Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS)

With a Master of Science (M.S.) degree from Northeastern University’s Speech-Language Pathology program, you will influence society in profound ways. This program provides students with opportunities to enable children with autism to communicate effectively, relieve adolescents’ fears of speaking dysfluently in the classroom, and help stroke survivors resume activities in which they had previously participated.

Program Overview

Since 1965, Northeastern University has offered a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Graduate Program that reflects the University’s tradition of practice-oriented education. Adhering to the highest professional standards, our SLP Graduate Program prepares future speech-language pathologists for the rigors of clinical practice in educational and health care settings. Part of Bouvé College of Health Sciences, the program offers students a comprehensive program of study that emphasizes teamwork and interdisciplinary approaches to complex service delivery issues. Students assist academic and clinical faculty conducting cutting edge research and evidence-based practice on campus as well as at our affiliated world-renowned educational and medical institutions. Northeastern University SLP graduate students acquire the knowledge and skills needed for a lifetime of professional achievement and social contribution.

Over the course of the program, students accumulate the basic science, academic coursework, and clinical experiences necessary for national certification (ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence, CCC). Following graduation, students are ready to complete their Clinical Fellowship Year. Graduates are also eligible for Massachusetts state educator licensure. Students who plan to work outside of Massachusetts following graduation are encouraged to check their state’s requirements for licensure.

Clinical Experience

Students complete four semesters of clinical experience. In their first semester of Clinic (Clinic 1), students engage in rich clinical experiences under the guidance of highly skilled clinic supervisors in the Speech-Language and Hearing Center, housed in the state-of-the art Behrakis Health Sciences Center. Diverse individuals of all ages from surrounding communities come to the Center for diagnostic and therapeutic services. Students in Clinic 2-4 work multiple days a week, off-campus with speech-language pathologists as student clinicians in community-based hospitals, outpatient clinics, educational institutions, and other settings. Consistent with ASHA guidelines, both on-campus and off-campus clinical assignments provide students with hands-on experience evaluating and/or treating children and adults with a variety of diagnoses, disorders, and impairments such as language, cognitive-linguistic, swallowing disorders, etc. While many of our external clinical sites are accessible by public transportation, not all are. Consequently, it is necessary for students to have access to a car during the semesters that they are enrolled in Clinics 2-4.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

The heart of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program is our on-campus Speech-Language and Hearing Center. Supervised by expert clinicians, students work with individuals in other professions and provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and clinical services to members of the local community who present with a broad range of cognitive-communication needs. Supervisors work closely with students to assist in their development of clinical writing and application skills. Students also develop competence using assistive technology and computer software for academic and clinical purposes as preparation for joining the ranks of practicing speech-language pathologists.

Our Clinic is equipped with sophisticated audio-visual media technology that:

  • enables students to provide caregiver education and counseling while observing live interventions from outside the clinical room,
  • allows students to learn from each other and from clinical faculty while observing ongoing diagnostic and therapeutic sessions, and
  • facilitates students’ self-learning and reflection when reviewing clinical sessions that they have just conducted.

In addition to our Speech-Language and Hearing Center students are also exposed to state-of-the-art faculty laboratories such as the Computational Vision Laboratory of Dr. Ennio Mingolla, the  Communication Analysis and Design Laboratory of Dr. Rupal Patel, and the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab of Dr. Emily Zimmerman.

World-recognized Connections

Strong faculty links with over 200 educational and medical institutions provide our students with the opportunity to apply classroom theory to evidence-based SLP interventions in the field.

Northeastern’s Graduate SLP Program is highly regarded, and off-site supervisors find our students well-prepared for clinical practice. Following graduation, many of our students are offered employment at sites where they interned.

Research & Technology

Our faculty consists of internationally recognized researchers who are active in their fields and involve students in their research. The development and applied use of technology play integral roles in the research of many of the faculty. For example, Dr. Ralf Schlosser’s research focus is on evidence-based practice using augmentative and alternative communication. Another professor focuses on software to develop unintelligible speakers’ ability to learn to use inflection to communicate. Other research within the department focuses include speech-motor control and language and health literacy in at-risk populations. To read more about the research being conducted by faculty and students in the department, please visit our Research page.

 

Application Due

January 15, 2023
for Fall 2023

Contact Info
Sarah Young Hong Northeastern University

Prof. Sarah Young-Hong
Tel: 617.373.3698
[email protected]

Students talk about Northeastern’s Speech-Language Pathology Master of Science program

Sample Schedule: Course of Study

Our Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program is a two-year, five-semester program. Students may simultaneously complete a separate, but complementary, Early Intervention Certificate Program. Read about this program.

