiquettes for letters of recommendation, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Letters of Recommendations.

  • Supplemental Applications
  • Supplemental applications (or secondaries) may be required for some SLP programs and some may not require it. Students should carefully review the application process of the programs they are applying to. Supplemental/secondary applications may include additional fees and/or essays. To learn more about supplemental applications, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Applications.
  • Interviews
  • Interviews may be required for some SLP programs and some may not require it. Students should carefully review the application process of the programs they are applying to. To learn more about preparing for interviews, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Interviews and HPA’s Interview Week.

More questions? Check out the frequently asked questions or schedule an appointment with an advisor.