Which undergraduate degree should I choose

[fbaerga]

Besides CSD what are other undergraduate degrees that would work well with a Speech Language graduate degree? So far I’m thinking Linguistics, Social work, Education, Communications, Psychology, language development and English. I am right or wrong on any of these? Any others that would work well? Thanks!

[BTF]

Look at graduate program websites to see their admission requirements

[fbaerga]

32 minutes ago, BTF said:

Look at graduate program websites to see their admission requirements

That’s not really my question. I understand that I need to meet the program requirements and that if I don’t I would need to complete those requirements before starting the program. I just would like to know which other undergraduate program would pair well with a SLP degree. 

[littlet4lks]

Linguistics or psychology. I wouldn't do education unless you wanted to get a master's in education first before pursuing speech. 

[futurespeechpath1]

I recommend linguistics since that's closely related to speech pathology. I was a double major in CSD and psychology and although a few of the prerequisites overlapped (psych 101, child development, stats, etc.) you still need to take specific CSD courses. If you don't pursue a speech pathology degree like CSD or speech and hearing science etc you'll need to enroll in a post-bacc program once you graduate with your bachelors. But if you're just looking to double major I'd do linguistics or psychology or language development I think those would be very capable. Education is also good but if you are looking to double major it might be hard with all the student teaching and such.

[fbaerga]

On 9/6/2020 at 1:06 AM, futurespeechpath1 said:

I recommend linguistics since that's closely related to speech pathology. I was a double major in CSD and psychology and although a few of the prerequisites overlapped (psych 101, child development, stats, etc.) you still need to take specific CSD courses. If you don't pursue a speech pathology degree like CSD or speech and hearing science etc you'll need to enroll in a post-bacc program once you graduate with your bachelors. But if you're just looking to double major I'd do linguistics or psychology or language development I think those would be very capable. Education is also good but if you are looking to double major it might be hard with all the student teaching and such.

So I was actually not trying to do a double major. I was thinking of doing a unrelated major that would go good with a speech pathology masters degree. Would I have to double major if I don’t take the CSD bachelors degree. Would it be difficult to get into the program?

[futurespeechpath1]

1 hour ago, fbaerga said:

So I was actually not trying to do a double major. I was thinking of doing a unrelated major that would go good with a speech pathology masters degree. Would I have to double major if I don’t take the CSD bachelors degree. Would it be difficult to get into the program?

You don't have to double major but you should do the CSD degree if you can since you would need to do a post-bacc to cover the prerequisites needed for the grad programs you apply for. You could major in anything you want as long as you eventually take the prerequisites since some programs won't consider you and others will still admit you but require that you take them before the start of the program. I'm not sure if it'll be difficult getting into a program as long as you have a good GPA and GRE. But you don't need to double major at all I just did it because I like psychology.

[ccspeechie]

Hi there! I just applied for my Master's in Speech Language Pathology. For undergrad, I double majored in Special/Elementary Education and Social and Behavioral Sciences. I have always known I wanted to work with children, and this route has given me countless student-teaching experiences. I also would choose your undergraduate program based on funding in addition to what program they have. For example, my undergraduate program gave me almost a full ride. They did not have an undergraduate major in CSD. Instead, they had a 4+2 program where you would major in Special/Elementary Education for four years with a concentration in Speech Language Pathology, then automatically enroll in their 2 year Master's program for Speech Language Pathology. 

This experience has been an amazing fit for me personally, but everyone is different! I know others who have majored in Linguistics and Psychology and loved it. 

Good luck!

[jomyers.online]

On 8/29/2020 at 6:11 PM, littlet4lks said:

I wouldn't do education unless you wanted to get a master's in education first before pursuing speech. 

I did Elementary Education for my undergraduate degree! With an undergrad in Education, you'd have a lens for what students do in the gen-ed classroom, which can be especially helpful if you plan to be a school-based SLP.

You would also head into grad school with:

• hands-on experience researching and applying evidence-based practice in your classroom (one of my classes centered around writing 50+ page case studies for individual student interventions)
• scaffolded practice administering one-on-one assessments to students (one of my classes even utilized SLP-developed phonological assessments!)
• experience formulating, administering, and tracking data on formative and summative assessments
• a deeper understanding of literacy development and intervention
• strategies and best practices for lesson planning 
• a basic understanding of linguistics, including theories and structures
• first-hand child development knowledge
• practice and observation with IEP development and meetings
• experience working with a multidisciplinary team
• practice facilitating parent meetings
• behavior management strategies
• studying for and passing PRAXIS exams
• proving competence with professional expectations
• knowledge of education case law regarding SPED and IEPs
• and more!

With student teaching, you'd have quite a bit of internship/practicum experience: at my school, we had a full year of internships. I have experience working with a clinical and university supervisor, and improved my practice through reviews based on observations. This is great practice for clinical experiences in grad school! I was able to ask my mentor teachers for letters of recommendation, and they were able to speak to my ability to deliver differentiated and individualized interventions and supports. Working in the schools through an internship like this can even help you find a job after grad school, or at the very least inform your decisions about which schools/districts you'd like to work in. 

I only applied to one graduate program this round, so I my plan B is to finish up my CSD post-bacc as an undergraduate degree next semester (I only have 2 more classes that I would need). I'd really have to say that my work in the schools with my Education degree will be the experience that I draw on more when I move into graduate level work. I don't know if I'd be saying this if my CSD courses were not completed entirely during COVID, but this program doesn't have a capstone requirement similar to the student teaching requirement of my education degree - and I wouldn't feel as prepared for the challenges of grad school without this real-world experience. That being said, I'd also feel wholly unprepared without the post-bacc!

@fbaerga,  I don't know if an education degree is right for you, but it's definitely worth thinking about!

@ccspeechie, where did you do the 4+2 program? I would have loved to do that if I had the option!

Edited February 7, 2021 by jomyers.online

[ccspeechie]

@jomyers.onlineI could not have said it better! I absolutely agree that majoring in special/elementary education can really prepare you for graduate school and a career in speech-language pathology. It was a great fit for me, so I recommend undergraduate students to consider it! I go to Seton Hall in NJ for undergrad.

[jomyers.online]

On 2/6/2021 at 4:27 PM, jomyers.online said:

I don't know if I'd be saying this if my CSD courses were not completed entirely during COVID, but this program doesn't have a capstone requirement similar to the student teaching requirement of my education degree - and I wouldn't feel as prepared for the challenges of grad school without this real-world experience.

I do want to note that I found out yesterday that there is an optional practicum course that is offered at my school for SPLH that I will definitely be taking now that I know about it!