The chart below describes a sequence of courses as taught in the recent past. This chart is not a planning document for what course will be taught in which semester (spring or fall) in the future. Students should consult with their academic advisor or see the university course catalog.

  • Fall Semester

    • Neurology of Communication
    • Speech-Language Disorders in Children 1 (Birth-Preschool)
    • Articulation and Phonology
    • SLP Clinic 1, Language Literacy in Practice, and Diagnostic Testing in SLP OR
      Clinical Procedures

  • Spring Semester

    • Dysphagia
    • Speech-Language Disorders in Children 2 (School-Age & Literacy)
    • Speech-Language Disorders in Adults, Part 1
    • SLP Clinic 2 OR
      • SLP Clinic 1, Language Literacy in Practice, and Diagnostic Testing in SLP

  • Summer Semester

    • Practical Statistics for SLP and Audiology
    • Clinic 2 Full Summer
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in SLP
    • Counseling in SLP
    • Graduate Elective

* If not taken during undergraduate, students must also complete SLPA 5107 Clinical Procedures the semester prior to enrolling in SLPA 6415,  SLP Clinic 1.  SLPA 5107 does not count towards the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology graduate degree.

**Curriculum subject to change

  • Fall Semester

    • Speech Science
    • Voice Disorders
    • Speech-Language Disorders in Adults, Part 2
    • Augmentative & Alternative Communication
    • SLP Clinic 3

  • Spring Semester

    • Stuttering
    • Research and Evidence-Based Practice
    • Motor Speech Disorders
    • Aural Rehab or Graduate Elective
    • SLP Clinic 4

Community Service

Community service is a high priority for faculty and students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bouvé College, and all of Northeastern University. Our Department is involved in many community-based service activities. Some examples of these are story-telling groups at local family homeless shelters, speech-language-hearing screenings at local schools and hospitals, and fundraising events for such causes as Operation Smile.

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology requires a total of 60 semester hours at the graduate-level. Course work is required in core areas of clinical practice, scientific theory, and research/statistics. In addition, clinical practica (Clinic I-IV) are typically in a minimum of three settings. Students may choose either a thesis or a non-thesis option. Students who choose the non-thesis option must pass a Comprehensive Examination during their final semester to graduate. Throughout the Program, students must maintain a minimum grade average of B (3.0) in academic courses and in clinical work. Following graduation, students are eligible for state educator licensure and are ready to start their Clinical Fellowship Year.

SLP graduate students may also apply for admission to the Early Intervention Certificate Program. More information about the Early Intervention Program may be found on their webpage.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a preferred GPA of at least 3.35. An undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders is not required to apply to our Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program.

The GRE is not required. However, TOEFL scores are required for all applicants who do not hold undergraduate or graduate degrees from U.S. institutions or institutions where English is the primary language. Please use CSDCAS code #122. The required iBT TOEFL score is 110.

Five prerequisite undergraduate courses or their equivalents must be completed with a grade of C or better before matriculating into our Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program.

These courses are:

  • Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
  • Introduction to Audiology
  • Introduction to Speech and Hearing Science
  • Language Development
  • Phonetics

What you can do with a Masters in Speech Language Pathology at Northeastern University

Frequently Asked Questions

May I enter the Program before taking the Program prerequisites?

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program requires five prerequisite courses:

  • Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
  • Introduction to Audiology
  • Introduction to Speech and Hearing Science (not Introduction to Communication Disorders)
  • Language Development
  • Phonetics

These five prerequisites must be completed and approved before entering the program but do not need to be completed before applying.

Prior to graduation from the Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, students must have taken one, 3-4 credit undergraduate course in each of these four areas: Biological Sciences, Statistics, Physical Sciences (chemistry or physics), and Social Sciences and Behavioral Sciences.

Where can I take the required prerequisite courses?

  • You may take them at any college, preferably through an ASHA accredited program, live or online. You need to get a C or better in each of these courses.
  • You may take them through the CSD Department at Northeastern University. We offer each at least once per academic year, live and/or online. To do this, you must apply for Special Student Status through Bouvé Graduate Student Services. Check the Northeastern University website for up-to-date information on course offerings and call the Bouvé Graduate Admissions Office at 617-373-2708 for the paperwork and any registration help that you may need.

