Speech-Language Pathology

Program Requirements/ASHA Standards

Additional Credentials and Specializations

Teacher Certification

Students who wish to pursue Initial Teacher Certification for Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) at the graduate level are required to complete the following courses:

• SPF 204 History and Philosophy of Education
• PSY 221 Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence or equivalent
• EDU 583 Health Education/Child Abuse/Violence Prevention and Intervention Workshop 
• EDU 593 Harassment, Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Discrimination in Schools: Prevention and Intervention (DASA Training) 
• Student Teaching for Speech-Language Pathology (CSD 564: two credits or CSD 565: three credits)
• CSD 568 Speech-Language Services in the Schools *

*Note: CSD 568 is a strongly recommended elective for all students.

NYS Teacher Certification Tests & Applying for Teacher Certification through New York State
Teacher candidates use the NYS TEACH system to apply for Initial and Professional certifications and need to pay the fees in effect at the time they apply. New York requires all teacher candidates to have a fingerprint/background check on file with TEACH, pass all appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations, www.nystce.nesinc.com, and have the appropriate years of teaching experience. New York State Education Department maintains a website with certification requirements: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/

For Professional Certification the teacher candidate will need to pass the Speech-Language Pathology PRAXIS II Examination.

During a teacher candidate’s final semester, information on the certification application process will be sent via email. Additional support may be obtained by contacting Nazareth University Teacher Certification Office at (585) 389-2592 or by email tcert@naz.edu, or naz.edu/education/teacher-certification

Deafness Specialization

The Deafness Specialty Program prepares speech-language pathologists to work with families and children to promote their speech, language, and listening skills, and maximize their potential for academic and social success. Graduate students in the program learn to work with individuals from birth through young adulthood who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as with families, teachers, and service providers, after completing a three-course sequence. They are prepared to work with a diverse population of children who are deaf or hard of hearing who may use hearing aids or cochlear implants and who may use a range of communication options including listening and spoken language, Cued Speech, and American Sign Language. Details can be found at the following link: https://www2.naz.edu/dsp.

Deafness Specialty Courses (DPS)

• DSP 595 Language and Communication in Deaf Or Hard of Hearing Children: Birth to Five Credits: 3
• DSP 596 Language and Communication in Deaf Or Hard of Hearing Students: School-Age and Beyond  Credits: 3
• CSD 597 Facilitating Lang & Comm Through Technology for Persons Who Are Deaf/Hard Hearing Credits:3

Autism Specialization (I-SPAN)

The Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism (I-SPAN) is a graduate-level program that prepares professionals to work with individuals on the autism spectrum across the lifespan. It consists of a three-course sequence that examines contemporary topics related to best practice in person-centered support of individuals on the autism spectrum in multiple settings. I-SPAN is open to graduate-level matriculated students in a variety of disciplines, including speech-language pathology, education, social work, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and nursing. More information is available at the following link: https://www2.naz.edu/academics/grad/interdisciplinary-autism-program.

Autism Specialty Courses (I-SPAN)

• AUT 660 Exploring Autism From Multiple Perspectives  Credits: 3
• CSD 661 Autism Supports Across the Lifespan   Credits: 3
• AUT 662 Autism: a Contemporary Lens   Credits: 3

Medical Specialization

The Medical Specialization prepares speech-language pathology graduate students to work with patients, clients, and families in medical settings across the continuum of care and across the lifespan. The Medical Specialization consists of a four-course sequence exposing students to evidence-based best practice in person-centered care, preparing them for entry-level work in a range of healthcare settings. Coursework is paired with relevant experiential learning and clinical opportunities, both on campus and off-site at medical settings in the greater Rochester area. A variety of topics are explored including, but not limited to aphasia, right hemisphere brain damage, motor speech disorders, dysphagia, and cognitive-communication disorders associated with acquired brain injury, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Students will be required to take the courses listed below. 

Note: All students in the M.S. program are required to take CSD 535 or CSD 579, but medical specialization students will take both of these, as well as two additional courses focused on medical speech-language pathology (one of these supplemental courses counts as an elective within the traditional MS program; the other two are in addition to the requirements of the traditional MS program).

Medical Specialization Courses

• CSD 535 Foundations of Aphasia, Right Hemisphere Brain Damage, and Dementia  Credits: 3
• CSD 541 Advanced Topics in Medical Speech Language Pathology  Credits: 3
• CSD 579 Assessment and Treatment of Cognitive Communication Disorders  Credits: 3
• CSD 590 Motor Speech Disorders  Credits: 3

Early Intervention Specialization

The Rochester Scholars for Early Intervention (RISE) is an interprofessional specialization (track) to develop specialty knowledge and skills in early intervention to be a strong advocate for young children and their families. RISE interprofessionally prepares graduate students to advocate for change, to work with families in culturally responsive and trauma-informed ways, and to promote the overall development and well-being of young children (0-8 years), and children with different abilities. The RISE experience includes coordinated fieldwork; stackable one-credit, self-paced courses developed by field experts; and a final capstone experience mentored by a community partner.

