Advice Needed (please!) for Speech Therapy/ SLP programs!

[sailormina]

Hey guys, I was wondering if I could get some advice!

I'm a resident of California, USA and I've just graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. Although I truly enjoy psychology as a subject, I know I don't necessarily want to become a "psychologist"per se. A professor of mine told me about Speech Therapy/ Speech Language Pathology before graduation, and the topic really intrigued me. After some research, I think I can see myself working in a school setting with young kids and/or teenagers!

The problem is; however, in CA there are only two schools that have an SLP program (within my means of travel), and both require a degree in Communicative Disorders. There is a post-bacc program available that would need 2 years of completion before I can apply to the 3-5 year M.A. in Communicative Disorders program that leads into becoming an SLP. I joined this forum site basically to gauge anyone's opinion or advice--do you think it's worth it to endure the post-bacc; financially and time-wise? Should I maybe try for SLPA instead? Or do you know of any other fields that can combine therapy/education/health science the way speech therapy does without having to work in a hospital setting?

Edited October 5, 2016 by sailormina

[speechfan222]

28 minutes ago, sailormina said:

Hey guys, I was wondering if I could get some advice!

I'm a resident of California, USA and I've just graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. Although I truly enjoy psychology as a subject, I know I don't necessarily want to become a "psychologist"per se. A professor of mine told me about Speech Therapy/ Speech Language Pathology before graduation, and the topic really intrigued me. After some research, I think I can see myself working in a school setting with young kids and/or teenagers!

The problem is; however, in CA there are only two schools that have an SLP program (within my means of travel), and both require a degree in Communicative Disorders. There is a post-bacc program available that would need 2 years of completion before I can apply to the 3-5 year M.A. in Communicative Disorders program that leads into becoming an SLP. I joined this forum site basically to gauge anyone's opinion or advice--do you think it's worth it to endure the post-bacc; financially and time-wise? Should I maybe try for SLPA instead? Or do you know of any other fields that can combine therapy/education/health science the way speech therapy does without having to work in a hospital setting?

Hello!

If you are really interested in the field of Speech Pathology, I would definitely consider completing the post-back program that would allow you to complete the courses needed to pursue a Masters degree in the field.

I submitted applications to several online speech pathology programs and I would not suggest becoming an SLPA, but that's all up to you. They can provide therapy and documentation, but of course under the supervision of a licensed SLP. SLPA's are limited to the work they can do and are not allowed to hold meetings, create/write an IEP, or make any IEP changes. I decided if I'm going to major in Speech Pathology, I want a Masters degree that will allow me to do all of the work and requirements of an SLP. I don't want to be limited or have to work with someone else and be supervised.

I hope this information helps. If you have other questions, don't be afraid to ask. I'll try and help!!

[futureSpeechLP]

If you can/want to move - there are programs that don't require any communication disorder pre-reqs. I think those programs are three to four years. There may also be some online SLP MA programs that don't require pre-reqs. I haven't done that research so I can't give you the names of those programs. 

I had shadowed some SLPs and LOVED what they were doing in their sessions. I would really recommend you do that. If you have the chance, ask an SLP in the school setting if you can observe them with a few of their clients. This will help you figure out if this career is actually what you want.

I am an out of field applicant as well and was VERY reticent of doing a post bac  for a year and a half. The time, Money and then having to apply for grad school has been difficult but ultimately worth it. Right now, I am SO SO SO glad I did the post bac. I was able to get my GPA very high and position myself as a good candidate for grad school. I also wanted to know more about this profession. Honestly, jumping right into a grad program would have been rough for me because I was still deciding if this was the right career move for me when I started my post bac classes. I'm done with my post bac in December and I have been so happy with this program. I wish I didn't have to go through the stress of applying for grad school, but I needed the time to be 100% positive about the $ and time for grad school. That peace of mind is worth it for me. 

Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy may be good options for you. I have no idea if those MA programs have pre-reqs. Special Education is also a great field to get into. A school counselor doesn't incorporate a health science, but fits in with your BA. 

[Crimson Wife]

That doesn't make sense. Master's in SLP are 1.5 to 2 years if you've got a CSD undergrad and 3 years if you're out-of-field. None of them are 5 years.

If you want to do the 2nd bachelor's online, look at Utah State, Eastern New Mexico, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Idaho State. There may be others offering a 2nd bachelor's online but those are the 4 schools I looked at.

[Crimson Wife]

Did you look at ASHA's EdFind list of CA schools: http://www.asha.org/edfind/results.aspx?area=SLP&degree=MASTERS&location=CA

[sailormina]

On October 5, 2016 at 5:08 PM, futureSpeechLP said:

If you can/want to move - there are programs that don't require any communication disorder pre-reqs. I think those programs are three to four years. There may also be some online SLP MA programs that don't require pre-reqs. I haven't done that research so I can't give you the names of those programs. 

I had shadowed some SLPs and LOVED what they were doing in their sessions. I would really recommend you do that. If you have the chance, ask an SLP in the school setting if you can observe them with a few of their clients. This will help you figure out if this career is actually what you want.

I am an out of field applicant as well and was VERY reticent of doing a post bac  for a year and a half. The time, Money and then having to apply for grad school has been difficult but ultimately worth it. Right now, I am SO SO SO glad I did the post bac. I was able to get my GPA very high and position myself as a good candidate for grad school. I also wanted to know more about this profession. Honestly, jumping right into a grad program would have been rough for me because I was still deciding if this was the right career move for me when I started my post bac classes. I'm done with my post bac in December and I have been so happy with this program. I wish I didn't have to go through the stress of applying for grad school, but I needed the time to be 100% positive about the $ and time for grad school. That peace of mind is worth it for me. 

Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy may be good options for you. I have no idea if those MA programs have pre-reqs. Special Education is also a great field to get into. A school counselor doesn't incorporate a health science, but fits in with your BA. 

Hello!

Thank you for the response! It's comforting to know I'm not alone in feeling apprehensive about the post-bacc. My basic worry has been that in the middle of the program I may not like the classes (or some other vague issue that my anxiety tends to plague me with) and suddenly feel regretful that I may have wasted time and money over starting another bachelor's degree despite already having one and not utilizing it instead. However, from what I've researched about the program, the classes are interesting! And I will start looking for shadowing or volunteer opportunities to get a better feel for the job as well. 

I'll look into occupational therapy and school counseling! I'm actually surprised occupational therapy hasn't come to mind haha. Thank you so much for these options! I wish you all the best in your post bacc program and hope you can get into your dream school for grad studies!

[sailormina]

On October 5, 2016 at 5:02 PM, speechfan222 said:

Hello!

If you are really interested in the field of Speech Pathology, I would definitely consider completing the post-back program that would allow you to complete the courses needed to pursue a Masters degree in the field.

I submitted applications to several online speech pathology programs and I would not suggest becoming an SLPA, but that's all up to you. They can provide therapy and documentation, but of course under the supervision of a licensed SLP. SLPA's are limited to the work they can do and are not allowed to hold meetings, create/write an IEP, or make any IEP changes. I decided if I'm going to major in Speech Pathology, I want a Masters degree that will allow me to do all of the work and requirements of an SLP. I don't want to be limited or have to work with someone else and be supervised.

I hope this information helps. If you have other questions, don't be afraid to ask. I'll try and help!!

Hi there!

Thank you so much for the advice! You make a good argument about SLPA--it would seem wiser to try to reach for the Master's program since it can provide more opportunities to gain the most from the job. When it comes to online speech pathology programs, I do wonder if there is any difference between the online/in-class experience? For example, how would one go about training in-field if they're taking an online SLP program (since the two SLP programs Id hope to apply to include a time to intern/train in various clinical and school settings)? 

