Speech Language Pathology, MCD

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For full-time students in Speech-Language Pathology, the program duration is six semesters. Full-time enrollment is required for all six semesters. Upon graduation from the program, a student will have completed the appropriate academic and clinical practicum requirements for state licensure and certification by ASHA.

Admissions

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree. Those with an undergraduate degree in a field other than Communication Disorders are eligible and will complete the following leveling courses during the program:

• Clinical Phonetics

• Language Acquisition

• Hearing and Speech Science

• Management of the Pediatric Hearing-Impaired Child

All transcripts must show successful completion of courses in psychology or social sciences, physical sciences, biological sciences, and statistics (as required for ASHA certification).

For admission into the Department of Communication Disorders, Speech-Language Pathology applicants must complete an application through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Services (CSDCAS). A GPA of 3.0 is the minimum for consideration in admissions. Three letters of recommendation and an interview are required. Admission to the program is competitive. The program used a multi-faceted rubric to determine admissions based upon GPA, personal statement, and personal interview. Admission to the program is competitive. Meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission. Letters of recommendations, interview, and the applicant’s Statement of Intentwill be reviewed and considered in the decision-making process. The committees select applicants who are considered most qualified for the study and practice of speech-language pathology. The Department of Communication Disorders, in accordance with LSUHSC policy, gives preference to applicants who are residents of Louisiana.

For Speech-Language Pathology, graduate credit earned at another accredited institution must be petitioned for consideration following admission to the program. Up to 9 credits from an accredited graduate training program may be transferred. There is no automatic transfer of credit towards a graduate degree; transfer credit is subject to the approval of the Review Committee and Department Head/Program Director. Residence 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 (IIA). Transfer credit will not be approved for any course with a grade of C or lower. Graduate credit is never accepted for courses taken by correspondence or on a pass/fail basis.

Standards

Technical Standards

TECHNICAL STANDARDS POLICY
Department of Communication Disorders
LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans

The School of Allied Health Professions and Department of Communication Disorders does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability. When requested, the department will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified students with properly certified disabilities. The faculty and professional staff have responsibility for the welfare of students in the section and for the clients the students treat during their graduate program. To meet this responsibility, the section has established Technical Standards that must be demonstrated by students with or without reasonable accommodations in order to participate in the program and to complete it successfully. Reasonable accommodations will be made to students with disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. It is the responsibility of students, however, to review the technical standards for a given program and make their needs known. Guidelines for students with Disabilities can be found at: http://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/Admin/studentswithdisabilities.aspx

The School of Allied Health Professions has established Technical Standards for its programs of study delineating the minimum physical, cognitive, emotional, and social requirements necessary to participate fully in all aspects of academic and clinical education expected by a specified program of study. One’s ability to meet the technical standards is a prerequisite for admission and continuation in a program of study. Applicants and enrolled students must be able to meet all technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations.

Physical Health: The student must possess the physical health and stamina needed to carry out the program of Communication Disorders.

Intellectual Skills: The student must have sufficient powers of intellect to acquire, assimilate, integrate and apply information. The student must have the intellectual ability to solve problems and the ability to comprehend three-dimensional and spatial relationships.

Motor Skills: The student must have sufficient use of motor skills to carry out all necessary procedures, both those involved in learning the fundamental sciences and those required in the clinical environment. This includes the ability: (1) to participate in relevant educational exercises and to extract information from written sources; (2) use a computer to operate laboratory equipment, and (3) access transportation to all clinical and academic placements.

Communication:
The student must be able to utilize verbal, non-verbal, and written communication, and observe patients, family members, and other clinicians. This includes expressive and receptive modes of verbal, nonverbal, and written communication. The student must have the ability to accurately assess receptive communication in order to make appropriate and timely responses. The student must be able to communicate attentively, effectively, and sensitively to others. Also required is the ability to immediately assess incoming information to allow for appropriate, well-focused follow-up inquiry. The student must be capable of responsive, empathic listening to establish rapport in a way that promotes openness on issues of concern and sensitivity to potential cultural differences. He or she must express his or her ideas clearly and demonstrate a willingness and ability to give and receive feedback.

Consistent with CAA 4.2 proficiency in English, the student “must demonstrate communication skills sufficient to achieve effective clinical and professional interaction with clients and relevant others.” For oral communication, students must “demonstrate speech and language skills in English, which, at a minimum are consistent with ASHA’s most current position statement on students and professionals who speak English with accents and nonstandard dialects.” For written communication, students must “be able to write and comprehend technical reports, diagnostic and treatment reports, treatment plans, and professional correspondence.” (ASHA, 2005).

Sensory Abilities: The student must be able to safely, reliably and efficiently perform audiological and speech-language therapy assessment and treatments and observe effectively in the classroom, laboratory and clinical setting. Students must possess the ability to observe both close at hand and at a distance. Sensation must be satisfactory to receive verbal and nonverbal communications from patients and others.

