Speech Language Pathology, MS
This is the first version of the 2026–27 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
The Master of Science program in speech language pathology provides training for individuals who wish to do clinical work in speech language pathology. Graduates of the MS program meet all academic and practicum requirements for licensure by the State of Iowa and clinical certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Students preparing for clinical positions in public schools must meet school licensure or certification requirements of the states in which they plan to work.
Programs designed to lead to professional licensure are subject to federal regulations regarding informational disclosures. Please see Professional Licensure Disclosures by Program for further information.
Learning Outcomes
Graduating MS students in speech language pathology will:
- demonstrate knowledge and skills specified in the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) competencies for speech-language pathology professions;
- use critical thinking skills to apply theory and knowledge to clinical decision making to provide patient-centered care;
- use evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence to make clinical decisions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of persons with communication disorders; and
- adhere to the ASHA Code of Ethics, acting in an ethical and professional manner while providing patient-centered care.
The Master of Science in speech language pathology requires a minimum of 53 s.h. of graduate credit, which may include approved graduate transfer credit. Students must maintain a Graduate College program grade-point average of 3.00. The program prepares clinicians to function independently in a variety of clinical settings. The program is designed to ensure that upon graduation, a student will meet the requirements for immediate professional employment. A typical program takes two calendar years to complete.
Candidates for the MS are not required to complete a thesis, although all interested students are encouraged to do so.
The MS in speech language pathology requires the following coursework.
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | 30 |
| Practicum and Outplacement | 17 |
| Electives | 6 |
Core Courses
All core courses except CSD:5136 and CSD:5137 must be taken on an A–F graded basis.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All of these (30 s.h.): | ||
| CSD:5104 | Language Disorders in School-Aged Children | 3 |
| CSD:5114 | Introduction to Voice and Resonance Disorders | 3 |
| CSD:5135 | Foundations of Clinical Practice I | 2 |
| CSD:5136 | Foundations of Clinical Practice II | 1 |
| CSD:5137 | Foundations of Clinical Practice III | 1 |
| CSD:5183 | Introduction to Stuttering | 2 |
| CSD:5205 | Counseling in Speech Language Pathology | 1 |
| CSD:5233 | Aphasia | 2 |
| CSD:5234 | Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorders | 2 |
| CSD:5236 | Neurological and Structural Disorders of Swallowing | 3 |
| CSD:5238 | Motor Speech Disorders | 2 |
| CSD:5258 | Multilingualism in Communication Sciences and Disorders | 2 |
| CSD:5260 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2 |
| CSD:5282 | Clinical Phonology and Speech Sound Disorders | 2 |
| CSD:6519 | Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
Practicum and Outplacement
Students must complete at least 17 s.h. of practicum and outplacement registration sufficient to meet supervised, direct clinical experience requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Iowa license, and to provide broad, supervised practicum experience.
Practicum and outplacement courses may be repeated. Students work closely with their advisor to determine which practicum and outplacement courses they are required to enroll in; these courses must be approved.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 17 s.h. from these: | ||
| CSD:5301 | Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology | arr. |
| CSD:5304 | Speech Pathology Outplacement: School | 0-4 |
| CSD:5305 | Speech Pathology Outplacement: Non-School | 0-4 |
| CSD:5306 | Speech-Language Pathology Multilingual/Multicultural Outplacement: School | 0-4 |
| CSD:5307 | Speech-Language Pathology Multilingual/Multicultural Outplacement: Non-School | 0-4 |
| CSD:5308 | Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology Multilingual/Multicultural | arr. |
| CSD:5309 | Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology International | 2 |
Electives
Students completing the program without thesis and preparing to be speech language pathologists must earn a minimum of 6 s.h. from the following electives. Students completing a thesis must earn a minimum of 2 s.h. from the following electives, plus 4 s.h. in CSD:7590 Research. Students may select courses not listed here with their advisor's permission.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSD:4130 | Reducing Disparities and Inequities in Communication Sciences and Disorders | 1 |
| CSD:4140 | Manual Communication (required for students without an undergraduate equivalent) | 1 |
| CSD:5223 | Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders | 1 |
| CSD:5237 | Cleft Palate and Related Disorders | 1 |
| CSD:5318 | Literacy: Emergent and School Aged | 1 |
| CSD:5319 | Head and Neck Cancer and Instrumentation | 1 |
| CSD:5350 | Seminar in Supervision | 1 |
| CSD:6294 | Advanced Rehabilitative Audiology: Pediatric | 1 |
| CSD:6538 | Advanced Topics in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences | 1 |
| EDTL:4990 | Interdisciplinary Issues in Disabilities (for Iowa Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (ILEND) trainees) | 1-3 |
| PSQF:7255 | Autism Spectrum Disorders | 2 |
Professional Licensure
State Licensure
A number of states, including Iowa, require a state license in speech language pathology or audiology. Students who meet the requirements listed for the MS in speech language pathology also meet the academic requirements for license in Iowa as well as most other states. For more information, visit Iowa Licensing Requirements for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.
Public School Licensure
Students preparing for clinical positions in public schools typically must meet school licensure or certification requirements of the states in which they plan to work. The following criteria meet the requirements for endorsement as speech language pathologists in Iowa and most other states:
- a master's degree with a professional emphasis in speech language pathology or the equivalent; and
- completion of coursework described in School Speech Language Pathologist Licensure Preparation/Added Endorsement Program K–12 on the College of Education website.
Graduate education prepares students with advanced knowledge and skills in specialized fields. At the University of Iowa, the Graduate College advocates for student-centered graduate education and supports equitable application of rules and policies across graduate programs.
