How important is it to have all ASHA pre-reqs before applying to grad school?

[bettafish293]

Hello! I apologize in advance for the lengthy post that follows this sentence.

After this semester I'll have 60 credit hours. I am planning on changing my major from social work to linguistics because my school doesn't offer an undergrad CSD degree, and I feel that linguistics is more in line with SLP than social work (and beyond that, I find the course work more interesting).

However, my school does offer six undergraduate CSD courses that I am hoping are/will count as grad school pre reqs: intro to comm. disorders, anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms, hearing and hearing problems, neural bases of speech language and hearing, speech/hearing science, and normal processes of speech and language development.

Here's the problem: There are 45 more credit hours specific to obtaining an undergrad degree in linguistics and 15 more credits (I've already taken intro to comm. disorders) of SLP pre reqs, which totals 60. I already have 60 credit hours, and would really like to not go over the required 120 needed to graduate. Unfortunately, ASHA lists chemistry as a gen ed pre requisite for graduate school admission, and I have yet to take a chemistry course.

In truth, this post could have been a lot shorter and I could have wasted a lot less of your time if I just led with "do I really have to take chemistry?" But, I've always had a flair for the dramatic, considering that my second greatest hobby--second only to worrying myself into a daily bout of existential dread over fear of not getting into grad school and failing to bring honor to my family, cue the Mulan soundtrack--is reading "what are my chances of getting into grad school?" posts on this very forum site.

Thank you in advance to any replies!

[SpeechLaedy]

I am praying I get into a school with only taking the prerequisites. But I definitely know there are many people who change careers paths after getting the first bachelors and only take the prerequisites necessary for entry into the graduate speech programs. I say as long as you fulfill the prereqs *needed* for each program (listed on their websites), that you still have a shot just as any other applicant. Just make sure you have relevant experience to back it all up and that you get REALLY good grades in the speech coursework. One question though.. Your speech department at your school is called Linguistics? At my school, there was a linguistics program but ppl who wanted to do speech went into the Communication Sciences and Disorders program (I'm guessing your school doesn't have two different programs and lumps them into one?) 

[slpgrad620]

If I'm not mistaken, you can take a Physics course (which is what I did and I got accepted into a program) instead of a Chemistry course cause chem seems more tedious but you definitely need to get all your ASHA pre-reqs done before entering into a program and if it's required, then you have no choice to go over 120 credits cause you wouldn't want one course to hold you back 

[speechie575]

When I spoke to the department chair at one of the schools I'm applying to, I asked her a similar question. I asked if they would consider another applicant over me just because I'm missing a physical science or biological science prerequisite. And she said not at all! As long as we have the classes done by the time we finish our Masters degrees

[kayyyyy_]

I've heard from schools that you have to take it before entering a program. Some programs may accept you with the contingency of taking a program the summer before. Good luck! 

[Afternoonprogram]

http://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/

Just to clarify ASHA has a set of requirements that include 1. physical science 2. bio science 4. statistics and some others.  I'm a post bacc.  however I had completed all of ASHA's requirements so I just needed to do my CSD post-bacc classes.  Each school I applied to had a different number of required CSD -some only required 5-6 and some 10.  I would research which grad schools you are interested in applying to and find out what they recommend.  In general, all the schools I applied to wanted the ASHA requirements done before the application.

[Crimson Wife]

If your school is really strict about the 120 credit limit, I would just take it at a local community college. Yes, you'll need to send multiple transcripts but lots of grad schools will not let you apply without those 4 ASHA required courses.

[jmk]

I would take them before. My last ASHA pre-req I took the Fall semester I was applying. I took Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, and then psych/sociology. 