How big is your Program?

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program typically has about 60-70 incoming graduate students per year. Students and faculty get to know each other well and work closely together. Students support each other in their clinical and academic experiences, often becoming friends and colleagues for life. At Northeastern, you have all of the advantages of a large university campus, including interprofessional opportunities and facilities you would expect to find at a major urban university, along with all the advantages of a close-knit community.

Do I need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)?

No. The GRE is not required.

What sort of financial support does the Program offer?

  • Northeastern University Tuition Scholarships may be offered to incoming Speech-Language Pathology graduate students.
  • Dean’s Scholarships are offered to Speech-Language Pathology graduate students based on academic performance. These are based on undergraduate transcripts and provide tuition remission.
  • Faculty often hire students as paid as Research Assistants to work on research projects. Check out our faculty’s interests and research areas and see whose work matches your interests and experience. Send that faculty your resume and a letter of interest to make an appointment.

What fees are associated with the program?

Program-specific fees are listed below. Please note that fees are subject to change. Students are responsible for obtaining updated training or subscriptions if they lapse during the program.

  • CALIPSO: $100 one-time
  • Simucase: $99 annually
  • HIPAA Training: $14.49 annually
  • EXXAT annual subscription: $135 (for compliance management, including CORI/SORI, medical clearance, and immunization tracking); Note: there may be additional CORI/SORI/fingerprinting/immunization fees for off-campus placement requirements
  • CPR Training: fees vary based on where students obtain training
  • Digital Audio Recorder: approximately $30-$40
  • Transportation costs for clinical placements

Where can I find information regarding Graduate Admissions and the Application Process?

What makes Northeastern University’s Speech-Language Pathology Program stand out?

We offer a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). Most Programs in Speech-Language Pathology have similarities in their curricula since our scope of practice is determined by our national accrediting agency, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Differences among programs include settings of the programs (college, university or hospital), research interests of the faculty, and facilities. Here are some of the features that we believe make Northeastern unique and beneficial to graduate students:

1. We have a strong inter-professional focus.

Being part of Bouvé College, we are members of an interprofessional team that includes such professions as Counseling Psychology, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy. To read more about our inter-professional emphasis, go to https://bouve.northeastern.edu/.

Our students have diverse undergraduate backgrounds, with some having an undergraduate degree in SLP and/or Audiology and others having an undergraduate degree in another discipline. This diversity is beneficial to both our students and our faculty.

2. Our faculty are internationally recognized researchers who are all active in their fields and involve students in their research.
We emphasize evidence-based practice. This approach requires clinical practice to be motivated by the most pertinent findings in the literature, as they relate to individual clients.

Our faculty combines interests in theory with a focus on practice-oriented research. Please visit our website at https://bouve.northeastern.edu/csd/staff-directory/ to see each faculty member’s bio and research interests.

Our faculty have links with world-recognized hospitals such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

3. We have student-centered and friendly faculty.
Students have ready and ongoing access to faculty and are strongly supported throughout their Program.

Students comment on the close relationships they develop with faculty and the support they receive to reach their maximum potential. We also help students develop extracurricular activities through professional clubs and associations (e.g., the NU Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, called NUSSLHA)

4. Our facilities are state-of-the art and well-situated.
We have faculty offices and newly renovated research space in the Forsyth Building. Behrakis Health Sciences Center, where our on-campus clinic is located, is one of the College’s newest editions.

5. Our Speech-Language and Hearing Center, the on-site Clinic located in Behrakis, is the heart of the Department.
Our goal is to provide our students with an unparalleled interprofessional clinical experience both on and off campus. The Center provides services in both Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology to members of the Boston Community. These services are provided by the students under the supervision of our clinical faculty, five days and two evenings a week. Our Center houses $800,000 of new equipment.

6. We have many quality educational and medical external placement sites in Greater Boston and beyond.
Students complete multiple semesters of external placement work across ages, diagnoses, and settings with our practicing community-based colleagues. Students are required to have access to a car and travel to and from their external sites by car, commuter rail, and/or public transportation.

Placement site opportunities include nearby, national, and international opportunities.

Faculty work with students to explore new placement options, for example, out-of-state.

7. The university campus is a green and pleasant place for students and faculty to spend their time.
Students describe Northeastern as having a “campus feel.” The landscaping and design give Northeastern University a small-town feeling.

Northeastern University’s location in the heart of the city allows rapid access to sports venues, shopping, museums, concert halls and, most importantly, many clinical sites.

