All syllabi have been updated to reflect changes for 2024-2025

Master of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Science (speech-language pathology)

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program offers students a comprehensive and enriching educational experience, preparing them for rewarding careers in the field of communication disorders. The program is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals across the lifespan with a wide range of speech, language, and swallowing difficulties. Students in the Master of Science (MS) Program in Speech and Hearing Science must complete a program of study that demonstrates knowledge of the appropriate etiologies, characteristics, and anatomical/physiological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, linguistic and cultural correlates in receptive and expressive language, including: 

• Phonology 

• Morphology 

• Syntax, 

• Semantics 

• Pragmatics (language use and social aspects of communication) 

• Prelinguistic communication 

• Paralinguistic communication (e.g., gestures, signs, body language) 

• Literacy in speaking, listening, reading, and writing 

Please refer to the 2020 ASHAards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology StandStandard IV-C. 

Key Features of the Program:

• Strong Academic Foundation: The curriculum delves into the intricacies of human communication, encompassing normal and disordered speech and language development, phonetics, language science, audiology, and swallowing disorders.

• Clinical Excellence: TSU's Speech Pathology program emphasizes hands-on clinical training. Students gain practical experience in diverse settings, including the on-campus Speech and Hearing Clinic, hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation centers. This allows them to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios and develop essential clinical skills.

• Faculty Expertise: The program boasts a dedicated faculty of experienced speech-language pathologists who are committed to student success. They provide mentorship, guidance, and support to nurture students' professional growth.

• Supportive Learning Environment: TSU fosters a close-knit and supportive learning environment where students can thrive. Small class sizes promote individualized attention and collaboration among peers.

• Commitment to Diversity: TSU is a historically black university strongly supporting diversity and inclusion. The Speech Pathology program embraces this commitment, preparing graduates to serve diverse populations with cultural sensitivity and competence.

• Accreditation: The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), ensuring that it meets the highest quality standards and prepares graduates for professional licensure.  

The Master's in Speech Pathology program offers a comprehensive and enriching educational experience that prepares graduates for successful and fulfilling careers in communication disorders. With its strong academic foundation, clinical training, faculty expertise, and commitment to diversity, the program is a valuable choice for aspiring speech-language pathologists.

Remediation and Student Support

Students have several ways to demonstrate competency in the content areas of speech-language pathology. Competency in a content area is determined by student achievement in classroom activities (immediate learning) and the Formative Assessment Department Examination (retained learning). Formative assessments monitor student learning and provide feedback to the students and the faculty about areas for improvement. Students must complete formative assessments that evaluate their knowledge in specific speech-language pathology and audiology content areas. Formative assessments (computerized multiple-choice questions) are given to all registered graduate students at

the end of specified semesters. Students must obtain a score of 80% or greater on each content area of the formative assessments to demonstrate competency. Students who achieve less than 80% in any content area are referred to faculty members responsible for teaching theoretical and applied knowledge in the content area. Faculty members review the student’s work from the class and review the individual questions missed on the semester formative assessment to recommend further evaluation if warranted. If further assessment is not recommended, the student will be evaluated as “met the criteria for competence” based on classroom performance documentation. Instructors record scores in the instructor’s grade and document competency progression on the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) record in CALIPSO, a web-based academic and clinical tracking and record-keeping application.  Faculty members must contact the students to assign activities if further assessment is recommended. Faculty members may assign projects, case studies, remediation/tutoring sessions and/or assessments. Faculty evaluate the task(s) to determine if the quality of the work reaches the minimum 80% criteria. If a student fails to meet the minimum 80% criteria for competence, the faculty member will refer the student to the Academic Standards Committee. Please refer to an example of the KASA Course Checklist.

1. Graduate Student Handbook

2. KASA Course Checklist

3. Fade Schedule 

4. Advisement Forms

Diversity (Experience), Technology and Disposition: How Areas are Measured Clinical educators use the Performance Evaluation Rating Form in the Clinical Assessment of Learning Inventory of Performance Streamlined Office Operations (CALIPSO) to measure the students’:

• Diversity of experiences serving persons with communication disabilities.

