Different Degree

[nathdep]

Hello everyone!

I'm Nathan and am currently a junior at Hartwick college majoring in Spanish and French while also minoring in piano. If it helps, my current cumulative GPA is between a 3.6 and a 3.7.

I take great interest in speech pathology as I want to do have a profession where I am working with people hands-on. I have a passion for languages and I believe I could apply this to a profession in speech pathology.

I do have a few questions, though. I obviously do not have a degree in anything related to speech pathology. In your honest opinion, would it be worth doing a post baccalaureate program and then begin a masters degree? I don't have very much money and student debt has already become a concern for me. I did some research and found a few online post-bac programs that don't cost as much as on campus programs. If it is worth it, do you have any recommendations for post-bac programs or masters programs? Also, would speech pathology be a viable career in terms of salary? I know that this shouldn't be the deciding factor but it does help to put it into a bit of perspective.

Thanks so much!

[BamaBelle]

Hey Nathan! I think it's great that you're considering this profession. I'm a senior in CSD and I have loved all of my classes. It's truly a fascinating field, and I think it will be a very rewarding one. That said, only you can decide if it's "worth it" to accumulate that much debt. ASHA's website has a wealth of information about salaries and the profession as a whole and even different programs. I hope this helps!

http://www.asha.org/Students/Speech-Language-Pathology/

Edited February 3, 2016 by BamaBelle

[SLPgradstudent]

10 hours ago, nathdep said:

I do have a few questions, though. I obviously do not have a degree in anything related to speech pathology. In your honest opinion, would it be worth doing a post baccalaureate program and then begin a masters degree? I don't have very much money and student debt has already become a concern for me. I did some research and found a few online post-bac programs that don't cost as much as on campus programs. If it is worth it, do you have any recommendations for post-bac programs or masters programs? Also, would speech pathology be a viable career in terms of salary? I know that this shouldn't be the deciding factor but it does help to put it into a bit of perspective.

Hi Nathan, and welcome!  Not having your degree in speech pathology isn't really a big deal.  I would definitely consider doing a post bacc program (or at least some prerequisite courses).  I did it, and I really enjoyed it, but I also gained the certainty that I am definitely going into the right field for me.  I'm finishing my 2nd bachelor's through Utah State University's distance learning program, which is pretty affordable.  I'm also taking a neuroanatomy course through University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire's continuing ed (distance) program, since I need that class for one of the grad programs I applied to.  There are a lot of distance programs out there now, so it's worth looking into.  There are also three year graduate programs, although depending on the program, that can be more expensive because it's graduate tuition rates.

Speech pathology has great job prospects, and pretty good pay.  One of my professors said, "you won't get rich, but you'll never be poor."  You will be able to get a job straight out of grad school (your first job is actually a CFY - Clinical Fellowship Year).  And you will be able to get a job whatever part of the country you are in.  The link BamaBelle posted is a great way to look at what kind of salary you could expect in this field.  You can also look at http://www.asha.org/edfind/ to find programs in various areas and levels of study.  To be a Speech-Language Pathologist, the entry level degree is a masters.  But you can also get a PhD, MA/PhD, CScD, etc. if that's a better fit for you.  If you want to work with people hands-on though (rather than research), then a MA will be as much as you need.

Your GPA is good.  If you do go the pre-requisite route, I will tell you now: get as close to a 4.0 as you possibly can!  Grad schools are very competitive, and your GPA (especially in prereq classes) & GREs are a very important factor.  I think your background in languages will be an excellent asset to you in this field too.  Also be aware that ASHA requires some other core coursework, which you may or may not have completed already. These include a biological science, a physical science (Chem, Physics, etc), and a stat class.  If you haven't, don't worry too much, you can usually do it along with pre-req classes.

I hope this wasn't information overload.  Good luck!

[thespeechblog.com]

Nathan

16 hours ago, nathdep said:

Hello everyone!

I'm Nathan and am currently a junior at Hartwick college majoring in Spanish and French while also minoring in piano. If it helps, my current cumulative GPA is between a 3.6 and a 3.7.

I take great interest in speech pathology as I want to do have a profession where I am working with people hands-on. I have a passion for languages and I believe I could apply this to a profession in speech pathology.

I do have a few questions, though. I obviously do not have a degree in anything related to speech pathology. In your honest opinion, would it be worth doing a post baccalaureate program and then begin a masters degree? I don't have very much money and student debt has already become a concern for me. I did some research and found a few online post-bac programs that don't cost as much as on campus programs. If it is worth it, do you have any recommendations for post-bac programs or masters programs? Also, would speech pathology be a viable career in terms of salary? I know that this shouldn't be the deciding factor but it does help to put it into a bit of perspective.

Thanks so much!

Nathan, 

Personally, I would apply to 3-year masters programs. There are several schools (but not a lot unfortunately) that offer to include any leveling coursework in your masters degree (typically extending your degree from 2 years to 3). I think this is the best option because you take exactly the classes you need. For example, you might pay for 12 post-bacc classes at X university and Y Uni only requires 10. OR even with a post-bacc, you might still need leveling coursework (it happens to SHS majors often that they need 1 or 2 specific classes). The challenge is getting accepted into a 3year program- you´ll need a great application. Being multilingual will help. 

If you don´t / can´t do this option, then yes there are numerous post-bacc options. BUT they don´t guarantee you entry into a masters program. 

I would recommend getting some observation hours in of SLP´s in various settings. This will do a lot to confirm your interest and might even give you some good experiences to include in your statement of purpose. 

If you´re only a junior, you have time to strengthen your application. Focus on keeping a strong GPA and prepping hard for the GRE. Also, if you have time in your schedule try to take a few SHS courses (Intro to Speech Hearing Lang Development, Phonological Development, etc) courses that will demonstrate/prove your interest in SLP. 

SLP is a great career in terms of job security (HUGE demand). Salary depends on many factors: years of experience, placement within the field, geographics, etc. Generally though - SLP´s make a fair wage. Check this Bureau of Labor Stats page: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm Keep in mind those are median salaries not entry salaries. 

I´d be happy to give you more ideas or chat with you more about it. Feel free to PM me. 

[Crimson Wife]

I believe that you can start taking Utah State online CSD courses as a non-degree student while finishing up your bachelor's. They are relatively inexpensive ($299/credit hour for out-of-state) and that's cheaper than most grad schools. Even if you can only get 1 pre-req course out of the way per semester over the next 2 years, that could wind up shortening your grad school from 3 years to 2 1/2.

[SLPgradstudent]

19 hours ago, Crimson Wife said:

I believe that you can start taking Utah State online CSD courses as a non-degree student while finishing up your bachelor's. They are relatively inexpensive ($299/credit hour for out-of-state) and that's cheaper than most grad schools. Even if you can only get 1 pre-req course out of the way per semester over the next 2 years, that could wind up shortening your grad school from 3 years to 2 1/2.

I'm finishing at USU with my 2nd bachelors and I agree wholeheartedly with Crimson Wife.  Grad school can be expensive, and even shortening the program by one semester could be a big deal if you're at all concerned about money!  (Aren't we all?)