Thank you for taking the time to help and answer my questions. I wish you all the best in your endeavors!

[speechfan222]

Just now, sailormina said:

Hi there!

Thank you so much for the advice! You make a good argument about SLPA--it would seem wiser to try to reach for the Master's program since it can provide more opportunities to gain the most from the job. When it comes to online speech pathology programs, I do wonder if there is any difference between the online/in-class experience? For example, how would one go about training in-field if they're taking an online SLP program (since the two SLP programs Id hope to apply to include a time to intern/train in various clinical and school settings)? 

Thank you for taking the time to help and answer my questions. I wish you all the best in your endeavors!

1

I'm pretty sure online format the in-class instruction are mostly the same. I know that online courses take alot of organization and dedication. You have to log into the courses daily (sometimes a few times a day) and provide responses to other's posts. Maybe graduate school will be a little different, I'm not sure. But I'm sure it's the same as in-class delivery.

Which online programs did you apply to?

 

[sailormina]

1 hour ago, Crimson Wife said:

That doesn't make sense. Master's in SLP are 1.5 to 2 years if you've got a CSD undergrad and 3 years if you're out-of-field. None of them are 5 years.

If you want to do the 2nd bachelor's online, look at Utah State, Eastern New Mexico, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Idaho State. There may be others offering a 2nd bachelor's online but those are the 4 schools I looked at.

Hi! 

Thank you for your reply! I'm sorry, I should have clarified better--During my research, I found that one program of the two I am interested in for M.A. offers a 3 year program, but no more than 5 years to complete the curriculum. I can be a little pessimistic in my thinking, though I do have some special circumstances that make me consider a "worst-case scenario" where I may need to take the full 5 years. 

Thank you for the list of online schools, and the link was very helpful! I appreciate your help with this and offering your advice! :]

[sailormina]

10 minutes ago, speechfan222 said:

I'm pretty sure online format the in-class instruction are mostly the same. I know that online courses take alot of organization and dedication. You have to log into the courses daily (sometimes a few times a day) and provide responses to other's posts. Maybe graduate school will be a little different, I'm not sure. But I'm sure it's the same as in-class delivery.

Which online programs did you apply to?

 

Oh I haven't applied to an online program yet, but I have taken some online courses during my time in university so I do know that online classes can be just as demanding with work and participation as an in-class. I'm more so curious about how clinicals/training/interning would be administered when it comes to graduate SLP programs, but I guess I can always contact the online schools I get interested in and have that clarified. 

[speechfan222]

2 minutes ago, sailormina said:

Oh I haven't applied to an online program yet, but I have taken some online courses during my time in university so I do know that online classes can be just as demanding with work and participation as an in-class. I'm more so curious about how clinicals/training/interning would be administered when it comes to graduate SLP programs, but I guess I can always contact the online schools I get interested in and have that clarified. 

2

I know some online programs require clinicals to be completed in the same city as the university (of course being on campus for 6-8 weeks is required) and some programs allow students to complete clinicals in their home state or where they currently live. I had this same question too when researching online programs.

Crazy question...Do you know how it works with time zone differences? i'm on the west coast and applied to TSU (Tennessee) which is 2 hours ahead of me. I'm just kind of worried about deadlines, due dates, and requirements with a time difference. I suppose I will figure something out once I receive an acceptance letter and register for classes.

[sailormina]

1 minute ago, speechfan222 said:

I know some online programs require clinicals to be completed in the same city as the university (of course being on campus for 6-8 weeks is required) and some programs allow students to complete clinicals in their home state or where they currently live. I had this same question too when researching online programs.

Crazy question...Do you know how it works with time zone differences? i'm on the west coast and applied to TSU (Tennessee) which is 2 hours ahead of me. I'm just kind of worried about deadlines, due dates, and requirements with a time difference. I suppose I will figure something out once I receive an acceptance letter and register for classes.