• Use appropriate instruments/technology during the evaluation, treatment, management, and collaboration processes.

• Professional practice, interaction and personal qualities and disposition.

Students are rated on a performance rating scale from 1 to 5. The ratings are below:

• 1 – Unacceptable performance

• 2 – Needs Improvement in Performance/Maximum Support

• 3 – Moderately Acceptable Performance/Moderate Support

• 4 – Meets Performance Expectations/Minimal Support

• 5 – Exceeds Performance Expectations/Independent

Please refer to the “Cumulative Evaluations of Clinical Experiences” forms for the 2020-2022 graduates. Please refer to the “Average Clinical Clock hours for Clinical Practicum Type” forms for the 2020-2022 graduates. The Clinical Practicum Type forms show the diversity of hours graduates amassed serving children with communication disabilities in various clinical modalities and settings.

The Speech Pathology program is all cohort-based online, hybrid, and face-to-face learning by design and flexible for students who do not meet the requirements to continue with their cohort. The program faculty believes there is greater value to candidates learning from their peers and learning collaboratively. Given that many of the candidates work within the primary partnership (PP) as educational leaders, the cohort model offers a rich collaborative approach between the PP and faculty. 

The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology is housed in the College of Health Sciences (COHS) and serves two deans: The Dean of the College of Health Sciences and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research.  The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology offers a 53-hour Master of Science (MS) degree in Speech and Hearing Science via two delivery modes: A traditional/on-campus mode (offered through both full and part-time tracks) and a distance education mode (offered part-time). The MS curriculum is designed to help candidates comprehensively understand normal and disordered communication processes. Candidates are trained to identify speech, language, hearing, and swallowing disorders, with special attention given to learning techniques for diagnosing, treating, and managing individuals across the lifespan with communication disabilities. 

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers voluntary accreditation to graduate degree programs in audiology and in speech-language pathology housed within institutions of higher education. The CAA is the entity within ASHA that has the authority to establish and enforce a set of standards for the accreditation of graduate education programs in audiology and in speech-language pathology. Upon completing the academic and clinical requirements for the MS Speech and Hearing Science program, graduates are eligible for the American Speech-Language-Hearing (ASHA) Certification, the Tennessee Health Board License, and the Tennessee Department of Education License. 

Transitional Points 

The Speech Pathology and Audiology Program has transitional points throughout. These transitional points are essential to the candidate's overall development. The primary transition points are Entry, Median, and Completion. 

Entry

It is not necessary to have a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology to apply to the MS Program. However, all applicants without a background in speech-language pathology are advised to complete 15 hours of prerequisite coursework in the area of speech-language pathology prior to applying for the graduate program. The following prerequisite courses should be completed before applying to the graduate program:

• SPTH 2600: Phonetics

• SPTH 2500: Speech & Hearing Science

• SPTH 2800: Introduction to Language, Speech and Hearing Disorders 

• SPTH 2900: Clinical Methods in Articulation Disorders

• SPTH 3500: Language and Speech Development in Children

A formal application for admission to the Graduate Program must be made through the Graduate School following procedures and policies indicated in the current Graduate Catalog. Applicants for certification must have demonstrated knowledge of statistics and the biological, physical, and social/behavioral sciences. 

Acceptable courses in biological sciences should emphasize a content area related to human or animal sciences (e.g., biology, human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, human genetics, and veterinary science). 

Courses that meet the physical science requirement must be in physics or chemistry.

Acceptable social/behavioral sciences courses should include psychology, sociology, anthropology, or public health.

1. A stand-alone course in statistics is required. Coursework in research methodology without basic statistics cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.

2. It is strongly encouraged to complete the ASHA-required basic science courses prior to the completion of the graduate degree.

