Florida State University's speech-language pathology educational program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The objective of the program is to educate speech-language pathologists so they function optimally in a variety of clinical and school settings and, if desired, to enable them to pursue the doctoral degree. Learning experiences involve an interaction of classroom instruction, research, and individualized clinical practicum under the close supervision of certified faculty and staff. Students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty on research and clinical program development.

The program offers courses of study leading to the Master of Science (MS) or Master of Arts (MA) degree (thesis or non-thesis options). Speech pathology or language pathology may be emphasized in the student's plan of study, which is designed to exceed the requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Certificate of Clinical Competence and The Florida Certificate of Registration. Florida State Board of Education requirements or The National Council on Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE) requirements for teaching certificates may be achieved by speech-language pathology majors.

A student's undergraduate background influences the time required to complete the graduate degree. Students obtaining master's degrees from Florida State University generally graduate from the program in six academic semesters, which includes a semester of off-campus internship.

Requirements

The Florida State University School of Communication Science and Disorders requires an individual applying for a master's degree to hold a bachelor's degree in communication disorders or its equivalent. Applicants for admission to the master's degree programs must meet the University's minimum standard of a 3.0 upper division GPA or a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of 1000 (verbal and math sections combined) before an application will be considered by the department. However, meeting this minimum does not assure acceptance for graduate study in the department as admission is competitive. Prospective students must apply to the university and pay the university application fee before their file will be reviewed at the department level. Applicants must submit 2 copies of official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended and official GRE scores from the Educational Testing Service to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Normally admission is for the Fall semester. There are additional requirements and procedures for admission to the program. Please see the department Web site at http://www.commdisorders.cci.fsu.edu/ for additional information. All application materials must be submitted by January 15.

All graduate students are required to present a program of study acceptable to the major professor and supervisory committee. The program of study should be approved before the conclusion of the first semester of course work. A student in a master's degree program may choose to complete a thesis. In general, six semesters is typically required for the completion of the master's degree. A clinical internship is required.

A master's degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders or the equivalent is required for admission to this program. A student preparing for the advanced master's degree is required to present a program of studies acceptable to the major professor and supervisory committee. A thesis-preparation curriculum is required, including a minimum of thirty semester hours beyond the master's degree with three to six semester hours for the thesis.

Admission to the doctoral program is contingent upon meeting the Florida State University policy on admission for the Advanced degree. Academic standards, residence and transfer credits are in accordance with regulations of the University. Normally, admission is during the Fall semester. Application for the following academic year must be submitted by January 15th.

The student must hold a bachelor's degree for consideration of entry into the doctoral program. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (on a scale of A = 4.0) maintained in the student's junior and senior years of undergraduate education is required. A minimum of a 3.5 GPA in the student's major area of study in undergraduate and graduate education is required. An exception to the GPA requirement may be made by the doctoral admission committee if strong evidence of academic potential is presented. This evidence must include minimum scores of 500 on the verbal and 500 on the quantitative sections of the GRE. There are additional requirements and procedures for admission to the program. Please see the department Web site at http://www.commdisorders.cci.fsu.edu/ for additional information.

Upon acceptance into the doctoral program, the school director will appoint the major professor. The appointment must be mutually agreeable to the student, major professor, and school director. By the end of the first year of the program, the student should invite selected faculty to form a doctoral supervisory committee. The doctoral supervisory committee shall be composed of a minimum of four members, including the major professor, and will serve until the student is advanced to candidacy. Three members must hold doctoral directive status, and one member with this status must be selected from a different department (the Representative at large). At least two members must be from within the School of Communication Science and Disorders. Students may choose to include up to two members from other departments in light of the interdisciplinary course work taken by students in the department.

The first three to five semesters of enrollment in the program should be devoted to completion of the core requirements. By the end of the first year of the program, the student must present an approved plan of study to fulfill all requirements for the PhD. The plan of study should include all graduate-level courses previously completed. The program of study should include a narrative statement of the student's career goals, all graduate level courses previously completed, and all courses that the student is planning on taking to meet the core requirements and additional requirements, as delineated below, as well as a timeline for completion. The doctoral supervisory committee must approve the program of study in writing and may approve any course(s) already completed to apply toward meeting the core requirements. The student is encouraged to ask the major professor for samples of programs of study completed by former students.