Oh I see! Thanks for bringing that up! For myself, I would probably hope for the latter option of conducting clinicals in locations close to my home out of convenience haha.

 

That's actually a good question to consider! To be honest, my first guess would be to expect the school to adhere to their own timezone. For some of my classes in university, when we would submit homework onto websites, the site would label the 'turn-in' time as EST since that is where the headquarters of the site are located despite my being PST. However, I would definitely make sure to ask your professors when the time comes, since a general appeal of online courses is to have classes adhere to the work and lifestyle of the student.

[speechfan222]

That's a good point. I will definitely look into that. Maybe they will allow me to submit within my time zone. But then that would give me 'extra' time and getting an extension of two to three hours. Who knows. I'll look into it.

What part of Cali are you from? You should explore the awesome Cali schools for SLP! There are so many good ones. haha.

[sailormina]

5 minutes ago, speechfan222 said:

That's a good point. I will definitely look into that. Maybe they will allow me to submit within my time zone. But then that would give me 'extra' time and getting an extension of two to three hours. Who knows. I'll look into it.

What part of Cali are you from? You should explore the awesome Cali schools for SLP! There are so many good ones. haha.

Haha that could work out! There is possibly the chance of having something due (for example) at 9pm Tennessee time, which could mean that on the west coast it's due at 7pm (which I have encountered before in my online courses lol ) Of course, I'm rooting for you to have the extension instead !!

I'm from Southern California! I do know of about four schools within the SoCal area, I just wish transportation and living expenses weren't such an issue here haha (the curse of Cali traffic). You're from Arizona (according to your location section lol)? I have a good friend working in Phoenix as a teacher!

[speechfan222]

Yay for extensions! Maybe I'll get lucky and I will have more time. But maybe not. Haha.

Are you from San Diego? I love it there! I hear ya with the Cali traffic. It's crazy! Yes, I'm from AZ. Currently live in Tucson. Oh that's awesome. Phoenix is pretty big too!

[Crimson Wife]

12 hours ago, sailormina said:

Hi! 

Thank you for your reply! I'm sorry, I should have clarified better--During my research, I found that one program of the two I am interested in for M.A. offers a 3 year program, but no more than 5 years to complete the curriculum. I can be a little pessimistic in my thinking, though I do have some special circumstances that make me consider a "worst-case scenario" where I may need to take the full 5 years.

SLP programs are rigorous and if you have "special circumstances" where you don't think you can handle a FT load, you should seriously consider alternatives. #1 is expanding your search out of CA to include schools that offer a part time track. #2 is taking time off and working for a while to get a handle on your life before heading to grad school.

Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but better to have someone level with you before you apply rather than winding up getting overwhelmed while you're in grad school and dropping or worse flunking out.

[poor_salieri]

 I actually think that looking into an SLPA job opportunity, if it is not that expensive to do so, would not be a bad idea. The reason being that it can give you more experience in the field (fit), help you when writing your Admissions essays, and help make connections with people to write letters of rec in the field.  I am from California too and did my undergrad in communicative disorders. I know people who applied to grad grad school and didn't get into any places in California just because it is really competitive. Some of them reapplied after year or two of being an SLPA, and I think that their resume was a lot stronger. It really just depends on the school and the other people applying. Looking into OT and PT might be an option as well. 

[CBG321]

On 10/6/2016 at 9:23 PM, sailormina said:

Hello!

Thank you for the response! It's comforting to know I'm not alone in feeling apprehensive about the post-bacc. My basic worry has been that in the middle of the program I may not like the classes (or some other vague issue that my anxiety tends to plague me with) and suddenly feel regretful that I may have wasted time and money over starting another bachelor's degree despite already having one and not utilizing it instead. However, from what I've researched about the program, the classes are interesting! And I will start looking for shadowing or volunteer opportunities to get a better feel for the job as well. 

I'll look into occupational therapy and school counseling! I'm actually surprised occupational therapy hasn't come to mind haha. Thank you so much for these options! I wish you all the best in your post bacc program and hope you can get into your dream school for grad studies!

