Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are licensed professionals who work to assess, diagnose, treat and help prevent speech, voice, language, cognitive-linguistic and swallowing disorders across the age span.

The Master of Science (MS) in Speech-Language Pathology education program at UT Health San Antonio provides a two-year (5 semesters) full-time residential graduate study with a unique curriculum grounded on the integration of academic coursework and community-based clinical experience.  The program is housed in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department (CSD) within the School of Health Professions with a medical focus.  The curriculum is mainly designed and sequenced to provide students with scientific and clinical education to work in various healthcare and school settings. 

The master's program in SLP (MS-SLP) is unique in its curricular specification and application of knowledge within a community-based clinical education framework.  Training in a health science campus with constant exposure to multidisciplinary training and direct access to the medical community provides students with vigorous preparation in serving adults and children with medical and educational needs.  The program will prepare graduates to compete successfully for entry-level positions in speech-language pathology, particularly in healthcare settings.  Graduates will be well equipped to work in complex clinical settings such as acute or rehabilitation hospitals for adult patients or facilities where children with medical challenges need to integrate back into school settings.

The Master of Science (MS) in Speech-language Pathology education program at UT Health San Antonio 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, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 OR 301- 296-5700. Anyone wishing to file a complaint with CAA can find instructions on be on the website. 

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for the MS-SLP degree program align with the general requirements of UT Health San Antonio for graduate education.  All required application information, including official transcripts from all institutions attended, is submitted through a centralized web-based application system.  All applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered eligible candidates:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States
• Required pre-requisite coursework of basic human communication include:
  • Introduction to audiology
  • Phonetics and normal articulation
  • Normal language development
  • Anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing
  • Speech and hearing science
• Completing prerequisite coursework in basic science includes at least one course each in behavioral/social sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences (physics or chemistry), and statistics.  While working on graduate coursework, students can co-enroll in up to two basic science courses except for statistics.  Students must complete all basic science prerequisites no later than the end of their fourth semester in the MS-SLP program.
• Minimal grade point average (GPA): An overall GPA of 3.0
• Three letters of recommendation are required attesting to the applicant's readiness for graduate-level studies.
• A grade of C or better in the individual pre-requisite courses.

Application Process

Applicants must submit online applications through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) provided by the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders.  CSDCAS is a state-of-the-art, web-based application system that offers applicants an effective way to apply to any number of participating programs in speech-language pathology by completing a single application.  It provides a streamlined and user-friendly application process following a standardized procedure that incorporates convenient web-based submission of official transcripts and recommendations. The CSDCAS operational cycle is from September of year 1–April of year 2 (e.g., September 2024-April 2025). The application deadline can be found on the program admission webpage.

Degree Requirements

The MS-SLP program curriculum consists of 66 semester credit hours spanning two years (5 consecutive semesters) of study.  Students must also complete a minimum of 400 supervised clinical hours obtained from clinically diverse settings to qualify for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Conical Competence (ASHA-CCC).

Sample Plan of Study

The program's Student Progress Committee will ensure that MS-SLP students follow the following schedule to make appropriate progress toward their degree. The Student Progress Committee will only grant exceptions from this schedule under extenuating circumstances. 

All students in the MS-SLP program must complete the following course of study: 

Objectives/Program Outcomes

The MS-SLP curriculum is designed to achieve three main objectives: 1) to educate and train a diverse student body to become critical thinkers and research-driven clinicians in the best practices; 2) to prepare students for future leadership roles through faculty-guided clinical practica and community outreach activities; and 3) to foster opportunities for student scholarships and prepare the graduates to be competitive candidates for advanced training programs (e.g., Ph.D.) to help address the national faculty shortage dilemma.

For continuing program improvement, program outcomes are evaluated based on several benchmarks.  First, the program regularly tracks the passing rates of the national Praxis examination.  The Praxis examination in speech-language pathology assesses the beginning practitioners' understanding of essential content and current practices.  Passing the test is required for state credentialing and ASHA certification.  Second, the program collects and analyzes data on educational pursuits (e.g., Ph.D.), career opportunities (employment rates) and the type of employment (e.g., medical settings, schools, etc.).  Third, the program elicits feedback from various sources to assess students' learning experience and readiness for employment.  The outcome data collected may include, but are not limited, to exit surveys of graduating students, online surveys of past alumni, input from the community advisory board, interviews of students' clinical supervisors in the community, and communication with graduates' employers.  Regular contact with the Director of Academic Assessment & Special Projects in the School of Health Professions allows for the additional data collection on student learning outcomes and program satisfaction.

Program Policies

Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

The ethical code establishes professional expectations for our scientific and clinical practice based on the principles of duty, accountability, fairness and responsibility.  It is intended to ensure the consumer's welfare and protect the reputation and integrity of the profession.  Speech-language pathologists are expected to abide by the profession's code of ethics and standard of practice (ASHA Code of Ethics, 2016; ASHA Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Speech-Language Pathology, 2004).  The MS-SLP program adheres to this ethical code and standards of practice and expects students' behaviors to be consistent with these principles.

Clinical Practicum

Clinical practicum is an integral part of the educational process for becoming a speech-language pathologist.  Students will develop clinical skills through observation and experiential learning during clinical practicum rotations and apply their understanding of theory and techniques through extended supervised experience.  

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) requires students to complete a minimum of 400 supervised clinical practicum hours, including 25 in guided observation and 325 to be attained at the graduate level.  Students are expected to have sufficient breadth and depth of opportunities to obtain clinical experiences in different work settings with diverse populations to acquire adequate skills to enter professional practice. 

Students can complete clinical practicum only at assigned facilities.  Clinical practicum rotations may occur outside the UT Health San Antonio campus at affiliated clinical institutions/sites; most external practicum sites are in Texas.  The CSD Department maintains contractual agreements with approved clinical sites carefully selected to assure compatibility with the department's philosophy, objectives and curriculum design.  The Clinical Education Director maintains contact with the external clinical practicum sites and communicates with onsite supervisors to provide the rubrics to assess students' clinical competence.  In general, evaluation is based on the student's performance, judgment and professionalism as measured by the onsite supervisor using the given rubrics.

Although students are given opportunities to express their preferences for the location of external placements, the CSD Department cannot grant assurances that students will be placed based on their choices.  Students may be assigned practicum placements to ensure degree completion based on availability or other factors.  Placements are usually secured many months in advance of a scheduled practicum experience. 

Students are expected to comply with policies and procedures pertaining to respective clinical facilities­­―such as onboarding processes requiring a background check and drug screen―and submit all required assignments, evaluations, and other documentation in a timely fashion.

Program Costs

In addition to required tuition and fees, there are costs for textbooks and supplies.  Students may also incur travel expenses during external clinical practicum.  In some cases, the full-time clinical internship in the last semester may require students to reside outside of San Antonio for the entire duration of the practicum.  Practicum expenses are the student's responsibility and will vary depending on the costs for travel and, when necessary, temporary housing and maintenance of local accommodations. 

Other Program Requirements

To be eligible for graduation, students must meet all academic degree requirements and complete the interprofessional education activities required by the school.