Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, M.S.

Saint Louis University offers a Master of Science in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences designed to prepare professionals to provide evidence-based, high-quality services to persons with communication and swallowing disorders. The program focuses on developing clinicians who are prepared to serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations across the lifespan.

To apply to the graduate program, students must have a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology. Students interested in the speech, language and hearing sciences graduate degree who have a bachelor's degree in a different discipline can complete the leveling option concurrently with master's requirements.

Program Highlights

• SLU's Master of Science in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences is a two-year, six-semester program that starts in the summer semester.
• The typical class size is 35 to 40 students.
• Over the past three years, the program’s graduation rate has been 97%, while both the Praxis pass rate and the employment rate of the graduating class are 99%.
• Graduate students will complete a clinical practicum each term.

Curriculum Overview

All graduate students must complete 60 credits, including a required clinical practicum each term. Research students will also complete a thesis for six elective credits.

Students must enroll in five terms (semester or summer) of graduate course credit clinical practicum during their study. Additionally, six credits of off-campus clinical practice are completed during the last semester of study.

SLHS Graduate Handbook

Clinical and Research Opportunities

A significant strength of SLU's M.S. in speech, language and hearing sciences is the wide variety of clinical practicum experiences available to graduate students. The department has strong working relationships with hospitals, schools, rehabilitation facilities, and community clinics in St. Louis and the surrounding areas. Research opportunities include independent studies worth one to two credits of elective credit or a six-credit research thesis.

Clinical Practicum Sites

Students will experience at least two separate off-campus clinical placements, often obtaining 50 clinical hours or more at each site. Additionally, students gain experience in SLU's Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic. Students are ready for a full-time internship during their last semester, consisting of placements in both medical and educational settings. Students typically obtain considerably more than the minimum clock hours required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and are well-prepared to begin their professional careers.

Careers

Graduates of SLU's M.S. in speech, language and hearing sciences program have gone on to careers at public and private schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, clinics, private practices and universities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics rates speech-language pathology as one of the fastest-growing professions in the country — it’s predicted to grow 25% by 2029. The median annual salary for a speech-language pathologist in 2023 was $89,290.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For priority consideration for graduate assistantship, apply by Feb. 1.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Accreditation

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

For more information about the SLU speech, language and hearing sciences program's student outcomes data (completion rates, Praxis exam pass rates and employment rates), CAA complaint policy and accreditation information, please see the student outcome data and accreditation information below.

View Student Outcome Data and Accreditation Information (PDF) 

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders (or comparable program) or have successfully completed the prerequisite courses in the field.

Individuals with a bachelor's degree in a different discipline may be admitted to the master's program and will be required to enroll in all or some of the courses in the Leveling Option.

Additionally, to be considered for admission to the residential Leveling option, applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have completed college-level coursework in the four areas below, a minimum of 3 credits each, with a C or better, as required by ASHA:

• Statistics (can be math statistics, psychology statistics, business statistics, etc.)
• Biological science (biology, human anatomy, microbiology, etc.)
• Physics or chemistry (must be chemistry or physics, not a physical science course)
• Social or behavioral science (psychology, sociology, anthropology, public health, etc.)

Students must meet clinical practicum eligibility requirements for participation in the required clinical practicum.

Application Requirements

• Application through CSDCAS (The SLU CSDCAS code is 4621.)
• Official transcript
• Three letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Professional goal statement
• Applicants must possess a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.0 GPA in the major
• Visit (encouraged)

Requirements for International Students

Note: Students must score in the High Intermediate to Advanced range on the TOEFL Reading, Listening and Writing sections and must score in the Advanced range on the TOEFL Speaking section.

All Saint Louis University admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students applying to SLU must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Demonstrate English language proficiency
• Academic records must include an English translation. Unofficial copies may be accepted in some cases for initial admission review, however official copies must be received prior to enrollment. Course-by-course transcript evaluations are accepted and are required in some cases.

Students must submit financial documents to be issued an I-20 for their F-1 visa application. Proof of financial support must include:

• A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
• A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University

Assistantship Application Deadline

Students who want to be considered for an assistantship must submit their application by the date specified on the assistant application. 

Review Process

The department admissions committee uses a rolling admission process. Each application and supporting materials is comprehensively reviewed for admission consideration.

Students who are offered admission to the program will receive an assistantship application at the time of their acceptance notification.

The Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences adheres to the national deadline of April 15 to extend offers of admission to applicants as set forth by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Council of Graduate Schools.

Program Requirements 

Students in the speech, language and hearing sciences master's program take the below courses (42 academic credits and 18 clinical practicum credits). Students must earn a C or better for all courses in the master's degree.

¹

Students who have not taken the equivalent of SLU's SLHS 4400 Aural Rehabilitation (3 cr) in their communication science and disorders undergraduate program will be required to take this course during their first summer or fall semester, either at SLU or from another institution with the approval of the department chair. 

²

Students are required to enroll in one of the clinical practicum courses every semester.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Non-Course Requirements

All graduate students in the SLHS program are required to complete a summative portfolio. This cumulative assessment includes student-selected artifacts, a professional résumé, and reflective narratives that document students’ experiences and their learning and professional growth over the two-year graduate program. Submission of the completed portfolio during the spring semester of the second year is a required component for graduation from the department.

Requirements for the Leveling Option

Students without an undergraduate degree in speech language and hearing sciences (or comparable program) will be required to take all or some of the courses in the leveling option. Students must earn a C or better in all leveling option courses.

Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Graduate Electives

This roadmap is just one example of a semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. There are other plans students can and do take. The plan of study for each particular student is established in consultation with each student’s academic advisor; this roadmap does not replace academic advising appointments.

Roadmap notes:

• This Roadmap assumes full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.
• Courses/Milestones marked with an “!” are critical and must be completed in the semester listed in the Roadmap to ensure a timely graduation.
• Course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

M.S. 

¹

Students who have not taken the equivalent of SLU's SLHS 4400 Aural Rehabilitation (3 cr) in their communication science and disorders undergraduate program will be required to take this course during their first summer or fall semester, either at SLU or from another institution with the approval of the department chair. 

M.S. with Leveling Option

Students with a bachelor's degree in a different discipline will be required to enroll in all or some of the courses in the leveling option, which includes everything in the first spring semester below, with the exception of SLHS 4400 Aural Rehabilitation (3 cr) during their first fall semester.