Requirements

The doctoral program in Communication Science and Disorders is individualized to meet the student's needs and interests based on his/her career goals. The student must demonstrate knowledge beyond the master's level in three areas:

1. Research Methods (fifteen semester hours)
2. Communication Processes in Normal and/or Disordered Populations (nine semester hours)
3. A Related Specialization area (twelve semester hours)

Students must also meet three additional requirements:

1. The student must demonstrate teaching competencies by taking major responsibility for teaching at least one undergraduate lecture course. The student must enroll in three to five semester hours of SPA 5940, Supervised Teaching
2. The student must demonstrate research competencies by participating in different roles in ongoing research of the major professor or more advanced doctoral students and taking major responsibility for initiating a research project. The student must enroll in three to five semester hours of SPA 5910, Supervised Research.
3. The student must enroll in the departmental Doctoral Research Colloquium and Doctoral Seminar on Teaching and Supervision (SPA 6804; both are variable credit ranging from zero to three semester hours, repeatable to twelve hours) for a minimum of two semester hours each during the Fall and Spring semesters totaling four semesters over the first two years in the program and before advancing to candidacy.

Candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree

Advancement to candidacy for the PhD degree is contingent upon the student successfully passing a preliminary examination. The preliminary exam may be completed in one of two forms. Each of these options includes an oral examination with a choice of the written form.

Option 1.

The student must write extensively on topics selected and approved by the committee. This examination usually consists of the student creating independently formulated responses to questions developed by the student's doctoral committee. The questions will focus on topics related to the student's previous coursework, future research, and/or dissertation interests and should prepare the student for a critical review area that will lead to the dissertation. The student must complete this exam within five days. During those five days, the student may not consult with anyone, but may utilize any other resources available to him/her (books, articles, presentations).

Option 2.

The students must complete three written products (written response to committee question, journal article critique and a creative product). The products are designed to demonstrate competency in a topic area(s) pertinent to the student's field of interest as well as the ability to write and critique scholarly papers. The committee must approve the format and content of the specific products before the student initiates the preliminary exam. It is recommended that the three written products be completed within one to two semesters.

Written Response to Committee Question(s)

Similar to Option 1, the student must write extensively on a topic(s) selected and approved by the committee. The question(s) will come from a pool of questions submitted by the student to his/her adviser and agreed upon by the committee. The student must complete the question(s) within two days. The written response should be up to 10 pages, double spaced (excluding references). During the writing time, the student may not consult with anyone, but may utilize any other resources available to him/her (books, articles, presentations). The student will designate the start date for completing the written response, with approval of the major professor.

Journal Article Critique

The student will critique a prepublication manuscript or published article as if it was submitted to a journal for publication with the student serving as a guest reviewer. The major professor will choose the article with input from committee members with the student's area of interest and future research objectives in mind. The article critique typically is no more than 3 pages single-spaced; often, it is shorter. See the Appendix for example formats. The student will designate the start date for completing the article critique, with approval of the major professor, and will be given one week to complete the critique. Where possible, the research design of the journal article will differ from that of the design in the creative product.

Creative Product

The third written product may take one of two forms, depending on the student's interests and future employment objectives:

The student may write a traditional research grant proposal following Public Health Service or other appropriate guidelines.

The scope of the proposed should entail multiple years; thus, it might include multiple projects or at least a multi-faceted project.

The student may write a manuscript that is suitable for submission to a journal. The manuscript should entail original research that the student has designed and carried out (e.g., a report of an experimental research study, a program evaluation, a policy analysis, or another original product). The manuscript should not have any fatal flaws in regard to support for the need and rational for the study, threats to validity, appropriate statistical analysis, appropriate interpretation of results, and clarity/organization of writing.

Dissertation

Upon advancement to candidacy, the student should begin working on the dissertation. The dissertation is the final requirement for the doctoral degree. A student must be admitted to candidacy at least six months prior to the granting of the doctoral degree. All requirements for the doctoral degree, including filing an approved dissertation, must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student is advanced for candidacy.

SPA—Speech Pathology and Audiology

SPA 5055r. Professional Tools in Speech-Language Pathology (1–3). This course repeats with different topics covered each semester. Topics covered include clinical bases for planning and conduct of therapy, behavior management, counseling, ethics, certification and licensure, instrumentation, and clinical research methods.

SPA 5204. Phonological Disorders (3). Identifies and examines traditional and psycholinguistic theory and approaches to management of defective articulation. Provides the student with training in the treatment of defective articulation.

SPA 5211. Voice Disorders (3). An advanced course concerned with etiology, symptoms, and remediation of a variety of organic voice disorders.

SPA 5225. Fluency Disorders (3). Emphasis is on theories of treatment of stuttering disorders, various therapeutic approaches.

