Program Curriculum

A minimum of 54 semester credits are required in the Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) program. The following sample degree plan demonstrates a program that meets the credit minimum:

Year One Fall

Course IDCourse TitleSemester Credit Hours
CSDI 5050VPracticum1
CSDI 50933Neurogenic Language Disorders3
CSDI 51153Child Language Disorders3
CSDI 51833Spoken Sound Disorders3
CSDI 5203VTopics in SLP (Clinic Lab 1)1
CSDI 53502Voice Disorders2
Total Hours13

Year One Spring

Course IDCourse TitleSemester Credit Hours
CSDI 5050VPracticum1
CSDI 51902Neurogenic Speech Disorders2
CSDI 51933Social Communication Disorders3
CSDI 5203VTopics in SLP (Clinic Lab 2)1
CSDI 52133Dysphagia3
CSDI 52802Literacy Disorders2
Total Hours12

Year One Summer

Course IDCourse TitleSemester Credit Hours
CSDI 50133Research Methods in Communication Disorders3
CSDI 5050VPracticum1
CSDI 5203VTopics in SLP (Clinic Lab 3)1
CSDI 5200V or 5363VThesis or Independent Research 1
Total Hours6

Year Two Fall

Course IDCourse TitleSemester Credit Hours
CSDI 5050VPracticum2
CSDI 51143Cognitive Communication Disorders3
CSDI 51202Fluency Disorders2
CSDI 51632Auditory Based Intervention2
CSDI 5200V or 5363VThesis or Independent Research 1
CSDI 52903Multicultural Issues3
Total Hours13

Year Two Spring

Course IDCourse TitleSemester Credit Hours
CSDI 50402Augmentative and Alternative Communication2
CSDI 5050VPracticum3
CSDI 51502Ethics and Professional Issues2
Select One:
CSDI 5200VThesis (no elective needed)4
CSDI 5363VIndependent Research (select one elective)1
Electives:
CSDI 51703Counseling in Communication Disorders3
CSDI 5203VTopics in Speech Pathology2
CSDI 52602Craniofacial Speech Disorders2
CSDI 52702Advanced Differential Disorders2
CSDI 5304VIndependent Study (LEND student only) Sec 012
CSDI 5304VIndependent Study Sec 022
Total Hours10 - 11

Curriculum Summary

SemesterHours
Year One Fall13
Year One Spring12
Year One Summer6
Year Two Fall13
Year Two Spring10 - 11
Total Program Hours54 - 55

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 (ASHA) 2020 Standards.

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.

A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to earn the degree. The course work 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.

Textbooks

The list of required textbooks is published on the UAMS Bookstore website in compliance with State of Arkansas General Assembly Act 175 of the 2007 Regular Session.