Communication Sciences: Speech-Language Pathology - MS

The 68-credit Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) curriculum leading to an MS degree prepares individuals to become speech-language pathologists working in hospitals, rehabilitive centers, college or university clinics, health-care agencies, specialized clinical settings, or private practice and prepares students for professional practices in preschools, elementary and secondary schools, and early-intervention developmental centers. Successful completion of the SLP curriculum prepares students to meet the academic and clinical requirements for ASHA certification, New York State licensure, and recommendation for NY State certification as a teacher of students with speech and language disabilities (TSSLD). Additional requirements for certification following graduation include the completion of a clinical fellowship year and passage of PRAXIS examination in Speech Language Pathology. Students seeking TSSLD additionally must take the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations: LAST (Liberal Arts and Science Test) and Elementary (or Secondary) Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) prior to graduation.

Admission Requirements

Hunter College maintains only electronic processes for Graduate Admissions. Applicants are responsible for creating an admissions account and correctly submitting the following:

Official transcripts from undergraduate and graduate schools verifying completion of degrees, GPAs and coursework
GRE scores
Two letters of recommendation
Narrative statement

Visit Hunter College’s Graduate Admissions page for more information regarding the application process.

Individuals wishing to matriculate into the COMSC program must demonstrate completion of 45 credits of prerequisite coursework in Communications Sciences and Disorders as well as Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The breakdown of the prerequisite coursework is outlined below.

Fifteen credits of foundations courses in Communication Sciences and Disorders are required. Each of the following must be at least 3 credits.

Introduction to Language
Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Mechanisms
Phonetics of American English
Introduction to Speech Pathology
Introduction to Audiology

Thirty credits in Liberal Arts and Sciences courses are required of each applicant. Applicants should review catalog descriptions of courses they have taken to ensure correct matching of the following requirements:

Biological science (3 credits)—examples are botany, biology, ecology, genetics, marine biology, nutrition, physiology, zoology
Physical science (3 credits)—examples are chemistry, physics, earth science, oceanography, geology, astronomy, weather
Mathematics or Statistics (3 credits)—examples are algebra, calculus, trigonometry, statistics (remedial, historical, or methods courses do not fulfill this requirement)
Behavioral and/or social science (6 credits)—(study that pertains to understanding normal/abnormal human behavior, development across the life span, social interaction, and issues of culturally diverse populations)—examples include anthropology, criminology, sociology, psychology, human behavior, cultural diversity, gender issues
English (6 credits)—at least 3 credits of intensive writing
U.S. history or political science (3 credits)
Art (3 credits)—examples include pottery, painting, drawing, theater performance, dance, musical instrument performance, art or music appreciation
Language other than English (3 credits)—American Sign Language, Spanish, French, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, etc.

When applying to become a matriculated student applicants should understand:

Courses must be taken at an accredited college or university
At least a B grade is necessary for all prerequisite coursework
Advanced Placement (AP) credit will be accepted; however, AP must be recorded on the student’s official undergraduate transcript(s)
Pass/fail grades will not be considered as having fulfilled the Communication Sciences or Liberal Arts and Sciences prerequisite requirements
Being a native speaker of a language will not fulfill the language requirement; the language requirement must be documented on an official transcript
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores will not be considered as having fulfilled admissions requirements

If unsure that a class meets a prerequisite course requirement, students applying to the COMSC Program may wish to include with their application a catalog description and/or syllabus for that course.

Suggested Curriculum

Fall 1 (15 credits)

Spring 1 (15 credits)

Summer 1 (6)

Fall 2 (16 credits)

Spring 2 (16 credits)

Total Credits: 68

TSSLD with Bilingual Extension (Spanish-English)

The Teachers of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities with Bilingual Extension (Spanish-English) option is available to students in the SLP curriculum who meet the admission requirements regarding demonstration of bilingual proficiency. A written and oral Spanish/English proficiency exam is administered to candidates by the Communication Sciences program. The bilingual requirements include an additional 12 credits of coursework:

Additional Bilingual Examinations

Students seeking TSSLD with Bilingual Extension are required to take the Bilingual Content Specialty Test (CST). In additon to the requirements for TSSLD, candidates for a bilingual extension must also take two language examinations — one in the target language (Spanish) and the other in English.