The Master of Arts education program in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Houston is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Therefore, the Communication Sciences and Disorders MA provides students with the required academic and practicum experience to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) of ASHA and to apply for licensure to practice speech language pathology in Texas. Students who complete this program are prepared to take the national Praxis Speech Language Pathology exam and to begin their clinical fellowships, the final required steps to reaching full certification (CCC).
Students who pursue this degree are interested in the theory, science, and methods of improving impaired human communication and swallowing. Speech language pathologists help people who have problems with language, speech, cognition, and swallowing. Individuals with disorders of language include children who do not meet developmental expectations due to many causes as well as individuals (adults and children) who have acquired disorders following a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other medical condition. Language disorders may also be due to deficits in the social use of language, known as pragmatics. Some people who cannot use traditional spoken language for communication work with speech-language pathologists using alternative forms to share their messages. This may include sign language or an electronic device. Speech disorders often occur in children who produce sound errors along with other individuals (adults and children) who stutter or have acquired speech disorders due to stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neurological disorders. Cognitive processes that underlie communication, such as attention, memory, organization and reasoning, can be impaired after brain injury or can be part of a developmental disorder. Swallowing disorders, although usually the result of a medical condition, may also be a result of behavioral factors. Students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders MA program learn about all of these areas. Graduates, upon completing the Praxis exam and 9-month clinical fellowship requirements leading to the CCC, will serve in settings from private homes to schools to hospitals and clinics, and work with clients across the life span.