MS in Speech Pathology
Beginning in 2025, students will start the Master's in Speech-Language Pathology program in the Summer term (see Academic Calendar).
Our nationally ranked Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology (MS-SLP) is housed in Knoxville, Tennessee and is administered by the UTHSC College of Health Professions. The MS-SLP degree program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. At UTHSC, students are trained to be outstanding and successful speech-language pathologists.
The traditional 2-year program is designed for students who already have a Bachelor’s degree in communication disorders. It now consists of 6 semesters (fall, spring, summer, fall, spring, summer) of full-time enrollment during which students receive intense academic and clinical training.
Students with a Bachelor’s degree in an area other than communication disorders are eligible to apply for the program, but their program will be extended an additional 2 semesters of undergraduate coursework prior to graduate level courses. To graduate from the program, students are required to pass all academic and clinical coursework in addition to either a comprehensive exam or a thesis.
For the last five years, 100% of our graduates have passed the national praxis examination on their first attempt and, since 2014, have had 100% job placement after graduation. They are widely sought and are capable of treating a wide range of communicative disorders in many populations. We are extremely proud of our all our graduates for helping us maintain our reputation of clinical and academic excellence. See more student achievement data.
Our curriculum is taught by 24 clinical and academic faculty with strong expertise in all areas of speech-language pathology. Though much of the MS-SLP curriculum consists of required coursework, students also may choose from a variety of advanced elective courses that address specialized areas of interest. In addition, students receive clinical training in a variety of on-campus clinics and off-campus placements. One of the last two semester is entirely clinical, with students enrolled in full-time off campus externship. Off-campus clinical opportunities include working in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, private practices, and school systems. This combination of academic and clinical coursework allows our students to meet all KASA standards and exceed the minimum number of required clinical hours. Students may also elect specialized clinical training in certain areas including alternative and augmentative communication, literacy, autism, voice disorders, stuttering, motor speech disorders, swallowing disorders, cognitive communication disorders and aphasia. Throughout the program, all students receive academic and clinical advising from an experienced faculty member.
Small assistantships and scholarships are available to students after they have completed one semester in the program. These are subject to availability year to year. Assistantships typically require additional work within the department, whereas scholarships have no work requirements. Students are not required to apply for scholarships or assistantships. All current students are considered based on clinical and academic merit.