We are conveniently close to public transportation. To get a feel for our campus, take a virtual tour here.

8. Northeastern is a large urban university nationally recognized for its focus on practice-oriented education.
Students have endless opportunities to combine theory and practice through academics, clinical experiences, research, and community service.

Students frequently choose to enroll in elective courses in areas of personal interest as part of their graduate program. For example, some of our students take electives in American Sign Language, Multicultural Service Delivery, and Neuroscience.

Students complete Comprehensive Exams or may elect to complete a thesis.

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology students may supplement their program of studies with the Early Intervention Certificate curriculum.

Students are given numerous opportunities to contribute their developing skills to various groups or causes within the local, national and international communities.

Research

Faculty engage in ongoing research in a variety of areas, including augmentative and alternative communication, evidence-based practice, hearing loss, health and language literacy, motor speech disorders, and traumatic brain injury. Students have opportunities to participate in faculty’s research and to work with faculty to explore research interests of their own. For more information on faculty research in the department, please visit the department’s Areas of Research page.

Post-Graduation

Our students receive a comprehensive education and work in a variety of settings after graduation. Graduates go to work in educational settings, medical settings, research laboratories, private practices, skilled nursing facilities, and more. The academic, clinical, research, and service opportunities that comprise our SLP Graduate Program allow our students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for a lifetime of professional achievement and social contribution.

Additional Certification Opportunities

Early Intervention Certificate

Experiential Learning & Clinical Opportunities

Our Program’s clinical home is the Speech-Language and Hearing Center. Individuals of all ages from surrounding communities come to the highly regarded Center for diagnostic and therapeutic services. Here, beginning in their first semester of Clinic (Clinic 1), students engage in rich clinical experiences under the guidance of highly skilled clinic supervisors. Learn more about the Speech-Language and Hearing Center.

Generally, beginning with Clinic 2, students work multiple days a week with speech-language pathologists as student clinicians in community-based hospitals, outpatient clinics, educational institutions, and other settings. Examples of clinic placement sites include Braintree Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Boston Public Schools. Consistent with ASHA guidelines, on-campus and off-campus clinical assignments provide students with hands-on experience evaluating and/or treating children and adults with a variety of diagnoses, disorders, and impairments such as language, cognitive-linguistic, and swallowing disorders:

  • articulation and phonological disorders
  • congenital or acquired hearing loss
  • developmental language problems
  • English as a second language/ accented speech
  • fluency problems
  • language and cognitive impairments due to stroke, brain injury, and progressive neurological diseases
  • motor speech disorders, such as dysarthria and apraxia, which may result in the need for augmentative or alternative forms of communication (AAC)
  • swallowing disorders
  • voice and resonance problems

While many of our external clinical sites are accessible by public transportation, not all are. Consequently, it is necessary for students to have access to a car during the semesters that they are enrolled in Clinics 2-4. Availability of a car increases the options for placement sites at which students have opportunities to gain diverse and extensive clinical experience.

Northeastern University emphasizes service to the inner-city neighborhoods of Boston and to surrounding communities. Through some of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders’ community service links, students have opportunities to participate in speech-language-hearing screenings at local schools and hospitals and to facilitate children’s story-telling groups at local family homeless shelters.

CAA Accredited SLP

Accreditation

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Northeastern 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.

Information on how to file a complaint regarding this program’s accreditation status can be found on the CAA website.

Student Outcome Data

PRAXIS PASS RATE
Praxis examination pass rates for the previous three periods/testing cycles for graduates of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program based on available ETS data.

Academic year # Taking exam # Passed exam % Passed exam rate
2021-2022 27 27 100%
2020-2021 50 49 100%
2019-2020 32 32 100%

EMPLOYMENT RATE
Number and percentage of graduates from the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program who have been employed in the profession within one year of graduation

Academic year Number of graduates Percent of graduates
2019-2020 32 100%
2018-2019 44 100%
2017-2018 48 100%

PROGRAM COMPLETION RATE
An average program completion rate for graduate students in the last 3 years in relation to program’s published expectation for length of time for students to complete the degree, based on enrollment data.

3-year average program completion rate = 95.04%

Academic Year Completed within expected time frame Not completed within expected time frame Not completed Completion rate
2021-2022 33 2 0 94%
2020-2021 53 1 0 98%
2019-2020 29 3 0 91%
Apply to the Speech-Language Pathology (MS) Program through the CSDCAS online application.