Hey based on your above response I would definitely do a post-bacc before applying to graduate school.  This is quite a unique field in the sense that most people don't really jump into it randomly (like many other graduate programs allow students from other majors to do, english, business etc).  If you have even the smallest doubt about the field, I would highly recommend doing the post-bacc first.  Graduate school is insanely competitive in this field for both in field and out of field applicants so this also gives you an opportunity to tell the application committee why you want to be accepted and decide if this is even the right field for you since it sounds like you are still exploring your options.  It may be possible to proctor a class session to see what you'd be getting into before paying for a post-bacc as well.

[wcslp]

Hello, I am also located in Southern California. Applied several years ago and got into most schools; if you have any questions about the process, feel free to ask. One thing to consider is that programs in this state, ESPECIALLY since you are in SoCal are extremely, extremely competitive. One of my programs had over 600 applicants for 23 spots. California CSU schools are also known to heavily favor their own undergrads, and private schools here are very expensive, especially if you don't have a place to stay. I also have my SLPA license, and I don't regret it at all. California actually employs a good number of SLPAs, so this is a worthwhile option. Since you say that there are only 2 schools near you, I would definitely do a post bacc and get perfect grades or look outside of state. Most of my classmates with 4.0s, etc usually end up applying to 6+ schools, including out of states, just because it is so competitive here. 

Another thing, to echo what Crimson Wife said, I think you should really take some time and consider the field before putting all of your eggs into one basket. Do you have any experience with SLP at all? You said you heard about it from your psychology professor (who, not to be harsh, probably doesn't have a very thorough grasp of SLP) and that you can see yourself working with young kids/teenagers in a school setting. I would highly, highly suggest that you shadow an SLP before jumping headfirst into the field. In addition, not trying to sway you from this path, but there are many other professionals that work with those populations in the school setting that you may enjoy doing more. I only stress that you take a lot of time to consider this field because I have known many individuals who jumped head first into a post bacc, not knowing what SLP was really like, dropping out, or not getting into any graduate programs in California. I find it kind of worrisome that everyone is telling you what to do here when you haven't even really gotten enough experience to decide if this is what you truly want. Post bacc will cost money, grad school will cost money -- graduate students rarely get financial aid; most of us end up taking loans. This is something else to consider if you're not really sure about the field yet; consider that most SLPs will average 50-60k salaries in the school setting, so you don't want to come out with 100k worth of loans. Just trying to be realistic here. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to do. 

[Jolie717]

On October 7, 2016 at 8:13 AM, Crimson Wife said:

SLP programs are rigorous and if you have "special circumstances" where you don't think you can handle a FT load, you should seriously consider alternatives. #1 is expanding your search out of CA to include schools that offer a part time track. #2 is taking time off and working for a while to get a handle on your life before heading to grad school.

Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but better to have someone level with you before you apply rather than winding up getting overwhelmed while you're in grad school and dropping or worse flunking out.

I agree - the only school in SoCal that I know of that even allows a student to complete the program on a part-time basis is CSUN.  Yes, it's a state school, but it's still very difficult to get into and they are definitely very partial to their own undergrads and post-bacc students.  I completed my undergrad at CSUN.  I had some post-bacc friends at the same time I began my junior year - one was a psych undergrad like you and one was an ESL teacher.  They completed one semester full-time (pretty heavy courseload) and applied for the following Fall MA cohort.  This can be tricky, as the admissions committee only has one semester of CD coursework by which to judge a candidate.  Long story short, the ESL student was admitted and the psych major was wait listed, but then admitted off the wait list a week or two later.

BTW - PM me if you want the CD classes and other classes that made up the "heavy" course-load that we all did - they no longer publicize this list and in fact discourage students from attempting it.  Now it seems most CD majors take three years to complete their junior and senior years.  The "heavy" route was tough, but doable.