SPA 5230. Motor Speech Disorders (3). Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures employed in the management of speech and language problems of neurologically impaired persons.

SPA 5252. Speech Production and Swallowing Disorders (3). A foundation course to prepare SLP students to evaluate and manage communication disorders of voice, fluency, and articulation plus dysphasia and laryngectomy.

SPA 5254. Acquired Neurolinguistic and Cognitive Disorders (3). A foundation course to prepare SLP students to evaluate and manage neuromotor speech disorders, aphasia, traumatic brain injury, right hemisphere syndromes, dementia, and communication effects of progressive neurological diseases.

SPA 5256. Developmental Speech Disorders (3). This course is an overview of the developmental disorders that affect children's speech. Topics include cleft lip, palate and other craniofacial anomalies, developmental apraxia of speech and the dysarthrias.

SPA 5305Lr. Measurement and Management of Impaired Hearing (1–3). Interviewing, audiologic screening, audiometric evaluation, data interpretation, hearing aids and cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, aural rehabilitation assessment and therapy, and hearing conservation.

SPA 5322. Advanced Aural (Re)habilitation (3). Amplification devices, assessment of hearing impairment; perception of speech, receptive communication strategies.

SPA 5401. Communication Intervention: Infants and Preschoolers (3). Prerequisites: LIN 3710, SPA 4400, or instructor permission. Strategies for the assessment and intervention of communication and symbolic abilities of infants (0–2) and children (3–5) with atypical communication development. Emphasis is on using a family focused approach in home based and center based programs.

SPA 5403. Language-Learning Disabilities in School-Age Children (3). Prerequisites: LIN 3710 and SPA 4400. Strategies for assessment and intervention of conversational, narrative, and meta-linguistic abilities of school-age children and adolescents with language-learning disabilities.

SPA 5432. Autism and Severe Communicative Disabilities (3). Strategies for language and communication assessment and intervention of children, adolescents, and adults with autism and other severe communicative disabilities. Includes functional analysis of challenging behaviors and decision making for the selection of augmentative communication systems.

SPA 5436. Nature of Autism (3). This course provides an overview of the characteristics and etiology of autism spectrum disorders and the basic knowledge needed to develop effective instructional plans and to enhance reading, communication, and social interactions at home, at school, and in the community.

SPA 5460. Foundations of Developmental Communication Disorders (3). Provides an overview of language and phonological impairments. Prepares students to facilitate development in children's language learning systems while taking into account the contextually-based needs of children with developmental communicative disorders.

SPA 5462. Developmental Communication Disorders: School-Age Issues (3). Prerequisite: SPA 5460. This course prepares speech-language pathologists to evaluate and manage developmental communication disorders in conjunction with families, educators, and other service providers. Focus is on applications to the selection of functional treatment goals and the development of effective treatment programs.

SPA 5500. Clinical Practicum in the Schools (3). Prerequisite: SPA 4503. Supervised therapy practice in therapy procedures with school-aged persons presenting various communication problems. Seminar covers educational and therapy topics relative to public professional activities.

SPA 5505r. Advanced Clinical Practicum (1–4). This course provides students with the opportunity to build and practice more advanced clinical skills as they continue their clinical rotations. Maybe taken for credit for a total of four (4) semester hours.

SPA 5522. Medical Speech Pathology (3). This course exposes students to the concepts, policies and procedures encountered in medical settings. The primary goal is to make students more comfortable upon entering the medical setting in offsite practicums.

SPA 5526Lr. Laboratory in Child Speech/Language Pathology Diagnostics (1–3). Completion of formal and informal evaluation procedures with children who have speech and/or language disorders. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

SPA 5528Lr. Laboratory in Adult Speech/Language Pathology Diagnostics (1–3). Completion of formal and informal evaluation procedures with adults who have speech and/or language disorders. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

SPA 5553. Seminar in Clinical Differential Diagnostics (1). Corequisite: SPA 5553L. Discussion of formal and informal assessment of a variety of speech and language disorders. Content discussed will relate to people to be evaluated during accompanying laboratory.

SPA 5554. Counseling in Speech-Language Pathology (3). Supervision, counseling, and interviewing in the area of communication disorders.

SPA 5554Lr. Supervision and Counseling in Communication Disorders (1). Laboratory to practice strategies and skills in clinical supervision and counseling. The dyads of clinician-patient, clinician-significant other, and the triad of supervisor, supervisee, and patient are emphasized. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.

SPA 5559. Augmentative Communication Systems (3). This course provides an overview of augmentative and alternative communication systems (AAC) and the process for selecting and implementing these systems. Application of AAC systems for nonspeaking individuals with developmental and acquired disorders is covered.

