Speech-Language Pathology, M.C.D. (CIP 51.0204)

Speech-Language Pathology Program

Sandra L. Hayes, SLPD
Program Director

The Program in Speech-Language Pathology confers the Master of Communication Disorders (MCD) degree. The Program provides both academic and clinical education in speech-language pathology, and is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA; http://www.asha.org).

The Master’s degree is the entry-level degree for a career in speech-language pathology. Speech-language pathologists identify and treat children and adults with speech and language problems such as delayed language, stuttering, aphasia, voice, and articulation problems, as well as cognitive and swallowing problems. Speech-language pathologists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, universities, industry, governmental agencies, and private practice.

The Speech-Language Pathology Program occupies the Mollie E. Webb Speech and Hearing Center, which is located at 3735 Blair Street in Shreveport, LA. The Center houses classroom facilities, a computer laboratory, a speech science laboratory, an augmentative and alternative communication laboratory, a reading room, a student study area, and departmental offices. The clinical facilities include six rooms for speech-language assessment and treatment, an audiologic test suite, a hearing aid fitting room, a classroom for young children with communication disorders, a wide range of testing and treatment materials, and clinical office spaces. The faculty consists of five speech-language pathologists and one audiologist. The program has clinical affiliations with numerous hospitals, medical facilities, and educational institutions throughout Louisiana. Students have many educational and clinical opportunities, including some that are available only in medical centers and metropolitan areas.

Qualified applicants, regardless of undergraduate major, begin study during the summer semester. The length of the program varies depending upon the clinical and course load that is carried by the individual student; however, most students complete  all requirements for the master’s degree in six - nine semesters, inclusive of summers. Upon graduation, a student will have completed the appropriate academic and clinical practicum requirements for state licensure in the state of Louisiana (http://www.lbespa.org) and certification by ASHA.

The Speech-Language Pathology Program hosts an open house for potential students, typically in mid to late October. For additional information regarding the program, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Boult or Dr. Anderson at (318) 813-4200 or by e-mail jboult@lsuhsc.edu or hande1@lsuhsc.edu. Please consider a campus visit to meet the faculty and students, and to learn more about our graduate program in speech-language pathology.

Requirements for Admission

The Program in Speech-Language Pathology welcomes applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution is required; however, the undergraduate degree need not be in the communication sciences and disorders. Transcripts must show successful completion of courses in psychology (or another social science), biological science, physical science (physics or chemistry), and statistics. Course work in these areas is required for ASHA certification and must be completed in order to be eligible to graduate from this program. Intellectual curiosity, a desire to learn, and strong critical thinking skills are perhaps more important for success in the program than having a COMD-specific undergraduate major.

The Program coordinates a 3-2 program in conjunction with the Psychology Department at Centenary College of Louisiana. This program enables highly motivated individuals to complete an undergraduate degree in psychology (through Centenary) and a graduate degree in speech-language pathology (through LSU Health Sciences Center) in five years. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Dr. Amy Hammond at Centenary College (318-841-7267) or Dr. Sandra Hayes at LSU Health Sciences Center (318-813-4204).

To be considered for admission to the graduate program in speech-language pathology, applicants must have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher; GRE scores are also required. Admission to the program is competitive; meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. The admissions committees will convert the GRE and GPA to z-scores and the applicant will be rank-ordered based on this conversion. Letters of recommendation, the admissions essay and results of a personal interview will be reviewed by faculty and used to adjust the rank-order as appropriate. The Program in Speech-Language Pathology gives preference to applicants who are residents of Louisiana; however, non-residents are considered in the admissions process. A limited number of non-resident fee waivers are available.  Please contact the Office of Admissions for more information. Successful applicants to the program will be required to participate in a mandatory drug screening and criminal history background check.

Application and Admission

The Speech-Language Pathology program at LSU Health Shreveport - leading to the Master of Communication Disorders (MCD) degree- utilizes the online application system, Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS).

Please refer to the program’s webpage:  www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/slp for more information on this process. 

The application deadline is February 1st of each year; the program begins in the summer semester.

Students admitted to the Program in Speech-Language Pathology are granted regular admission. Applicants will be notified of acceptance status in a timely manner. The initial set of notification letters are sent as soon as possible following the application deadline and  decisions are typically finalized within eight - ten weeks. Registration and payment of all tuition and related fees will be completed at the School of Allied Health Professions at the beginning of each semester or term. Note: See “GENERAL ADMISSION POLICIES ” of the School for further requirements and procedures relating to admissions.

