The profession of speech-language pathology is expected to grow exponentially as the mean age of the population increases and medical advances improve the survival rates of premature infants and trauma and stroke patients. The M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program in the School of Health and Medical Sciences is fully accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat speech, language and swallowing disorders. A five-semester (two-year) program, the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology prepares entry-level practitioners to critically analyze and convey complex information to patients, colleagues and healthcare professionals. The comprehensive 65-credit curriculum is supported by full-time faculty who have extensive clinical and academic training. The coursework is tied to hands-on clinical experience and specifically sequenced to efficiently build students’ knowledge and skill set.
The program offers a myriad of clinical externships throughout New Jersey and the New York metropolitan region and beyond. Students typically log more than 100 clinical hours above the 400 hours mandated for national clinical certification and state licensure. Currently, the school has contracts with over 400 clinical sites, including hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and private practices, affording students a range of externships in rural, suburban and urban areas. As a result, students gain experience with a diversity of clients and patients.
The program emphasizes the application of theory and research to practice, addressing efficacy issues and evidence-based practice. Two on-campus labs — The Developmental Language and Cognition Laboratory and the Clinical Speech and Voice Laboratory — are used by faculty and students to conduct research.
The Developmental Language and Cognition Laboratory
Topics studied in this lab include:
- the typical course of language development;
- the cognitive skills that underlie that development (play, gesture, memory, attention);
- the relationship between semantic learning and lexical expression;
- how children with language impairments differ in these processes; and
- treatment efficacy for children with language impairments.
The Clinical Speech and Voice Laboratory
This facility provides students the opportunity to acquire and interpret acoustic and physiologic measures related to speech and voice.
Topics studied in the lab include:
- the role of auditory, visual and audio-visual feedback in speech production and comprehension;
- the validity of psychophysical paradigms to measure the influence of sensory systems on speech production in normal and speech disordered populations;
- the role of imitation and action observation on speech production; and
- efficacy of current stuttering treatments for children.
The Reading, Writing, and Oral Language Laboratory
The mission of the Reading, Writing, and Oral Language Laboratory is to engage in scholarly study in the acquisiion and development of reading, writing, and oral language abilities in typical and disordered school-age children. Topics of interest studied in this laboratory are:
- The development of reading, writing, and oral language in typical populations.
- The development of reading, writing, and oral language in "at risk" populations including children with language-learning disabilities, second language learners, and children from low-income populations.
- The relationships between oral language skills and reading and writing acquisition in typical and "at risk" populations.
Current projects include:
- Explorations in how children approach the writing process and how these skills are affected by grade level and writing genre (narrative, expository, persuasive).
- Examination of how children with Language-Learning Disabilities and who are English Language Learners approach the writing process compared to typically developing peers.
- Evaluating the quality of writing using valid and reliable measures.
Individuals who are interested in learning more about this laboratory or are looking for volunteer research opportunities should contact Dr. Anthony Koutsoftas (anthony.koutsoftas@shu.edu) or call 973-275-2865.
Quick Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program Facts
Academic Completion Praxis Pass Employment
Year Rate Rate Rate
2010/2011 97% 97% 100%
2009/2010 96% 95% 100%
2008/2009 97% 100% 100%
Qualified students are admitted without regard to race, color, religion, age, disability, natural origin, sexual orientation, ancestry or gender.
For more information on the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology, read the admission and curriculum requirements and apply today.
