Exterior of the Louise Herrington Patriot Center on the UT Tyler campus

Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology

Public Notice of Accreditation Status:

The Master of Science (M.S.) educational program in Speech-Language Pathology (residential) at the University of Texas at Tyler is an Applicant for Accreditation Candidacy by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), which is located at 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

The University of Texas at Tyler is currently working on establishing a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology Program. The program is part of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, which is part of the School of Health Professions. The Program is located at the UT Tyler Health Science Center at the North Campus. It has a Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, which is within the UT Health Center’s Family Medicine Unit. The expected start date is August 2024. Application deadline has been extended through June 28, 2024.

Establishing the new program involves two major phases: Institutional and State approval, and approval by the accrediting authority, which is the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

The proposal for the new program has been approved by the UT Tyler Administration and the University of Texas System Board of Regents. The proposal has been submitted to the Texas Board of Higher Education (THECB), and we expect the Board’s decision in the spring of 2024. For more information, click to view our Progress Toward Accreditation page.

The program is full time. It consists of 5 consecutive semesters (including one summer) and must be completed within 2 years. All academic courses and clinical practicum internships are face-to-face. Academic courses will be held in the evening (5:00 PM-7:45 PM) 3 times per week. Students will complete practicum work during the day, at least 3 days a week.

The program is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders, and for other individuals with a bachelor’s in another field (given that they have completed all the prerequisite/ leveling courses in communication sciences and disorders). The program provides students with the academic and clinical coursework required for pursuing national certification (ASHA certification), state licensure as a speech-language pathologist, and state certification as teacher of the speech and hearing impaired.

Program Description

The program is full time. It consists of 5 consecutive semesters (including one summer) and must be completed within 2 years, including one summer. All academic courses and clinical practicum internships are face-to-face. Academic courses will be held in the evening (5:00 PM-7:45 PM) 3 times per week. Students will complete practicum work during the day, at least 3 days a week.

The academic course work consists of 45 graduate credit hours in academic courses, in addition to a maximum of 9 credits in clinical practicum. The clinical practicum involves direct delivery of diagnostic and treatment services to patients at the graduate program’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and external sites. During practicum internships, students complete the 400 practicum hours. These hours are typically completed over 3 semesters and cover the whole range of communication and swallowing disorders. In cases where students are unable to earn all hours within 3 semesters, they are allowed to enroll in the clinical practicum course beyond the 3 semesters; however, no more than 9 practicum credit hours can be counted toward the degree. If an external site requires commitments exceeding the number of hours sought, the student will be allowed to do so; however, no more than 9 credits will be counted toward the program’s 54 credits.

Now Accepting Applications

Applications for the fall of 2024 are now being accepted on CSDCAS at: https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

Application deadline has been extended through June 28, 2024.

Program’s Vision

To develop into a distinguished, student-centered public speech-language pathology program that provides a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum and creates the best opportunities for meaningful integration of academic knowledge with clinical practice; a program that contributes to the betterment of health, education, and welfare of East Texas communities by preparing generations of highly qualified clinicians and being an impactful, indispensable community partner.

Program's Mission

The mission of the UT Tyler Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Program is to prepare highly qualified SLP clinicians equipped with the academic knowledge and clinical skills required for the effective assessment, treatment, and prevention of communication and swallowing disorders; and to develop into an indispensable community partner contributing to the health, well-being, and education of East Texas communities and beyond.

Program’s 5 strategic Goals

Provide students with the academic knowledge and clinical experiences required for achieving competency in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders across the lifespan.
Promote faculty and graduate student research by facilitating access to financial and material resources and providing mentoring and opportunities for collaboration.
Create an environment (for students, faculty, clinical educators, and staff) that fosters personal growth, teamwork, and interprofessional collaboration.
Develop dynamic partnerships with communities and organizations in East Texas, and provide diagnostic, treatment, and prevention services that are rooted in best practices, accountability, and advocacy for clients and their families.
Foster a genuine understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity, cultural appreciation, and cultural humility.

