Curriculum for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program is designed to be completed in two years — including one summer with a common entry point in the fall. Exceptions to these timelines may occur on an individual basis.

The master’s degree program requires a minimum of 54 semester credit hours for completion.

The coursework represents a minimum of 46 to 47 credits of classroom courses (including three credits of Independent Research or six credits of Thesis) and eight credits of Practicum.

The following sample degree plan demonstrates a program that meets the credit minimum.

Year One Fall

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 5050V	Practicum	1
CSDI 50933	Neurogenic Language Disorders	3
CSDI 51153	Child Language Disorders	3
CSDI 51833	Spoken Sound Disorders	3
CSDI 5203V	Topics in SLP (Clinic Lab 1)	1
CSDI 53502	Voice Disorders	2
Total Hours		13

Year One Spring

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 5050V	Practicum	1
CSDI 51902	Neurogenic Speech Disorders	2
CSDI 51933	Social Communication Disorders	3
CSDI 5203V	Topics in SLP (Clinic Lab 2)	1
CSDI 52133	Dysphagia	3
CSDI 52802	Literacy Disorders	2
Total Hours		12

Year One Summer

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 50133	Research Methods in Communication Disorders	3
CSDI 5050V	Practicum	1
CSDI 5203V	Topics in SLP (Clinic Lab 3)	1
CSDI 5200V or 5363V	Thesis or Independent Research	1
Total Hours		6

Year Two Fall

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 5050V	Practicum	2
CSDI 51143	Cognitive Communication Disorders	3
CSDI 51202	Fluency Disorders	2
CSDI 51632	Auditory Based Intervention	2
CSDI 5200V or 5363V	Thesis or Independent Research	1
CSDI 52903	Multicultural Issues	3
Total Hours		13

Year Two Spring

This semester gives students the option of completing a thesis or independent research. Students who choose the independent research option will also need to select an elective course.

Thesis Option

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 50402	Augmentative and Alternative Communication	2
CSDI 5050V	Practicum	3
CSDI 51502	Ethics and Professional Issues	2
CSDI 5200V	Thesis (no elective needed)	4
Total Hours		11

Independent Research Option

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 50402	Augmentative and Alternative Communication	2
CSDI 5050V	Practicum	3
CSDI 51502	Ethics and Professional Issues	2
CSDI 5363V	Independent Research	1
Elective Course	See Options Below	2-3
Total Hours		10 - 11

Electives

Course ID	Course Title	Semester Credit Hours
CSDI 51703	Counseling in Communication Disorders	3
CSDI 5203V	Topics in Speech Pathology	2
CSDI 52602	Craniofacial Speech Disorders	2
CSDI 52702	Advanced Differential Disorders	2
CSDI 5304V	Independent Study (LEND student only) Sec 01	2
CSDI 5304V	Independent Study Sec 02	2

Curriculum Summary

Semester	Hours
Year One Fall	13
Year One Spring	12
Year One Summer	6
Year Two Fall	13
Year Two Spring	10 - 11
Total Program Hours	54 - 55

Students will demonstrate mastery by earning grades of B or better in all courses. Students must also maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing. While students can progress in the program after earning a C in a course, they will have to complete a remediation plan to demonstrate competence in the content for that course. 

Consequences for not meeting these requirements are on a case-by-case basis as reviewed by the academic and clinical faculty, which may include repeating courses, academic probation and remediation or dismissal from the program.

The program academic handbook should be consulted for more specific information. 

All students in the UAMS College of Health Professions must complete all Interprofessional Education activities.

Learn more about UAMS Interprofessional Education.

Students must meet the following requirements to complete the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program.

• Complete all work within eight calendar years of initial admission.
• Pass all required courses in the program with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Complete Interprofessional Education requirements.
• All students must pass a written, comprehensive examination which assesses the theory and knowledge of academic and clinical preparation deemed essential for entry level into the profession of speech-language pathology.
• As a capstone presentation, each student must present a diagnostic and / or treatment case during Grand Rounds.
• As part of their clinical training, each student is required to complete a minimum of 375 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum (plus 25 observation hours). Of those hours, a minimum of 325 hours must be at the graduate level. A maximum of 75 clock hours can be obtained through clinical simulations. Additionally, students must demonstrate evidence of knowledge and skill mastery across the scope of practice as required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s 2020 Standards.

The list of required textbooks is published on the UAMS Bookstore website in compliance with Arkansas Code Annotated section 6-60-601.