How to Become a Licensed Speech Pathologist

Speech-language pathologists work with those who have speech problems.

Speech-language pathologists are important health care workers who help those with speech and language problems. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a total of 112,530 speech-language pathologists employed in the United States in 2010. The bureau indicates that these speech-language pathologists earned mean annual salaries of $69,880 per year. Becoming a licensed speech-language pathologist requires extensive education and training.

Instructions

1. Obtain a bachelor's degree. You need not pursue a degree in any one particular field of study because you will need to pursue an advanced degree to become a licensed speech-language pathologist. Pursuing a degree in biology or a related area of study can be helpful, however, because it will give you much of the necessary work in anatomy and physiology often required as prerequisites to get into a degree program in speech-language pathology.

2. Complete a master's degree in speech-language pathology. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that this is typically the minimum degree required to work in this field. According to the bureau, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association accredits speech-language pathology programs through the Council on Academic Accreditation. It is possible to graduate from nonaccredited program and still work as a speech-language pathologist, however, as the bureau notes, most states required an accredited degree for licensing requirements. There were a total of 240 accredited programs nationwide in 2009.

3. Pursue a doctoral degree in speech-language pathology. Although the BLS indicates that this is not required to work in speech-language pathology, it can be helpful for those who want to specialize in one particular area of speech-language pathology.

4. Gain experience through an internship or apprenticeship program. According to the BLS, most states require licensing applicants to have a minimum of 300 to 375 hours of supervised clinical experience. An additional nine months of experience following the completion of your graduate degree is a typical requirement.

5. Apply for licensing through your state's licensing agency. Once you have met the education and experience requirements, you can take the licensing exam through the Educational Testing Service, which offers a series of licensing exams for various professions known as the Praxis Exams. A passing score on this exam will qualify you for your speech-language pathology license. The BLS indicates that 47 states required licensing as of 2010.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Speech-Lanaguage Pathologists
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: 29-1127 Speech-Language Pathologists