[WannabSLP124]

It really depends on the program. Some schools are lenient and will let you take it once you are in the program (although I can't imagine wanting to add to my course load), some require it be completed before you start the program. The requirement is a 'physical science' which like others have said also includes physics. SOME schools will even take astronomy, environmental science, geology, acoustics, etc. however to be on the safe side I would just do a chem. or physics course because others' require one of those. Physics is more related because of the sound component. I am taking a super easy physics course through a community college. It doesn't even have a lab, but it is in line with the requirements of ASHA. The keyword I am focusing on is "Basic" :-) 

http://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/

[SpeechLaedy]

9 minutes ago, Alicia124 said:

It really depends on the program. Some schools are lenient and will let you take it once you are in the program (although I can't imagine wanting to add to my course load), some require it be completed before you start the program. The requirement is a 'physical science' which like others have said also includes physics. SOME schools will even take astronomy, environmental science, geology, acoustics, etc. however to be on the safe side I would just do a chem. or physics course because others' require one of those. Physics is more related because of the sound component. I am taking a super easy physics course through a community college. It doesn't even have a lab, but it is in line with the requirements of ASHA. The keyword I am focusing on is "Basic" :-) 

http://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/

I took a Physics of Music and Sound course for the physical science in addition to my speech prerequisites. As I understand, most schools take that but you can always check the websites or call the departments to make sure 

[bettafish293]

Thank you all for your replies!

@SpeechLaedy My school does have a CSD department and a full graduate program, they just don't offer an undergraduate degree. Also, good luck to you!

@slpgrad620 I thought about taking physics but I'm scared because everyone tells me it's more math based than chemistry and I'm terrible at algebra!

@Murr57 That's great news, I hope more schools are like that. Good luck!

@Alicia124 That sounds PERFECT, I'm trying my hardest to find a chem without the lab component as I don't know much about physics other than what others have told me, but perhaps I should look into taking physics instead, lol.

 

[SpeechLaedy]

52 minutes ago, bettafish293 said:

Thank you all for your replies!

@SpeechLaedy My school does have a CSD department and a full graduate program, they just don't offer an undergraduate degree. Also, good luck to you!

@slpgrad620 I thought about taking physics but I'm scared because everyone tells me it's more math based than chemistry and I'm terrible at algebra!

@Murr57 That's great news, I hope more schools are like that. Good luck!

@Alicia124 That sounds PERFECT, I'm trying my hardest to find a chem without the lab component as I don't know much about physics other than what others have told me, but perhaps I should look into taking physics instead, lol.

 

Ah. I definitely read your initial post in haste so I didn't see that your main question was whether or not to take chemistry lol

[imunster]

1 hour ago, bettafish293 said:

That sounds PERFECT, I'm trying my hardest to find a chem without the lab component as I don't know much about physics other than what others have told me, but perhaps I should look into taking physics instead, lol.

 

Its practically impossible to find a chem class without a lab! I know some peers who are taking some nutrition class in the chem department which somehow miraculously counts. 

I just finished up my physics course at a community college last week. It did NOT have a lab component. Its Conceptual Physics, so emphasis is on you getting the concepts and it's not math heavy. We did many labs in the actual class but there was no separate lab class that we had to enroll it (unlike chem!). 

[BeachySpeechy]

I took a chemistry class without a lab at my local community college. I think USU has a chem class online...no lab. It's Chem1010 with Professor Farrelly. I've heard other USU students say it's not too difficult.

[slpgrad620]

2 hours ago, bettafish293 said:

Thank you all for your replies!

@SpeechLaedy My school does have a CSD department and a full graduate program, they just don't offer an undergraduate degree. Also, good luck to you!

@slpgrad620 I thought about taking physics but I'm scared because everyone tells me it's more math based than chemistry and I'm terrible at algebra!

@Murr57 That's great news, I hope more schools are like that. Good luck!

@Alicia124 That sounds PERFECT, I'm trying my hardest to find a chem without the lab component as I don't know much about physics other than what others have told me, but perhaps I should look into taking physics instead, lol.

 

The physics class I took was Physics of Musical Sounds which counted as a physics course and it didn't require a lab so you should really look into physics courses that will be equivalent to the requirement

[CajunSLP18]

I'm taking a online chem class now (CHEM 123 survey of chem) and I don't have a lab component. 