Transfer of Credit

Up to nine hours of graduate credit earned at another accredited institution may be transferred. There is no automatic transfer of credit towards a graduate degree; transfer credit is subject to the approval of the department head/program director, with input  from faculty. Graduate work completed at another school may be accepted for not more than nine semester hours of credit toward the minimum requirement of 36 semester credit hours. Transfer credit will not be approved for any course with a grade of C or  lower. Graduate credit is never accepted for courses taken on a pass/fail basis.

Academic Progression Requirements

See standards for the SAHP graduate professional scholastic requirements listed elsewhere in this catalogue. In addition to these general requirements, the Program in Speech-Language Pathology has the following requirements.

1. The student must satisfactorily complete all requirements for graduation in not more than four calendar years. This requirement may be waived only under extreme circumstances. A written request must be made through the Department Head/Program Director, for approval by the Dean.
2. The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 each semester.  A student whose cumlative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation.  Students on academic probation may not be allowed to enroll in clinical practicum. 
3. A grade of C or lower in clinical practicum (SPATH 6701 , SPATH 6702 , SPATH 6703 , SPATH 6704 , or SPATH 6705 ) is considered unsatisfactory and will result in clinical probation. A student who receives a grade of C or lower will be allowed to enroll in clinical practicum for one semester during which the student may be required to follow specialized remedial procedures. Continuation in the program following an additional C in clinical practicum (consecutive or non consecutive) must be approved by the Department Head/ Program Director. If the student’s clinical practicum grade falls below C, clinic hours accumulated for that semester will not be counted toward the clinic hours required for ASHA certification.

Academic and Employment Workloads

The usual full-time academic load in the Program is 9 to 15 semester hours during fall and spring semesters; and 6 to 9 during the summer semester. It is the responsibility of the student to be available for classes, clinical practicum, and other scheduled activities that may occur anytime from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday and, occasionally, on the weekend or during semester breaks. Activities may include attendance at professional conferences or seminars.

Technical Standards

Technical standards are essential abilities and characteristics required for admission, progression, and graduation from the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions.  The following standards consist of certain nimimum physical and cognitive abilities and sufficient mental and emotional stability to assure that students are able to complete the entire course of study and participate ufll in all aspects of the acade3mic and clinical curriculum, with or without reasonable accommodations:

Sensory:

A student must possess sufficient visual and auditory skills - as well as skills of observation to evaluate, interpret, and treat communication deficits effectively. These skills include the ability to:

1. Identify deviant articulation.
2. Recognize abnormal voice characteristics.
3. Identify characteristics of dysfluency.
4. Recognize oral and written language disorders in the areas of semantics, pragmatics, syntax, morphology, and phonology.
5. Read and comprehend text, numbers, tables, and graphs.

Motor and Mobility Skills:

A student must possess adequate motor and mobility skills to:

1. Manipulate testing and treatment materials.
2. Perform moderately taxing continuous physical work. This work may require prolonged sitting and/or standing.
3. Use a computer keyboard and mouse to operate laboratory instruments.
4. Access transportation to all clinical and academic placements.

Communication:

A student must possess adequate communication skills to:

1. Communicate professionally and effectively with individuals and groups (i.e., faculty members, fellow students, staff, clients, and other health care professionals).
2. Communicate professionally and effectively in recorded format (writing [e.g., SOAP notes, diagnostic and treatment reports], typing, graphics, and/or telecommunication).
3. Demonstrate proficiency in English for both oral and written communication.
4. Produce speech with sufficient intelligibility and fluency to provide an effective speech model for clinical purposes.

Behavioral Skills:

A student must possess adequate behavioral skills to:

1. Manage the use of time effectively and systematize actions to complete professional and technical tasks within realistic constraints.
2. Demonstrate the emotional health necessary to apply knowledge effectively and to exercise appropriate judgment.
3. Be flexible and creative in order to adapt to professional and technical change and function in new and stressful environments (e.g., provide co-treatment in noisy areas, conduct testing or treatment in a hospital ward, deal with client temper tantrums, and provide rapid turn-around for diagnostic results).
4. Recognize potentially hazardous situations and proceed safely to minimize risk of injury to clients, self, and nearby individuals.
5. Support and promote the activities of fellow students and of health care professionals in an effort to facilitate a team approach to learning, task completion, problem solving, and client/patient care.
6. Demonstrate honesty, compassion, ethics, and responsibility, upholding the ASHA Code of Ethics, and the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions’ Policy and Procedures Relating to Student Conduct, Dismissals and Appeals.

LSU Health Shreveport seeks to comply with the American with Disabilities Act by providing reasonable accommodations, including resources and services, for students with disabilities, chronic medical conditions, a temporary disability, or pregancy complications resulting in difficulties with accessing learning opportunities.

Curriculum

• Master of Communication Disorders Professional Entry Level Curriculum