Median

At this point, faculty must complete a program of study for each candidate at the beginning of their matriculation. Candidates are assigned academic advisors for the duration of the program to ensure they are on pace with the sequence. Candidates engage in academic and clinical advisement every semester of their program progression. This is followed by engagement in the Formative Assessment Department Exam (Exam) in specified semesters of their program. 

End of Program 

At the conclusion, candidates take the department Comprehensive Examination in the final semester of their program. Candidates must proceed to take the PRAXIS (5331) Examination in the final semester of their academic program or after they graduate. Candidates file for graduation in the final semester of their academic program and accept employment before or after exiting the program. 

The following documents are evidence of matriculation from admission to graduation. 

• Advisement Forms 

• FADE Schedule 

• Comprehensive Exam Schedule 

• PRAXIS Outcome Data 

• Employment Outcome Data 

Diversity, Disposition, and Technology

Clinical educators use the Performance Evaluation Rating Form in the Clinical Assessment of Learning Inventory of Performance Streamlined Office Operations (CALIPSO) to measure the candidates’: 

• Diversity of experiences serving persons with communication disabilities;

• Use of appropriate instruments/technology during the evaluation, treatment, management, and collaboration processes; and 

• Professional practice, interaction, and personal qualities and disposition. 

Candidates are rated on a performance rating scale from 1 to 5. The ratings are: 

• 1 – Unacceptable performance 

• 2 – Needs Improvement in Performance/Maximum Support 

• 3 – Moderately Acceptable Performance/Moderate Support 

• 4 – Meets Performance Expectations/Minimal Support 

• 5 – Exceeds Performance Expectations/Independent 

Please refer to the Cumulative Evaluations of Clinical Experiences forms for the 2020-2022 graduates. Additionally, refer to the Average Clinical Clock hours for Clinical Practicum Type forms for the 2020-2022 graduates. The Clinical Practicum Type forms show the diversity of hours graduates amassed serving children with communication disabilities in various clinical modalities and settings.

Improvements 

The CoED is working with speech pathology to improve past practices of data collection that could improve the program, which ranges from surveys to the partnership focus group. The digital collection and storage of comprehensive exam data in a centralized location captures the measurement of dispositions, technology with alignment to the ISTE standards, and feedback from candidates regarding their experience. This is a consistent issue across the instructional leadership program, which is being redesigned to report more clearly. 

The following components are being revised in preparation for Fall 2023.

• Data collection – the Office of Assessment and Accreditation is leading this effort to revise all data collection to include demographics. Other components include:

  • Program impact in the field related to speech pathology;

  • Addition of speech pathology to surveys that include employer and candidate surveys to collect satisfaction; and

  • Recruitment targets to grow the program.

Students who are admitted to the Master of Science (MS) Program in Speech and Hearing Sciences are followed from admission to graduation and afterward. The progression is outlined below:

• Faculty complete a program of study for each student at the beginning of their matriculation.

• Students are assigned academic advisors for the duration of the program.

• Students engage in academic and clinical advisement every semester of their program progression.

• Students engage in the Formative Assessment Department Exam (Exam) in specified semesters of their program.

• Students take the Department Comprehensive Examination in the final semester of their program.

• Students take the PRAXIS Examination in the final semester of their academic program or after graduation.

• Students file for graduation in the final semester of their academic program.

• Students accept employment before or after exiting the program.

Faculty refer to the following documents as proof of matriculation from admissions to graduation.

• Program of Study

• Advisement Forms

• FADE Schedule

• Comprehensive Exam Schedule

• PRAXIS Outcome Data

• Employment Outcome Data

1. Program of Study for Traditional Students in the MS Program in Speech and Hearing Science

2. Program of Study for Distance Education Students in the MS Program in Speech and Hearing Science

The plan was developed based on the 2022-2024 data regarding enrollment and retention.

• Recruitment and Retention Plan 

All SAPs within the EPP will provide a clear field and clinical practice description inclusive of all components, including organization, sequence, diversity of placement as related to grade bands and endorsement areas, and how candidates will be supervised and evaluated during those field and clinical experiences.