Program’s Values

Provide a distinguished, comprehensive academic and clinical preparation rooted in active learning, self-analysis, self-assessment, critical thinking, ethical and professional standards, accountability, and best practices.
Be committed to excellence in teaching and clinical practice.
Foster diagnostic instincts through problem-based critical thinking, self-reflection, and self-assessment.
Support research-based discovery, interprofessional collaboration, social justice, diversity, community engagement, global citizenship, and evidence-based life-long learning.

Strategic Plan

Program's 2023-2028 Strategic Plan

Prerequisites for Applying to the UT Tyler Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program

Bachelor’s Degree in CSD or a bachelor’s in another field (given that the applicant has taken all prerequisite communication sciences and disorders coursework)
GRE:
- Minimum Overall Score of 300
- Minimum Verbal Score of 150
- Minimum Quantitative Score of 150
- Analytic Writing Score of 3.5-5.0
Overall GPA: Minimum Overall Undergraduate GPA of 3.0, with no grades below "B-"
Major GPA: minimum 3.0 GPA in the CSD Major courses (or leveling courses), with no grades below "B-"
Official transcript of all undergraduate and graduate courses taken
25 hours of clinical observation (obtained as part of an academic course)
3 letters of recommendation
Letter of Interest/Intent
CV/Resume
Personal Interview
Spontaneous writing sample
Excellent comprehension and production of spoken and written language. This includes speech articulation, voice, and fluency in American English.
Functional/normal hearing acuity, auditory processing, and visual acuity
Emotional maturity and stability
Excellent social communication, interpersonal skills, and collegiality
The ability to work under pressure
Ability to work and conduct research independently
Prerequisite Undergraduate Coursework:
- The following undergraduate courses are required, with a grade of “B-” or better in each course. They may be taken as part of a communication sciences and disorders bachelor's or as leveling courses:
  - Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders
  - Anatomy & Physiology of Speech, Language, and Hearing
  - Speech & Hearing Science
  - Language Acquisition and Development
  - Phonetics
  - Clinical Procedures (including 25 observation hours)
  - Introduction to Audiology
  - Neurological Bases of Speech, Language and Hearing
  - Biology (100-level)
  - Chemistry OR Physics (100-level)
  - Statistics (Elementary level)
  - Developmental Psychology OR Child Psychology
  - Linguistics

Credit Transfer: Students can transfer up to 9 graduate credits from an accredited speech-language pathology master or doctoral degree program at a university in which they were officially enrolled. Non-degree students can transfer up to 6 graduate credits, given that those credits were completed in a an accredited SLP master/doctoral program within the previous 7 years. In all cases, transfer credits are allowed only after the student has successfully completed the first semester in our program. The minimum GPA required for graduation from the program is 3.0, with no grades below “B-.”

Applications Now Accepted for the Fall of 2024

The deadline for accepting applications has been extended through June 28, 2024.

Please submit your application on the CSDCAS website at https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login

To discuss the application and admission processes related to this graduate program, please Graduate Admissions of reach out to Dr. Ahmed Abdelal at aabdelal@uttyler.edu.

Conditional Acceptance:

The program will consider applications from students who do not have the 25 observation hours or are missing no more than 1 undergraduate course. If these applicants meet all other program criteria and are accepted in the program, their acceptance will be contingent on (a) completing the observation hours or undergraduate course during their first semester, (b) earning a grade of B or above in the course, and (c) the grade they earn does not lower their major GPA.

Conditional Acceptance of Non-Native/Nonstandard English Speakers:

The Program will conditionally admit students who have all basic science and CSD prerequisite coursework, required ESL score, and other Program requirements, but need a short-term program to enhance spoken and/or written language, given that the student completes the Intensive English Language Institute during the summer or during the first semester in the Program.