Behavioral Qualities: The student must possess emotional health sufficient to carry out the tasks above, must have good judgment and must behave in a professional, reliable, mature and responsible manner. The student must be adaptable, possessing sufficient flexibility to function in new and stressful environments. The student must be able to critically evaluate her/his own performance, be forthright about errors, accept constructive criticism, and look for ways to improve. The student must show respect for individuals of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and/or sexual orientations. The student must exhibit professional behavior by conforming to appropriate standards of dress, appearance, language and public behavior. The student must uphold the Code of Ethics of the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the code of Academic Conduct of the LSU Health Science Center’s School of Allied Health Professions.

Each student must continue to meet all of the TECHNICAL STANDARDS set forth above. A student may be denied permission to continue in the Communication Disorders program at the LSU Health Sciences Center should the student fail at any time to demonstrate all of the required TECHNICAL STANDARDS.

Academic Standards

Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress

See standards for the SAHP graduate professional scholastic requirements listed elsewhere in this publication. In addition to these general requirements, the Department of Communication Disorders has the following requirements.

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, for approval by the Dean.
A grade of C or lower in clinical practicum (6702, 6704. 6706, 6708, 6710) 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 in accordance with ASHA guidelines.
Students’ academic progress will be reviewed by the Review Committee of the Department of Communication Disorders each semester. The names of those students who have not achieved satisfactory progress for two or more semesters will be forwarded to the Director of Financial Aid for appropriate action. Appeals may be made in accordance with procedures set forth in the section of this catalog/bulletin entitled, “Student Academic Appeals.”

Academic and Employment Workloads

The usual full-time academic load in the Department is approximately 10-15 semester hours each semester. It is the responsibility of the student to be available for classes, clinical practicum, and other scheduled activities that may occur anytime from 7:30 AM to 9 PM Monday through Friday and, occasionally, on the weekend or during semester breaks. Activities may include attendance at professional conferences or seminars.

Thesis Option

The field of Speech-Language Pathology is highly complex and rapidly changing fields. As such, there is a great need for a strong basic research foundation upon which clinical practice can be established. In addition, applied research is needed to evaluate and improve clinical practices.

The Department of Communication Disorders has a thesis option to help address the need for basic and applied research. The thesis option allows interested students to develop their research skills through a project that culminates in an original contribution to the scientific literature that is of publishable quality. Students who plan to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) should consider the thesis option, as many doctoral programs require a thesis or its equivalent. Interested students are encouraged to contact the Department Head or Program Director early in their course of study to discuss the possibility of pursuing the thesis option.

Students With Disabilities

Americans with Disabilities Act/Accommodations Guidelines for Students with Disabilities (Revised February 2008) The LSUHSC-NO School of Allied Health Professions commits to provide for the needs of admitted and enrolled students who have disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) by providing reasonable accommodations to such students. Reasonable accommodations will be made to students with disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. It is the responsibility of students, however, to review the technical standards for a given program and make their needs known.

Curriculum

Each student is expected to be knowledgeable about the departmental regulations and requirements for the MCD degree in Speech-Language Pathology. The Department will determine the duration and content of each student’s program. All courses are graded by letter grade unless noted.

Speech Language Pathology Curriculum

https://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/cd/docs/speechcourses.pdf?Spr2022

Licensure and Certification Requirements

Students must satisfy all applicable academic and clinical requirements for state licensure and ASHA certification prior to graduation.

Academic Requirements

These represent the minimum course work requirements for the MCD degree assuming the student has sufficient coursework elsewhere to satisfy licensure and certification requirements. A student’s program of study may require the student to exceed these minimum requirements.

Required coursework specified by the Department includes 49 academic credit hours; 8 clinical process hours, and 15 clinical practicum hours.

Clinical Practicum Requirements

Minimum enrollment requirements for clinical practicum have been established for each program. SLP requires a minimum of 5 semesters of enrollment in clinical practicum.
Speech-language pathology students must complete 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in the practice of Speech-Language Pathology (25 hours of observation and 375 in direct patient management). 325 of the 400 must be completed while engaged in graduate study in a program accredited by the CAA. A maximum of 50 clock hours accumulated at the undergraduate level may be applied to the minimum 400 clock hours required by ASHA, subject to approval by the Department Head/Program Director.

Comprehensive Examination

Students are required to complete a comprehensive examination in Speech Language Pathology. Students must also register for and complete the PRAXIS.

Note:

In the event that any of these requirements has not been met, graduation may be delayed.

Method of Application

Application is made through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) online. Only completed and verified applications will be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the progress of the application and to make sure that it is completed and verified by the application due date. The CSDCAS application must contain: three letters of recommendation, an official transcript of all undergraduate work and previous graduate work from accredited colleges and universities, and brief essay explaining why the student is interested in a career in speech language pathology. An interview will be required prior to admission to the speech language pathology program.

Speech-language pathology students begin during the summer semester.

Notification of the action taken by the Admissions Committee will be available to all applicants no later than eight weeks after the interview date. Registration and payment of all LSU System fees will be completed at the School of Allied Health Professions at the beginning of each semester or term. See “GENERAL ADMISSION POLICIES” of the School for further requirements and procedures relating to admissions.