SLP Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate Program Questions:

 What can I do with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology?

There is a greater variety of opportunities available to speech pathologists than virtually any other university degree.

✓  Speech pathologists work in a variety of settings: hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, private practices, home health, and schools.

✓  Speech pathologists work with clients to address a variety of needs: pronunciation, language, stuttering, voice, swallowing and other feeding concerns.

✓  Speech pathologists provide alternative communication strategies for clients who have had a laryngectomee, for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, for those with a progressive disease, and for those who have suffered from a debilitating stroke or trauma.

✓  Speech pathologists work with individuals with a variety of diagnoses: autism, aphasia, apraxia, cleft palate, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and many, many others. 

The NSU SLP Program offers an Accelerated Degree Plan (ADP) that provides an opportunity to complete the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in a total of five years, instead of the usual six years. See the SLP Accelerated Degree Plan RoadMap for details. Two strategies make the five-year plan possible:

1. If admitted into the NSU SLP Graduate Program, the first 18 hours of the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program fulfill the requirements of 15 hours of undergraduate major electives and 3 hours of undergraduate free electives.

2. Students take some of the undergraduate general education coursework during summer semesters, but the general education summer courses are generally available online!

• Will I still be able to earn a Bachelor’s degree?

Yes, the graduate courses count toward the necessary number of undergraduate hours for the Bachelor’s degree. Successful students receive a diploma reflecting the Bachelor’s degree and have the opportunity to participate in the undergraduate commencement ceremonies.

• Do I have to participate in the Accelerated Degree Plan if I attend NSU?

No, you can continue the undergraduate degree requirements for the Bachelor’s degree by enrolling in the electives during your senior year of undergraduate studies.

• May I follow the Accelerated Degree Plan if I am in the Honors Program?

Yes, you may. Honors students may perform the required research during the sophomore and junior years.

• Are there options to attend online?

Some of the general education leveling courses are taught online. The SLP courses are taught face-to-face, not online.

Graduate Program

We appreciate your interest in the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program at Northeastern State University! The NSU Speech-Language Pathology Program was again one of only two Oklahoma SLP programs named one of the  Best Accredited SLP Masters Programs in the United States.

Important details about the SLP Graduate Program application process:

• The annual deadline for applications for the Speech- Language Pathology Graduate Program is February 1.
• The SLP Graduate Program starts in the Summer semester. You must complete a Summer semester application.

Only applicants with a complete Summer semester application will be considered. A complete Summer semester application includes the official transcript(s), a statement of interest, and three letters of recommendation received by the February 1 deadline.

• Transcripts must be sent directly from the institution attended to Northeastern State University, Graduate College Office, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, 74464.
• The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the three letters of recommendation and the transcripts are received by the NSU Graduate College prior to the February 1 deadline.
• Statement of Interest:
  • There are no requirements for formatting or length but the document must be saved as a pdf.
  • Describe why you are confident that you will be successful in graduate school and possibly, why you  chose speech pathology.
• Applicants must have a minimum overall 3.25 GPA.
• Applicants must have taken the following courses that are required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The ASHA website describes the very specific requirements that the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has for prerequisite coursework.

o Statistics (MATH 3513, SOC 3323, PSYC 3553, or BADM 3933)

o Behavioral Science (psychology, criminology)

o Social Science (anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, political science)

o Biology

o Chemistry or Physics

• Students with a Bachelor’s degree other than Speech- Language Pathology or Communication Disorders must complete specific leveling courses.
• The SLP Graduate Program does not require the GRE or other admissions exams.
• Those who speak English as a second language must take and make a minimum TOEFL Total Score of 105 and at least a 26 on the Speaking and Listening subtests OR a minimum IELTS Total Score of 7.5 and at least a 7.5 on the Speaking and Listening segments as per proposed American Speech- Language-Hearing Association Certification Standards described in the February 2019 Final Report of the ASHA Ad Hoc Committee on Language Proficiency.

Graduate Program Frequently asked questions:

• Are there options to attend online?

No, the courses in the NSU Speech-Language Pathology

Graduate Program are taught face-to-face, not online.

• Are there options to attend part-time?

No, the NSU SLP Graduate Program is a cohort program in that all SLP students travel through the program together

– taking the same courses at the same time, following the

Course sequence. As a cohort program, there are no options to attend part-time.

• How long does it take to complete the NSU SLP Graduate Program?

Successful students complete the program in two calendar

years (six semesters including two Summer semesters.) Each new cohort in the NSU SLP Graduate Program begins in the Summer semester and graduates at the end of the Spring semester two years later.

• How long does it take to complete the leveling courses?

The answer depends on the number of general education courses that you need – and the number of hours that you take per semester. The SLP courses can be

completed in two semesters – the Fall and Spring

semester. No undergraduate SLP courses are offered in the Summer semester, but general education courses are generally available during the summer.

• May I apply to the NSU SLP Graduate Program before I complete the leveling courses?

All leveling courses must be completed by the end of the Spring semester prior to the start of the new cohort in the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program in the Summer semester. The annual application deadline is February 1. An applicant may be considered for the new cohort if missing coursework is in progress and will be completed during the Spring semester.