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Chair: Kathleen Siren, Assistant Professor
Master's Program Director: Lisa Schoenbrodt
Division Directors: Carin Feldman, Mina Goodman, Kathleen Ward
Clinical Externships Director: Sally Gallena
Professors: Libby Kumin; Lisa Schoenbrodt
Associate Professors: Marie Kerins; Janet Preis
Assistant Professors: Claudia A. Morelli; Kathleen Siren
Affiliate Faculty: Cheryl Councill; Carin Feldman; Sally Gallena; Mina Goodman; Lisa A. Jones; Danielle Matrangola; Michele Miller; Barbara Ness; Donna Pitts; Erin Stauder; Lura Vogelman; Kathleen Ward
The major purpose of the graduate program in speech-language pathology/audiology is education and development of superior professionals for careers as speech-language pathologists. The master's program in speech-language pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The curriculum challenges pre-professionals academically, clinically, and personally. The program consists of integrated academic and clinical training in the assessment and treatment of infants, children, and adults who have communication disorders. The academic program provides the knowledge base for understanding the complex area of human communication systems and disorders.
Students who have completed the undergraduate major have begun with coursework in normal communication systems and development. Likewise, students completing the post-baccalaureate course sequence have a foundation in speech, language, and hearing systems and development. At the graduate level, they advance to course work in communication disorders, and applications of the knowledge base to assessment and intervention.
Students have the opportunity to obtain supervised observation and clinical practice experience under the guidance of the clinical faculty. The program guides students through a series of increasingly more advanced clinical experiences to prepare them for the professional world.
Students have ample opportunities to obtain supervised clinical experience in a variety of settings including public and private schools; acute and chronic care hospitals; rehabilitation centers; health departments; home health agencies; and the Loyola Clinical Centers, including the Margaret A. McManus Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic and the Columbia Speech and Language Center. The speech and hearing clinics also provide interdisciplinary opportunities with the Departments of Pastoral Counseling, Psychology, and Teacher Education.
The Committee on Admission reviews all applications. The Committee seeks students of high quality from accredited institutions of higher learning who ranked in the upper half of their classes as undergraduates and maintained a high cumulative average. A minimum of a B (3.000) cumulative average is required. Confidential recommendations are also reviewed. Applicants must submit official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
There are a limited number of slots in the master's program, and admission is selective. Students are encouraged to apply early. The program is a two-year (five-semester), full-time program. All applications must be received by February 15.
Loyola offers a post-baccalaureate foundation course sequence: a set of prerequisite courses that can be completed in one year of full-time enrollment. The foundation program option is designed for career changers or those who have not obtained a baccalaureate degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders, or a related field. Upon successful completion of the foundation phase, students are eligible to begin the clinical master's degree course sequence.
All students admitted to the foundation course sequence must maintain a 3.250 GPA and demonstrate competency in the "essential functions" provided in the graduate handbook. Progress is monitored by the graduate and the foundation program directors throughout the prerequisite period. Students not meeting the academic standards will not be allowed to continue in the graduate program. A formal review of the student's records will occur prior to entry into the two-year graduate program.
The degree requirements for the Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology are a minimum of 75 credits, when combined with undergraduate classes in speech-language pathology and audiology classes. For graduate students majoring in speech pathology, 500-level courses do not calculate in the cumulative quality point average nor do they count as requirements completed for the degree. They are prerequisites for the advanced 600-level courses in the major.
Successful completion of the required coursework (3.000 GPA), 400 documented clinical practicum hours, and a passing score on the Praxis are required for graduation. In addition, students may plan, write, and defend a thesis under the direction of a faculty committee.
Students completing the master's program will have fulfilled the academic and clinical practice requirements for ASHA certification and Maryland state licensure. In order to qualify for professional certification, students must have also completed basic courses in physical, biological, mathematical, and social sciences at the undergraduate level. Students who have not completed these courses will be required to complete them in addition to the degree requirements of their program. These courses do not count in the student's cumulative QPA, and they must be completed prior to graduation.
Classes are held on Mondays at the Columbia Campus in specially designed executive classrooms. Clinical practicums are scheduled Tuesday through Friday at various internship and externship sites.
As part of the degree requirement, all students must submit a passing score on the Praxis II: Subject Assessments exam two weeks prior to graduation.
A scientific investigation of publishable quality in which the student demonstrates a strong knowledge base, research capacity, creativity, and analytic/writing skills. The thesis is not required for all students but is suggested for students who have maintained a 3.500 grade point average and are interested in pursuing doctoral level study and/or clinical research activity. A student interested in exploring the thesis option must meet with the faculty member whose expertise is in the area of investigation. The student may work with the faculty member on an independent study to review the literature in the chosen area and develop the research proposal.
Research proposal guidelines are available through the department. The student submits the proposal to the faculty advisor and two additional faculty members who will serve as readers on the committee. The student must meet with the thesis advisor who will work closely with the student through the data collection and analysis phases of the project. The student will be required to defend the thesis before a selected faculty committee. The final copy of the master's thesis must be accompanied by an approval form signed by the members of the thesis committee. It must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the student's expected graduation date.
All students must meet the following requirements:
Other required professional coursework:
All programs are designed to comply with the certification and licensing standards of the Maryland State Departments of Health and Education and the certification requirements of ASHA. ASHA has five major requirements for awarding the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP):
Prescribed minimal coursework on the undergraduate and graduate levels.
A minimum of 400 clock hours of clinical practice.
Passing a written examination required by ASHA.
ASHA Membership.
Written evidence of completion of the Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) following the degree. The CFY is the first year of professional employment where students have a supervisor/mentor to help them as they begin their professional life.
Upon completion of a master's degree, students will have satisfied the first three of these requirements and will be eligible for the remaining two.
