Speech-Language Pathology MS

Master of Science students are not required to be engaged in research. However, for those who are interested in taking part in research during their graduate career, a variety of laboratories provide either paid or unpaid positions. SLP students who help to design studies and collect data present posters at state and national meetings, publish papers, and may find that their research experience serves as a springboard to dual clinician-scientist training.

More information about researchers and laboratories can be found through the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

SLPs work to prevent, diagnose and treat communication disorders and swallowing disorders. They are employed in schools, hospitals and clinics; they often work collaboratively with other health care providers and educators. Job opportunities in speech-language pathology continue to expand with speech-language pathology consistently rated among the “100 Best Jobs” by U.S. News and World Report. In addition to clinical practice, SLPs also may be employed as researchers, educators, and administrators.

Through the broad selection of electives that allow our students to tailor their degree plan to their specific interests, graduates from our program enter the field well-prepared to follow their chosen career path. All graduates of the program are qualified for positions as a speech-language pathologist in clinical, educational, and medical settings.

For more information about career opportunities in speech-language pathology, please explore the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

UTD’s top-tier SLP program is one of the largest programs in the country, and we have a correspondingly large faculty with expertise across the scope of practice, facilitating specializations across the scope of practice. In our SLP program, you will interact with different students in your elective courses and your practicum from semester to semester. We value and welcome excellent students from a wide variety of backgrounds, both in and out of field. This creates a strong program full of individuals with different perspectives, passions and personalities.

Our faculty and staff are dedicated advocates for our students, and guide and encourage them through their trajectory from incoming student to graduating colleague. In our program, we have a culture of collaboration and mutual success, and our faculty and staff’s office doors are typically open to welcome students and any questions they may have.

My favorite part about UTD is the professors and supervisors. They go above and beyond what I would expect professors to do for classes and practicums and to support students. The faculty has an open-door policy, and it is evident in the way they interact with students. Shoot a professor an email and they answer right away, call your supervisor and they pick up; walk in their office and they do their best to help you. The faculty’s knowledge and accessibility really make the program unique for me! – Anna Spencer

I love how customizable the program is! Each semester, you get to pick various electives in areas you are interested in. For example, I am interested in working with the pediatric population, and so this past summer I took Pediatric TBI and loved it! I think the ability to customize your schedule really allows you to explore and gain knowledge in many of the areas that you may want to work with as a future SLP. – Rachel

Each semester will vary, but in an average week a practicum may be 9 to 11:30am two to four times a week, then classes in the afternoon starting at 1pm. You usually get out in the mid-afternoon each day– some days might be 2:30, others 5:00pm. After your first semester, you’re able to mold your class schedule a little more and may have a couple mornings a week with no practicum, or a big study break in between classes.

Students can join the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (TSHA) as well as the national and local chapters of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), the student correlate of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Each of these organizations provides opportunities for involvement, connection, resources, and networking among students and future colleagues.

We have a wide network of successful alumni both within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and across the United States. Our program values our alumni and their input, and we love to maintain contact with former students. We regularly send communications related to the field of speech-language pathology to our alumni, including job openings in Texas and around the country. Our graduates are highly sought, and we routinely hear from recruiters seeking to hire UTD graduates.

Most SLP courses take place at Callier Dallas near UT Southwestern in the Medical District, while some electives and prerequisites are housed on UT Dallas’s main campus in Richardson. Core practicum sites are located at both Callier Dallas and Callier Richardson. Students often live near or between Callier Dallas and UT Dallas’ main campus, but some live all over the Metroplex.

While the program itself provides a community of connections with fellow students, the location offers all the conveniences, attractions, and resources of a large city. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the country, and as such, there is plenty to see and do.

While public transportation is available, it is limited, and SLP students generally find a car to be extremely helpful, if not necessary, for life in Dallas. Students regularly commute to classes and to off-campus practicum sites, which are spread throughout the city and sometimes across the Metroplex.

The program welcomes visitors before or after admission, but we request that you apply prior to scheduling a visit.

Please note that the primary location for the Master of Science program is the UTD Callier Center – Dallas, which is near the UT Southwestern Medical Center District and downtown Dallas; it is NOT located at the main UT Dallas campus in Richardson.

We do not have a specified visitor’s day, but we set aside time each week for visitors. If you visit in the morning, you may be able to observe some of the student practicum programs. Call 972-883-3060 or email the program office to schedule a visit and for directions to Callier Dallas, which is located at 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, Texas 75235. Note that parking and the building entrance are accessed from our driveway off Southwestern Medical Avenue. Callier Dallas is closed on weekends.

The UT Dallas Master of Science degree program in speech-language pathology has more full-time students than any other SLP program in the U.S. During some semesters, there may be as many as 225 students enrolled in the program. There are many advantages to our size. Because of our program size, we offer more elective courses than most SLP programs. We offer 10-12 elective courses from which to choose each semester, and half of the courses in the degree plan will be electives. This allows students to develop their own areas of focus, taking courses across a broad range or shifting directions as their interests and career goals change (as they almost always do). Every student has an academic and clinical advisor and we ensure all students have access to faculty. We encourage you to talk with our current students and graduates about their experiences.