Early Intervention Specialization Courses

• INEC 500 Rise Specialization: Special Topics in Early Childhood  Credits 1

Students choose three of the following six options

• INEC 500*70 Playful Learning: Integrating STEAM and Media
• INEC 500*71 Engaging Interprofessional Providers through Practice Based Coaching
• INEC 500*72 Trauma-Informed Practices in Early Childhood
• INEC 500*73 Empowering Caregivers through Home Visitation in Early Childhood
• INEC 500*74 Intervention Models in Developmental Services
• INEC 500*75 Exploring Early Literacy: Foundations and Equity

• INEC 501 RISE Reflective Practice Seminar  Credits: 1
• INEC 504 Infant Mental Health Seminar  Credits: 1
• INEC 502 RISE Planning for Change Seminar  Credits: 1 

Graduate Program Policies

Academic and Clinical Policies and Procedures

Program Deficiencies
Students whose undergraduate preparation in Communication Sciences and Disorders did not include Nazareth required foundational prerequisites or whose performance fell below the minimum B grade requirement will be required to demonstrate competency, which may involve retaking or completing the necessary foundational prerequisite courses identified in the Extended Program section.

Students must maintain satisfactory performance in clinical and academic coursework in order to remain in good standing with the University. Students in the Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology program are held to the policies and procedures outlined in this Catalog, the policies outlined in the Graduate Handbook (distributed upon matriculation into the program), and all relevant College of Interprofessional Health and Human Services policies to ensure academic progress and academic integrity. In some cases, the standards for grading, academic/clinical warning, and/or dismissal are more stringent in for the Speech-Langauge Pathology program than those outlined in the University’s catalog, in accordance with program expectations and accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).

• GPA minimum requirement: In the Speech-Language Pathology Program students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 each semester.  
• C-Grade Policy:  Students in the SLP program may earn no more than one C grade (includes C+, C, or C-) throughout their academic and clinical program. Any student receiving a C grade (in academic or clinical coursework) will be required to retake the course.  A student who earns a C grade after repeating the course or earns a second C grade in another course will be dismissed from the program. The C grade policy is cumulative over the course of the program.
• Remediation: Remediation activities will be required when competency in a particular knowledge area has not been established. 
  • Students must demonstrate minimum competency for each learning objective as measured by a grade of B or better on all assignments and assessments. Any assignment or assessment falling below a B (including work in the B- range) will require remediation to be arranged with the instructor. The original grade will be included in the final average for the course.
  • Students who require remediation on any assignment/assessment must discuss with the course instructor to determine a plan for demonstrating competency on that assessment.  It is also recommended that students meet with the instructor to discuss ways to promote improved performance (e.g., tutoring, use of a success coach, etc.).
  • It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they know what must be completed for remediation and that they complete it within the expected time frame. 
  • Any remediation that has not been successfully completed will jeopardize a student’s standing for graduation as they will not have demonstrated competency in all knowledge and skill areas. If there is outstanding remediation work at the end of a student’s final semester, they will earn a grade of Unsatisfactory for CSD 699, Master’s Comprehensive Examination & Portfolio Review, which will delay their graduation.
  • Each course instructor will identify no more than two major summative assessments (e.g., exams, papers, projects, presentations) for that course. All assignments and assessments in a given course must be remediated. However, remediation required on the identified major assessments will count toward Academic/Clinical Warning and Dismissal (SEE Academic/Clinical Warning policy in this handbook). 
• Provisional Status: Students with an admission status of “provisional with monitoring of grade point average” must have a 3.0 by the end of 12 credits or they will be dismissed from the program
• English Language Proficiency: Consistent with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association position, it is the policy of our program that “students and professionals in communication sciences and disorders who speak with accents and/or dialects can effectively provide speech, language, and audiological services to persons with communication disorders as long as they have the expected level of knowledge in normal and disordered communication, the expected level of diagnostic and clinical case management skills, and if modeling is necessary, are able to model the target phoneme, grammatical feature, or other aspect of speech and language that characterizes the client’s particular problem. All individuals speak with an accent and/or dialect; thus, the nonacceptance of individuals into higher education programs or into the professions solely on the basis of the presence of an accent or dialect is discriminatory. Members of ASHA must not discriminate against persons who speak with an accent and/or dialect in educational programs, employment, or service delivery, and should encourage an understanding of linguistic differences among consumers and the general population.” (reference: https://www.asha.org/policy/ps1998-00117/)
• Attendance: Because the graduate courses meet only once per week, attendance is very important. In some courses, unexcused absences may be reflected in the student’s grade. Please check with your instructors regarding the policy and procedures for a course. 

Academic and Clinical Warning

Graduate students are placed on Academic/Clinical Warning when they fail to demonstrate competency with their academic and/or clinical coursework. This can happen for any of the following reasons:

• A total of four or more major academic assessments and/or clinical placements require remediation.
• Cumulative GPA falls below 3.0.
• Student is unable  to carry out the clinical activities or conduct oneself ethically and professionally without ongoing direct supervision.
• Student fails to demonstrate an appropriate level of clinical competence and professional growth/development expected at the graduate level, as measured by their clinical educator’s end-of-semester ratings and comments in Calipso.
• Student commits a serious ethical violation (NOTE: depending on the nature of the violation, the student may be dismissed from the graduate program without going through the Academic/Clinical Warning phase).

Dismissal

• Dismissal occurs when a student has failed to meet academic, clinical, and/or professional competencies for more than one semester, as outlined above and in the Academic and Clinical Policies and Procedures sections of this handbook.
• A cumulative grade point average of less than 3.0 for a SECOND semester will result in dismissal from the program.
• Earning a final grade below a B in a second clinical practicum (even if there have been no academic remediations) will result in dismissal from the program. 
• Once a student has been placed on Academic/Clinical Warning, any additional remediation of a major assessment across the program (i.e., a fifth remediation)  will result in dismissal. 
• Students have the right to appeal dismissal decisions as outlined in the Academic Policies and Procedures   section of the Nazareth University Course Catalog.