Master's Program

Elevate your career with our accredited master's program

At UNR Med, our graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology is meticulously designed to advance your career and deepen your expertise. Our program provides rigorous academic training, hands-on clinical experience, and specialized research opportunities. Join a community of dedicated professionals and make a significant impact in the field of communication disorders.

M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology

Our Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology offers a two-year curriculum designed to prepare students for impactful careers in diverse settings, such as schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and community clinics. Our comprehensive curriculum ensures that students receive both the academic and clinical training needed for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Upon completing the M.S. degree, students are prepared to take their national certification (Praxis), embark upon their Clinical Fellowship (CF) and then apply for ASHA certification. The CF involves no less than 36 weeks of professional practice under the supervision of a certified speech-language pathologist, providing valuable real-world experience.

Program highlights

• Clinical work: Students are required to complete a minimum of 375 clock hours of supervised clinical practice. This typically involves three to four semesters in our comprehensive on-campus Speech and Hearing Clinic. Additionally, students must also complete off-campus externship experiences, with placements available in public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and early intervention programs in the Reno, Sparks and Carson City communities, as well as settings outside Northern Nevada.
• Academic work: Students work with their advisors to develop an approved program of study. The M.S. curriculum provides a variety of course offerings such as developmental and neurological disorders of speech sounds, language, stuttering, voice and resonance, feeding and swallowing, and cognition. Additional courses in specialty areas include augmentative communication, endoscopic examination, craniofacial disorders, and alaryngeal speech. The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 48 semester credits at the graduate level (non-thesis option) or 53 semester credits (thesis option).

Academic Advising

Advising is essential to successfully completing your degree program and educational goals. It is the responsibility of students to seek contact with their advisor to stay on track with their courses in order to graduate on time. Students admitted to the graduate program will be assigned an advisor at orientation. Inquiries regarding graduate study should be directed to Pradyumn Srivastava, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Director, Graduate Studies.