SPA 5562. Advanced Seminar in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (1-3). This course focuses on a variety of topics related to AAC assessment, intervention, and clinical research for people with severe communication disorders. Students are encouraged to participate in related research activities in various phases of ongoing projects.

SPA 5564. Communication and Aging (3). The anatomic, physiologic, and acoustic changes in the hearing and speech mechanism with aging. The effect of those changes on hearing and speech. The communication disorders found among older people.

SPA 5565. Seminar in Dysphagia (3). A review of the anatomy, neurology, and function of the normal swallow. Etiologies and types of dysphagia in children and adults. Evaluation and management of swallowing disorders. Prior anatomy and neurology courses are recommended.

SPA 5646. Communication for Persons Deaf and Hard of Hearing (3). Assessment and education procedures for developing communication skills of preschool and school-age hearing impaired students.

SPA 5906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of eight semester hours. Students may enroll in more than one section during the same semester.

SPA 5910r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours. A maximum of three semester hours may apply to the master's degree. Students may enroll in more than one section during the same semester.

SPA 5940r. Supervised Teaching (1–5). (S/U grade only.) Advanced graduate students will have the opportunity to organize and teach basic courses in audiology and speech-language pathology under the direct supervision of faculty. May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours. A maximum of three semester hours may apply to the master's degree.

SPA 5941r. Beginning Speech-Language Pathology Practicum (2–4). (S/U grade only). This course provides students with the opportunity to build basic clinical competence in the area of speech-language pathology. Students are introduced to diagnostic and therapeutic clinical processes as they relate to clients of various ages and disorder types. May be repeated to a maximum of four semester hours.

SPA 5942r. Community Clinical Practicum (1–4). This clinical practicum provides students with supervised experiences in a variety of community-based settings. May be repeated to a maximum of four semester hours.

SPA 5944. Speech-Language Pathology Internship (1–12). (S/U grade only.) Intensive practical experience in the diagnosis and/or treatment of persons with speech-language and hearing disorders in service oriented professional settings under the close supervision of persons who have clinical certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. To be completed in the final semester of the master's program. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

SPA 5971r. Thesis (1–6). (S/U grade only.) A minimum of six (6) semester hours must be earned.

SPA 5972r. Advanced Master's Thesis (1–6). (S/U grade only.) A minimum of six (6) semester hours is required.

SPA 6140r. Seminar in Experimental Phonetics (1–3). This course examines phonetics experimentation through review of relevant journal articles and participation in speech recording, measurements, and analysis. The focus is on one of the three phonetic areas: physiologic, acoustic or perceptual. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SPA 6231r. Seminar in Neuropathologies (1–3). May be repeated from term to term, up to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SPA 6434r. Seminar on Developmental Disabilities (1–3). Course provides advanced graduate students with an opportunity to study and analyze current issues affecting children with developmental disabilities, including the families of these children and their communities. Students will examine cross-disciplinary contributions to developmental disabilities research, service, and policies. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SPA 6804. University Academic and Clinical Teaching Colloquium (0-2). (S/U grade only.) This course is designed to provide doctoral students with information and essential skills for teaching in the university environment.

SPA 6805r. Seminar in Clinical Research Methods (3). Course will advance students' knowledge of research methods used to study clinical problems and to evaluate intervention techniques used in speech-language pathology and other educational endeavors. Current research literature will be examined to critique the research methods used to address specific issues selected by students. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SPA 6825r. Seminar in Speech Pathology (1–3). Advanced study of communication disorders; review of literature and critique of research methodology. May be repeated from term to term, to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SPA 6841r. Seminar in Language (1–3). May be repeated from term to term, to a maximum of nine semester hours.

SPA 6900r. Readings for the Preliminary Examination (1–6). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisites: Doctoral standing and department approval. To be taken prior to or during the semester the student registers for the preliminary examination. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

SPA 6930r. Seminar in Special Topics (1–3). Content will vary as faculty offers different issues and special topics concerning the discipline. May be repeated from term to term, up to a maximum of nine semester hours. Students may enroll in more than one section during the same semester.

SPA 6980r. Dissertation (1–12). (S/U grade only.)

SPA 8964r. Preliminary Doctoral Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

SPA 8966. Master's Comprehensive Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

SPA 8967r. Advanced Master's Comprehensive Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

SPA 8976. Master's Thesis Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)

SPA 8977r. Advanced Master's Thesis Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)

SPA 8985. Dissertation Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)