Bit of a pickle (WSU and pre reqs) Help Needed!!!

[maurmaur]

Hello!

I've found myself in an interesting situation. I was unsure of Washington State University's situation of allowing non-CSD majors into their program. I was accepted this morning off of their alternate list. Turns out the admissions people didn't read my transcript as thoroughly as normal and let me in assuming I had completed all of the pre-reqs. I have not.

I've been emailing and on the phone with one of the heads of the program. Essentially, while she recommends taking a leveling year, I am considering taking these courses over the summer. I understand, and she insisted, that this is a lot of work. However, apart from helping out with siblings, I have a free summer. I'm hoping to do the research and discover how to do this!

I'm doing the research obviously, but does anyone have any advice? Been in a similar situation or know of someone who took the leveling courses quickly? Also of any schools from which I could take the classes online

Edited April 16, 2016 by maurmaur

[SouthernDrawl]

How many are we talking?

[jmk]

Are we allowed to post external links on here? 

https://medicine.wsu.edu/speechandhearing/postbaccalaureate-program/ is the link to the courses the OP needs. Do you need all of them? Realistically you could probably complete 3-5 courses. & most leveling programs won't even let you take certain coursework without prerequisites to continue to the sequence. My advice would be to take a leveling year. I don't doubt your enthusiasm or motivation. That is just a lot of coursework. 

Why don't you e-mail a few leveling programs and see what your options are? Utah State University seems to be a popular program. 

[maurmaur]

So far, this evening, I have applied to a few universities (one of them being USU) as a non-degree seeking student that offer some to most of the courses I need. I have an Introduction to Communications Disorders class (from last semester) which may or may not work as one of the classes, at least it could count as a pre-req towards the leveling courses this summer to get me into some of those.

My goal is to present the woman from WSU I talked to with a plan later this week for the summer and seeing what she says. The problem is making that plan. If I have to admit defeat at some point and take a leveling year, I will. I would just rather not.

Edited April 16, 2016 by maurmaur

[SouthernDrawl]

I am taking five this summer, but I don't think all 7-10 listed in that sequence would be doable? It's my understanding, however, that you don't have to have particular prerequisites completed before doing USU coursework if you are not degree seeking!

[NorcalSLP]

I echo what others have said, how many classes are we talking? Is she offering you  admission to their leveling program with garunteed entry to the grad program next year? If so that's a pretty sweet deal and I'd bite the bullet and take it. If you only have 3-5 classes left to take that's doable for a summer.  32 units is not. 

[maurmaur]

7 hours ago, NorcalSLP said:

I echo what others have said, how many classes are we talking? Is she offering you  admission to their leveling program with garunteed entry to the grad program next year? If so that's a pretty sweet deal and I'd bite the bullet and take it. If you only have 3-5 classes left to take that's doable for a summer.  32 units is not. 

Oh I would happily take that deal. I asked if I did take a leveling year, would I have to go through the process again? and she said yes. 

 

Okay, so ignoring the number of classes (I'm currently working on acquiring syllabi so I don't have to take all of those), where would be the best place to get these done or even if I had to take them through a couple of schools?

I applied as a non degree seeking at USU, this sounds good! I also applied as non degree seeking at Northern Arizona University, and the University of Alaska Anchorage. Does anyone know of a school that has a Clinical Methods course?

[SouthernDrawl]

I did research on Clinical Methods Courses when I was accepted into UNCO's online program. The program I ended up attending doesn't require it, which I am happy about because I found one with an almost identical title and description at Sacred Heart and they said it wasn't an appropriate equivalent. I sent this for other possible equivalences, but decided not to attend before I heard back. You might find it helpful as a starting point. Although this seems a trickier one to match and I am not sure any of these would work. 

	Utah State University	Idaho State	Longwood University

Unco is on the far left.

ASLS-469 Clinical Processes in Speech-Language Pathology  Diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders. Test construction, administration, scoring and interpretation of data from tests, observation and inventories. Development of treatment programs, evidence-based practice, ethics, and client-clinician relationships. Note: This is not practicum.	COMD 4450 Assessment and Treatment of Children with Communicative Disorders Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Describe and implement procedures for evaluation and diagnosis in speech-language pathology as well as psychometric considerations. 2. Develop awareness of the relationship between speech, language and communication. 3. Discuss the implications and utilization of evaluation information for differential diagnosis, determining a prognosis, making referrals, and implementing therapeutic programs. 4. Describe multicultural considerations in the diagnostic and treatment process. 5. Generate professional written work related to the field of speech language pathology. 6. Discuss materials and techniques used in therapy. 7. Understand various ways in which positive reinforcement can be used to encourage appropriate target behavior. 8. Be familiar with types of data collection in tracking outcomes in therapy. 9. Demonstrate understanding of health, safety and confidentiality issues related to work as a speech-language pathologist.	CSD 3315 Clinical Processes Pediatric: 3 credits Assessment and treatment principles, methods, and procedures in speech language pathology with focus on the pediatric population.	PCSD 489 Introduction to Clinical Practice Class instruction related to clinical methods and practicum experience plus 20 hours file experience with a Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist. 2 credits.

 

[Crimson Wife]

If you take 5 this summer, could you take the rest in your first semester of grad school? It would be a heavy workload, but if it were me, I'd at least try to convince WSU to permit it.

If you take them through USU, I would do:

2500 (Language Development)

3500 (Phonetics)

3700 (Audiology)

5330 (Aural Rehab)

Those are all fairly easy courses, though 2500 has time-consuming weekly discussion questions and 3500 has annoying case studies. 3700 is all exams (and they're super-easy). 5330 I'm not sure what the requirements are since I haven't taken it yet.

The last class would have to be a "pick your poison". 3100 (A&P of Speech) is all exams but tedious because you have to memorize a ton of very similar-sounding Latin anatomical names. 3120 (Articulation & Speech Sound Disorders) is supposed to be a bit easier than 4450 or 5200.

[Crimson Wife]

Also, find out whether there is a minimum grade you would have to earn in the pre-reqs to be eligible to enter WSU this fall.

[SouthernDrawl]

9 minutes ago, Crimson Wife said:

Also, find out whether there is a minimum grade you would have to earn in the pre-reqs to be eligible to enter WSU this fall.

I have kind of been stressing about this myself. I have a heavy load of prereqs this summer, and I feel like I have to make all A's to keep my spot in the program...but I feel uncomfortable asking about the minimum grade. I don't want my program to think I am looking to scrape by instead of trying my best.