• • Clinical Experiences Integrated through Practicum

  • Cumulative Evaluations for Clinical Experiences

  • Clinical Supervisor Assignments

  • Verification of Clinical Education Outcomes

  • Types of Clinical Practice 

1. SP Program Alignment Process 

2. Program Components 

   • Program Progression Map

   • Clinical Practicum

   • Fade and Comps - Schedule

   • Course Descriptions

   • KASA - Knowledge and Skills Acquisition

   • Literacy Education 

1. Speech Pathology 21-24 SP Data Outcomes—This document provides data on student outcomes for the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, specifically focusing on PRAXIS pass rates, employment in the profession, and graduation rates for the academic years 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024. The document provides this data for both the residential and distance education programs.

   • The residential and distance education programs show strong employment rates in the profession over three years.

   • Both programs have high PRAXIS pass rates, with the residential program's 3-year average slightly higher.

   • The graduation rates within the expected time frame show more variability, particularly for the distance education program where the rates were 0% in two of the three years. This could be due to fewer graduates in those years for the distance education program.

2. KASA Outcomes - Instructors record scores in the instructor’s grade and document competency progression on the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) record. 

3. Clinical Outcomes - outcomes of the candidates during their diverse clinical experiences. 

   • Cohorts 2021-2025 

   • Clinical Hours 

4. Performance Cumulative - Speech pathology programs employ ongoing performance assessments to monitor candidates' development.

5. Employer and Alumni Surveys—No survey results were included in the analysis for 20-21 and 21-22 as this was an improvement area; however, data is available for 23-24. Survey data is essential for a holistic understanding of program effectiveness and student/graduate experiences. 

6. Active Educators - The data analysis suggests a 33% decrease in the percentage of active Speech Language Teachers (Authorization Type Code 458) between 2020-2023 and 2021-2024. SP shall survey the candidates to determine if some have moved to different positions. 

Extracted Post-Candidate Data

From the provided text, the post-candidate data includes:

• Employment in Profession - Traditional Program:

  • Shows the number of program graduates and the percentage employed in the profession for the past three academic years and a 2-year average.

  • Employment rates are consistently high, ranging from 94% to 100%.

• Employment in Profession - Distance Education:

  • Shows the number of program graduates, the percentage employed in the profession for the past three academic years, and a 3-year average.

  • Employment rates are consistently at 100%.

Analysis of Post-Candidate Data

Here's a more focused analysis of this employment data:

1. High Employment Rates: A Key Strength

   • Consistent Excellence: Both the traditional and distance education programs demonstrate remarkably high employment rates. This is a significant strength, indicating that the program effectively prepares graduates for the job market.

   • Program Value: These high rates suggest that graduates acquire the skills and knowledge that employers in the speech-language pathology field value.

   • Distance Education Success: The 100% employment rate for the distance education program is particularly noteworthy. It demonstrates that the program's online format does not hinder graduates' ability to secure employment.

2. Specific Observations and Potential Inquiries

   • Fluctuations in Traditional Program: While consistently high, the traditional program's employment rate does show some minor fluctuations (94% to 100%). It might be beneficial to investigate the reasons behind these small variations. Are there any specific factors affecting employment in those particular years?

   • Further Employment Details: While the data highlights the percentage employed, it doesn't provide details about where graduates are employed. Gathering data on the types of settings (e.g., schools, clinics, hospitals) and the geographic locations where graduates find jobs would provide a more comprehensive picture.

Employer and Alumni Surveys

The previous employer and alumni survey revealed key program strengths and weaknesses, notably the need for stronger medical training and job placement support. This, combined with low employer response and no student survey, highlighted a critical feedback gap. We're now implementing targeted employer and student surveys alongside a refined alumni survey to gain a holistic view of program impact. This data-driven approach will ensure we address concerns, improve curriculum, and better prepare future SLPs. An average return of 30% was achieved for this cycle.