Online Speech Therapist Degrees

Speech therapists, or speech-language pathologists, work with people who have speech, language and swallowing difficulties, notes the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. Most speech therapists will earn master's degrees in speech-language pathology as a prerequisite for licensure in the field. Some schools offer degrees for prospective speech therapists that can be completed online.

California State University

The online master's in communication sciences and disorders, or CSD, at California State University, Northridge is open to students who have either a bachelor's degree in CSD or 30 post-baccalaureate credits in CSD if their undergraduate degree is in another field. Applicants need a minimum GPA of 2.5 and also submit a personal statement, GRE scores and three reference letters. It takes about 36 months to finish the online degree. Students must make arrangements with a site in their area where they can earn the 400 required hours of clinical experience.

Idaho State University

Idaho State University offers an online master's degree in speech-language pathology. Prospective applicants with bachelor's degrees in any discipline are welcome to apply. However, ISU notes that students who did not major in communication sciences or whose communication sciences degree is more than 10 years old might be required to take some pre-professional courses if admitted to the master's program. Applicants submit transcripts, GRE scores and recommendations; a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. The degree can be completed in 36 months, and students will need to come to ISU's campus for the required clinical practicum.

James Madison University

James Madison University offers an online master's degree in speech-language pathology Prospective students whose bachelor's degree is not in CSD must complete prerequisite courses including phonetics and audiology with grades of B- or better. Applicants must demonstrate affiliation with a public school system, either as an employee or volunteer. The master's program is geared toward students who wish to work in the public school system after graduation. Although applicants from across the United States are welcome to apply, the program gives priority to Virginia residents. Admitted students attend a two-day orientation and a one-day program meeting each year they are enrolled in the program. A 400-hour supervised clinical practicum must be completed in the student's hometown.

East Carolina University

The online master's degree in communication sciences and disorders offered by East Carolina University takes three years to complete. Applicants who do not have a bachelor's in CSD will need to complete prerequisite courses in order to be considered for admission. Competitive applicants have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. About 10 students are admitted to the program each fall. Academic work is completed online; students can view classes live or download them for later viewing. Clinical experience is gained at sites near a student's home.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Speech-Language Pathologists
• California State University Northridge: Communication Disorders and Sciences
• Idaho State University: Online Master's Degree in Speech Language Pathology
• James Madison University: Distance Learning in Virginia, Educating Speech-Language Pathologists
• East Carolina University: Master's in Speech Language Pathology

Resources

• California State University, Northridge; 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330-8279; 818-677-2852
• Idaho State University; 921 S. 8th Ave.; Pocatello, ID, 83209; 208-282-4544
• James Madison University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders: People and Contacts
• East Carolina University; East Fifth Street, Greenville, NC 27858-4353; 252-328-6131
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association