We typically enroll 85-90 new students in the summer and fall terms combined, and 25-30 new students in the spring term. Students who are admitted for the summer may defer to the fall term, and students who are admitted for the fall term may choose to instead begin in the summer term. Students who have not completed prerequisite coursework are encouraged to enter in the summer.

Admissions are made after reviewing an applicant’s portfolio with a holistic review process. The portfolio contains GRE scores, undergraduate GPA, three letters of recommendation, a narrative statement/essay, and a resume.

We welcome students whose undergraduate degrees are in fields other than speech-language pathology. Inclusion of students from a variety of fields enriches the educational experience for everyone. As a result, we make every effort to limit the number of prerequisite courses to those which cover material not taught at the graduate level. Students from out-of-field undergraduate majors apply directly to the Master of Science degree program; we do not offer a separate “leveling” or “post-baccalaureate” program. Out-of-field students who are admitted to the SLP MS program have specific prerequisite courses assigned as part of their overall degree plan, which adds one semester to the program duration. Out-of-field students may alternatively choose to take prerequisite courses at other institutions before applying to the UT Dallas Master of Science degree program. All students must complete four basic science courses as required by ASHA. For more information regarding prerequisites, contact the program office.

All students can apply for need-based financial assistance – including loans, grants and work-study positions – through the University’s Office of Financial Aid. Students are strongly encouraged to request work-study funds as part of their financial aid package; there are many opportunities for employment within the department, including research-oriented positions and administrative positions that expose you to clinical program management and advanced classroom content. Competitive Callier Center scholarships are also available which, when awarded to non-resident students, make them eligible to pay resident tuition. There is no separate application required for the competitively awarded Callier Center scholarships; all admitted students are considered for these scholarships regardless of residency status. Other paid positions are periodically available through faculty research grants and as needed to assist in practicum and other program activities.

Program graduates enjoy excellent outcomes including high program completion, Praxis examination scores, and rates of employment.

Students with exceptional academic records who have career goals in university teaching and research may apply for admission to both the Master of Science degree program in Speech-Language Pathology and the PhD program in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. The PhD is a research-intensive degree, not an advanced clinical degree, and completing the PhD will generally require an additional 3-4 years of study beyond the Master of Science degree. Students pursuing both degrees may have the opportunity to complete their clinical fellowship year at the Callier Center while enrolled in the doctoral program; however, a leave of absence from the PhD program is necessary if you are engaged in full-time clinical activities that preclude progress towards PhD program milestones.

In general, we recommend that students who are interested in both the MS and PhD programs apply first to the MS program. During the first year of master-level study, students can meet with faculty and doctoral students and participate in faculty research to identify an area of research focus and a potential doctoral mentor. At the start of the second year, if the student has a very strong academic record and a faculty member has agreed to become their PhD advisor, the student can apply to the PhD program.

We do not recommend combining a Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology with a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree. The AuD requires four years of full-time study and because there is little overlap in coursework or clinical experiences between the two degrees, completing both would require six years of study as well as an additional clinical fellowship year in speech-language pathology. AuD faculty offer MS courses in hearing loss and aural rehabilitation and MS students will find ample opportunity for related coursework, research, and clinical experience at the Callier Center. Each summer, the Callier Center hosts a camp for children who have cochlear implants and their families and a community-based program for adults with hearing loss. Speech-Language Pathology MS students and Audiology students earning the AuD are active participants in those programs.

Most graduate courses are held at Callier Dallas. Some practicum experiences and a few elective courses are offered at Callier Richardson, but graduate students are at Callier Dallas most of the time. MS students should plan accordingly when deciding on a place to live. Public transportation is often limited but commuting by car is relatively easy and many students live in other areas of the city or Metroplex. Some student housing is available on the main campus in Richardson, but on-campus housing caters primarily to undergraduates. Please contact communicationdisorders@utdallas.edu for a list of apartment complexes within reasonable proximity to Callier Dallas. Online search engines can be used to filter potential apartment complexes that fit a specific price range and target location. As part of the welcome process for incoming students, the office of the Director of Clinical Education will provide students with the opportunity to send in a roommate request, which will be forwarded to other students seeking roommates.

The safety and well-being of not only patients but also UTD students, faculty and staff are of prime importance. Consistent adherence to safety requirements has resulted in a very low infection rate among UTD students, faculty and staff since the start of the pandemic.

The Callier Center Clinic and facilities are subject to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) federal vaccine requirement because they are regulated under CMS standards, specifically 42 CFR 485.701 et. seq. – Conditions of Participation for Clinics, Rehabilitation Agencies, and Public Health Agencies as Providers of Outpatient Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Services. The federal COVID vaccination requirement applies to all individuals who perform work at, or routinely visit, a Callier facility, including students engaged in clinical practicum. MS SLP students are required to comply with the federal vaccination mandate as it applies to the Callier Center. Proof of vaccination is required; students that receive exemptions from the vaccine requirement are required to wear face coverings at all times within the Callier clinics. Other practicum sites may limit participation by students who do not provide proof of vaccination.

The University continues to monitor local and state emerging health guidance.