[thespeechblog.com]

On 2/17/2017 at 3:01 AM, bettafish293 said:

Hello! I apologize in advance for the lengthy post that follows this sentence.

After this semester I'll have 60 credit hours. I am planning on changing my major from social work to linguistics because my school doesn't offer an undergrad CSD degree, and I feel that linguistics is more in line with SLP than social work (and beyond that, I find the course work more interesting).

However, my school does offer six undergraduate CSD courses that I am hoping are/will count as grad school pre reqs: intro to comm. disorders, anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms, hearing and hearing problems, neural bases of speech language and hearing, speech/hearing science, and normal processes of speech and language development.

Here's the problem: There are 45 more credit hours specific to obtaining an undergrad degree in linguistics and 15 more credits (I've already taken intro to comm. disorders) of SLP pre reqs, which totals 60. I already have 60 credit hours, and would really like to not go over the required 120 needed to graduate. Unfortunately, ASHA lists chemistry as a gen ed pre requisite for graduate school admission, and I have yet to take a chemistry course.

In truth, this post could have been a lot shorter and I could have wasted a lot less of your time if I just led with "do I really have to take chemistry?" But, I've always had a flair for the dramatic, considering that my second greatest hobby--second only to worrying myself into a daily bout of existential dread over fear of not getting into grad school and failing to bring honor to my family, cue the Mulan soundtrack--is reading "what are my chances of getting into grad school?" posts on this very forum site.

Thank you in advance to any replies!

You could probably get into grad school without having completed those requirements (check with each school)... but you're still going to have to take them. 

As a graduate student, you'll be paying graduate student tuition for them (which is usually significantly more expensive), and also taking a full-time graduate student load + clinical rotations. 

Another option would be to complete them through a local community college (or maybe even online) where the credit hour rate might be cheaper. You could maybe even do this the summer before you start grad school. 

[Auuudriana]

On 2/17/2017 at 8:03 AM, slpgrad620 said:

If I'm not mistaken, you can take a Physics course (which is what I did and I got accepted into a program) instead of a Chemistry course cause chem seems more tedious but you definitely need to get all your ASHA pre-reqs done before entering into a program and if it's required, then you have no choice to go over 120 credits cause you wouldn't want one course to hold you back 

You definitely don't have to have it by the time you enter a program. There are a couple of people in my cohort finishing up the ASHA pre-reqs right now.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Auuudriana

[WannabSLP124]

16 hours ago, bettafish293 said:

Thank you all for your replies!

@SpeechLaedy My school does have a CSD department and a full graduate program, they just don't offer an undergraduate degree. Also, good luck to you!

@slpgrad620 I thought about taking physics but I'm scared because everyone tells me it's more math based than chemistry and I'm terrible at algebra!

@Murr57 That's great news, I hope more schools are like that. Good luck!

@Alicia124 That sounds PERFECT, I'm trying my hardest to find a chem without the lab component as I don't know much about physics other than what others have told me, but perhaps I should look into taking physics instead, lol.

 

Yes it is! like @mcamp's course, mine is also focusing on the concepts. There is some math, but so far it has been pretty simple. I am taking it online too, so I can easily have a list of formula's for the tests, and not have to memorize them. Best of luck!

[jmk]

At most CC's you can take a very basic chem class without the lab component! 

[slpgrad620]

40 minutes ago, Auuudriana said:

You definitely don't have to have it by the time you enter a program. There are a couple of people in my cohort finishing up the ASHA pre-reqs right now.

I guess it's different for every school but most programs want you to finish ASHA pre reqs before 

[BeachySpeechy]

32 minutes ago, slpgrad620 said:

I guess it's different for every school but most programs want you to finish ASHA pre reqs before 

I agree...I think this is becoming more the norm. 

[FutureCCCSLP]

WKU requires that the ASHA courses be finished before starting classes but you can admitted without them.  Same for the leveling classes.  You just have to take them the summer before classes start if you're admitted.  I wish all schools were the same or at least there'd be a chart for us to compare and go by.