Academics
University of Iowa graduate credentials are regulated by policies and requirements found in the Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations. This includes minimum grade-point average (GPA) requirements for academic standing and degree conferral. The Graduate College sets the minimum requirement. Individual graduate programs may establish higher GPA requirements.
Admissions
Graduate student applicants must meet admission requirements for both the Graduate College and the program to which they have applied. University of Iowa graduate admission requirements are published by the Graduate College and on the Graduate Admissions website.
Financial Support
Graduate students might be eligible for financial support. Several contingencies apply, including degree program and award type, satisfactory progress toward degree, satisfactory completion of all duties related to an appointment, and availability of funding. Graduate students should inquire directly with their program for more information about funding availability. The Graduate Student Employment Standards govern the employment relationship between the University of Iowa and all graduate teaching and research assistants in all matters except wages, which are covered by an existing collective bargaining agreement or the conditions of an applicable federal grant.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website.
Admission to the program is competitive; applicants' credentials are considered in relation to those of others in the applicant pool and a limited number of individuals are admitted to each program. Applicants whose undergraduate grade-point average is below 3.50 are rarely admitted.
The deadline for application is Jan. 1. All applications to the MS program must be submitted through the Central Application Service for Communication Science and Disorders (CSDCAS).
For detailed information regarding the evaluation of applicants, application materials and requirements, and other matters, see Graduate Programs on the department's website.
MS students usually have a background of undergraduate courses in speech and hearing science, psychology of language, and human behavior that is equivalent to an undergraduate major in speech and hearing science at the University of Iowa.
Prerequisite Coursework
Before registering for the program, entering MS students receive descriptive materials about basic core science courses considered to be required preparation for the MS and required MS clinical core courses. The department may accept comparable courses taken at the undergraduate level. Decisions about incorporating background coursework in these areas are made by the faculty advisor in consultation with the student and the instructors of the basic science or clinical core courses. Entering students must have completed the following courses or their equivalents.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSD:2110 | Phonetics: Theory and Applications | 3 |
| CSD:3112 | Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production | 4 |
| CSD:3113 | Introduction to Hearing Science | 4 |
| CSD:3116 | Basic Neuroscience for Speech and Hearing | 3 |
| CSD:3118 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| CSD:3185 | Hearing Loss and Audiometry | 3 |
| CSD:4145 | Developmental Language Disorders | 3 |
| CSD:4148 | Developmental Speech Disorders | 3 |
| CSD:4244 | Rehabilitative Audiology | 3 |
| PSQF:1020/STAT:1020 | Elementary Statistics and Inference | 3 |
| A biological science course (human or animal biology) | 3 | |
| A physical science course (physics or chemistry) | 3 | |
| A social/behavioral science course | 3 | |
| 25 hours of observation documented by a practitioner with ASHA certification | ||
| It is recommended that students also complete an ASL course prior to the start of the MS program, although it is not required to start the MS program. | ||
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders provides excellent preparation for a career as a speech language pathologist or audiologist. There continues to be a strong demand for professionals in these fields, and both speech pathology and audiology rank highly in "best job" surveys.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Speech Language Pathology, MS
| Academic Career | ||
|---|---|---|
| Any Semester | Hours | |
| 53 s.h. must be graduate level coursework; graduate transfer credits allowed upon approval. More information is included in the General Catalog and on department website. a | ||
| Graduate College program GPA of at least 3.00 is required. b | ||
| All core courses except CSD:5136 Foundations of Clinical Practice II and CSD:5137 Foundations of Clinical Practice III must be taken on an A-F graded basis. | ||
| Hours | 0 | |
| First Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CSD:5104 | Language Disorders in School-Aged Children | 3 |
| CSD:5135 | Foundations of Clinical Practice I | 2 |
| CSD:5205 | Counseling in Speech Language Pathology | 1 |
| CSD:5233 | Aphasia | 2 |
| CSD:5258 | Multilingualism in Communication Sciences and Disorders | 2 |
| Practicum or outplacement course c, d | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| CSD:5114 | Introduction to Voice and Resonance Disorders | 3 |
| CSD:5136 | Foundations of Clinical Practice II | 1 |
| CSD:5183 | Introduction to Stuttering | 2 |
| CSD:5236 | Neurological and Structural Disorders of Swallowing | 3 |
| CSD:5238 | Motor Speech Disorders | 2 |
| Practicum or outplacement course c, d | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Summer | ||
| Practicum or outplacement course c, d | 4 | |
| Hours | 4 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CSD:5137 | Foundations of Clinical Practice III | 1 |
| CSD:5234 | Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorders | 2 |
| CSD:5260 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2 |
| CSD:5282 | Clinical Phonology and Speech Sound Disorders | 2 |
| CSD:6519 | Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| Practicum or outplacement course c, d | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| Practicum or outplacement course c, d | 4 | |
| Elective course c | 3 | |
| Elective course c | 3 | |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Total Hours | 53 | |
- a
- Students must complete specific requirements in the University of Iowa Graduate College after program admission. Refer to the Graduate College website and the Manual of Rules and Regulations for more information.
- b
- Graduate College program GPA is comprised of all courses that are approved degree requirements. If a student takes more than the minimum required number of semester hours to complete the degree, but all courses taken are eligible to count toward the degree, those courses will be included in the Graduate College program GPA.
- c
- See the General Catalog for list of approved courses.
- d
- Complete at least 17 s.h. total of practicum and outplacement credit. Practicum and outplacement courses may be repeated. Students work closely with their advisor to determine which practicum and outplacement courses they are required to enroll in; these courses must be approved.