The master’s degree program in Speech-Language Pathology includes six faculty members, a clinic coordinator, and two clinic supervisors. It is one of two concentrations within the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSND), which also offers a doctoral program in Audiology. Our Department is part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Speech-Language Pathology program is a full-time ASHA-accredited program that includes academic coursework, clinical practicum experience, and research experience. The program enables its graduates to conduct speech and language assessments and provide intervention to children and adults with communication and swallowing problems. It meets the academic and clinical coursework requirements for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology and for the NJ State License in Speech-Language Pathology.
The program is designed to be full-time. Courses are offered between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm with few exceptions. The Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services allows a maximum of six years to complete a master’s degree, so it is possible to complete a portion of the program on a part-time basis. However, the final two clinical experiences in the program are full-time, five-day-per-week externships. It is not possible to complete these experiences on a part-time basis.
Typical Length of Program
Students who enter the program with an undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology can complete the program in two-and-one-half years (including summers). Students who enter with no previous coursework in Speech-Language Pathology can complete the program in three years (including summers).
Undergraduate Speech-Language Pathology Courses
The following undergraduate-level courses are prerequisite to graduate-level courses:
CSND 383 Language Development and Language Disorders
CSND 408 Phonetic Study of Speech Sounds
CSND 409 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Systems
CSND 410 Neurophysiological Bases of Communication
CSND 468 Clinical Processes in Audiology
Students who are admitted to the program without these courses take them at the beginning of their master’s program, along with some graduate-level courses that do not require prerequisites. With permission of the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program Coordinator, these courses are open to Montclair State University undergraduates when they achieve senior status (112 credits). If there are additional seats in these courses, non-matriculated students may register for them with the permission of the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program Coordinator. Contact Dr. Boyle at boylem@mail.montclair.edu.
Speech-Language Specialist (SPLS) Certification
A Speech-Language Specialist Certificate is the Educational Services Certificate required by the State of New Jersey Department of Education to work as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the New Jersey Public Schools. Our program meets the academic and clinical coursework requirements for this certificate. Individuals may apply for the certificate independently upon completion of the program. Individuals who wish to have the University apply to the state on their behalf must complete one of their clinical externships in a school setting and complete 9 credits of coursework focused on the role of the speech-language pathologist in a school setting. This coursework is additional to that required for the master’s degree.
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