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How long would I need to go to school to become a speech pathologist ?
Also what is the demand like for this job?
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2 answers
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Pina’s Answer
Hello Hailey, That depends! A B.A. or B.S. in Communicative Sciences or a related field plus a Clinical Rehabilitative Services credential will prepare you for a job in the public school system. This generally takes about 4 years of college, but can be expedited depending upon the course load you take on. If you would like to have more options, such as working in a medical, community clinic or private practice setting, an M.A. or M.S. is needed. Ph.D. degrees are available at a number of universities and are generally required to teach in the field of speech pathology in a college or university. There is a great demand for speech pathologists at all of the above levels, so if you decide that this is the major for you, you'll never be without a job! Very best of luck!
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Elena’s Answer
Hi Hailey, so excited that you are interested in the field of speech-language pathology. A masters degree is required to work as speech-language pathologist (SLP) and ca certificate of clinical competence (CCC) as well as required state and/or Dept of Ed board license(s). First look at a few colleges that have a masters to see what their requirements are then see if you can complete a bachelors degree in communication science, etc (generally so you don’t take extra unnecessary courses). Volunteer work looks very nice on a college application. Masters programs can be tough to get in; most require GRE and a good GPA. It would be helpful to reach out to a local SLP for guidance, such as in your local elementary, hospital rehab, skilled nursing facility or private speech therapy clinic. So in summary: 4 years of bachelors, 2 years of masters, pass the Praxis, then you can work as an SLP in a clinical fellowship position for approximately one year, then if all goes well you can apply for your CCCs…and be a fully accredited SLP. Time goes by quickly, before you know it, you are done!
The demand for this job? Do you mean are there many openings? Yes plenty! Or do you mean how tough is this job to do? It is a highly trained professional career and you are constantly learning for professional growth as well as the required professional development courses to maintain your CCCs and/or state/Dept of ed license. The responsibilities are critical no matter the setting and there are always rewards as to why one has chosen this field. Good luck!
The demand for this job? Do you mean are there many openings? Yes plenty! Or do you mean how tough is this job to do? It is a highly trained professional career and you are constantly learning for professional growth as well as the required professional development courses to maintain your CCCs and/or state/Dept of ed license. The responsibilities are critical no matter the setting and there are always rewards as to why one has chosen this field. Good luck!