Loyola College is known for the excellence of its clinical intern- and externship programs. All students are required to successfully complete the program of clinical training. This requires a minimum of 400 practicum hours, with a requirement of one summer internship placement generally taken during the summer between the first and second year of graduate work.
Students are provided with supervised clinical experiences matched to their level of clinical expertise. Students begin their clinical practice experience within the Loyola College clinical settings and are supervised by the clinical/academic faculty. Student progress is reviewed each semester by the clinical faculty to assess readiness to advance to different types of clinical experiences. Students receive pass/fail grades during their clinical internship year as they rotate through different clinical sites. Students enroll in one or more of the following clinical courses each semester:
During the second year, students advance to placements in and around the Baltimore metropolitan area to further develop their clinical skills. Externship supervisors meet with students each term to review placement applications and advise students to register for one of the following clinical practicum courses:
College-wide academic standards can be found in the section on Academic Standards and Dismissal under Academic Regulations and Policies.
In addition, students must maintain a B (3.000) average to graduate from the speech-language pathology program. A student who receives one grade below B- (2.670) in an academic or clinical course will be placed on academic probation for one semester. All students placed on probation are required to meet with the chair (or designated department head) and members of the Academic Progress Committee prior to the beginning of the subsequent semester. At that time, an individual plan of action will be formed to help the student progress academically and clinically. Individual action plans may include additional clinical observation, additional clinical experience, peer tutoring, and/or a reduced coursework load. In addition, the student on probation will be assigned a designated faculty mentor. Students on probation also may be asked to meet with the Academic Progress Committee when there are academic and/or clinical concerns during the term. The student will be removed from probation if no grades below B- are received in the semester of probation.
A student experiencing medical or personal problems may request a withdrawal from academic and clinical courses. If a student withdrawals from clinical practicum courses and has been performing at a satisfactory level, the student may count all clinical hours earned during the semester up to the point of withdrawal. If the student has been performing at an unsatisfactory level, the student will not be allowed to count any clinical hours earned during the semester.
In conjunction with the professional training programs in speech-language pathology/audiology, the two clinical sites of the Loyola Clinical Centers--the Margaret A. McManus Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic and the Columbia Speech and Language Center--offer a wide range of services to children and adults with speech, language, and/or clinical hearing impairments. Services at these facilities include diagnostic evaluations for speech, language, oral motor skills; hearing, habilitative, and rehabilitative speech-language-hearing therapy; and counseling provided on an individual or group basis, depending on the client's problems and needs. Clients have a wide range of disorders including articulation, language, fluency, voice, autism/pervasive developmental disability, Down syndrome, neurological, closed head injury, and aphasia.
The Margaret A. McManus Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic, a division of the Loyola Clinical Centers, is a comprehensive clinic offering diagnostic and therapeutic services to children and adults with a wide range of communication difficulties. Pediatric assessment and treatment services are offered in the following areas: articulation disorders, oral motor skills/myofunctional skills, language delays, language disorders, fluency disorders, and pragmatic language disorders. Housed within the clinic is the adult neurogenic communication disorders lab, providing assessment and treatment to adults with aphasia, cognitive-communication disorders, apraxia, and dysarthria. In addition, audiology services are housed at this location and include audiometric testing, central auditory processing assessment, and advanced hearing aid fitting/repair.
The Columbia Speech and Language Center, located in Howard County, serves families in the greater Baltimore and Washington areas, including children as young as 10-12 months with developmental delays, toddlers through adolescents with a variety of communication disorders, and adolescents and adults with voice disorders. Housed within the Columbia Center is a specialized voice clinic for individuals with habit cough and vocal cord dysfunction as well as the Center for Excellence in Down Syndrome, a special language intervention program for children with Down syndrome. Treatment includes speech, language, oral motor, and pragmatic therapy. On-site parent training and supplementary workshops also are provided.
The Multidisciplinary Assessment Clinic (MAC) at Belvedere Square provides graduate students with the unique opportunity to work with other disciplines assessing children and young adults with previously diagnosed or suspected learning disorders, ADHD, and developmental speech and language disorders. Graduate clinicians from speech-language pathology/audiology, psychology, and education assess clients. They meet weekly at case conference to present clients and arrive at an interdisciplinary diagnosis and recommendation.
Loyola College has professional affiliations with many outstanding schools, hospitals and rehabilitation centers in the Baltimore area. Clinical affiliations for externship experiences include, but are not limited to, the following facilities:
Schools
Baltimore City Schools
Maryland County Schools
Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities (MANSEF)
The Lab School
The Odyssey School
Clinical Facilities
Hearing and Speech Agency of Metropolitan Baltimore
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders
Hospitals
Anne Arundel Medical Center
Baltimore Washington Medical Center
Franklin Square Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Howard County General Hospital
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Kernan Hospital
Laurel Regional Hospital
Maryland General Hospital
Mercy Medical Center
Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital
National Rehabilitation Center
Peninsula Regional Medical Center
Prince George's County Hospital
Shore Health System
St. Agnes Hospital
Sinai Hospital
Union Memorial Hospital
University of Maryland Medical System
University Specialty Hospital
Washington County Health Systems
Sub-Acute Nursing Facilities
Aegis Therapies
Future Care
Genesis Rehabilitation Services
Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center
Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers
Manor Health Services
Oak Crest Village
Select Medical
Sun Dance Rehabilitation
All clinical supervisors hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Some advanced clinical training sites provide financial aid in the form of traineeships for students at their placement sites. Fellowships are available through the Scottish Rite Center of the Hearing and Speech Agency.
A limited number of departmental graduate assistantships and merit scholarships are available. Some scholarship awards are made by local service organizations to qualified students. For an application and further information, students should send a resume and cover letter indicating their interest to Dr. Libby Kumin, Financial Aid Committee.
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