M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology

Mission, Values, and Goals

We believe that the cornerstone of health is quality education and research in health professions. Our uniquely wide range of programs provide access for diverse student populations in the pursuit of rewarding careers that promote health and wellness; maximize the management of disease, disability, or injury; improve quality of life; and reduce health disparities. Students who come to the Long Island University School of Health Professions will have the unique opportunity to learn with students from other professions and serve the community in which they study throughout their programs.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus seeks to advance the study of human communication sciences and disorders within a culturally and linguistically diverse society. Intellectual growth is promoted through the recognition and expression of multiple theoretical, cultural, and individual perspectives. The department fosters respect for diversity and a commitment to serve individuals with communication problems.

Vision

The School of Health Professions at Long Island University - Brooklyn will be a premier school of health professions, recognized for innovation and academic excellence, scholarship, interprofessional education, collaboration, and practice, as well as for community involvement and service.

Core Values

Diversity: We value and develop strong foundations of ethics, integrity and respect for diversity.

Innovation: We value and cultivate creativity, independent thinking, and flexible problem solving, in clinical and research endeavors.

Advocacy: We value and cultivate advocates, who will support clients and their families with compassion.

Community Action: We value community involvement and outreach.

Strategic Goals

Goal 1. Re-organize and standardize CSD Department procedures to better serve the needs of our students.

• Objective 1. Establish online application to our graduate program *
• Objective 2. Reorganize advisement to facilitate registration and student progress through the program *
• Objective 3. Integrate academic and clinic scheduling in order for courses to be planned flexibly around clinical practicum schedules.

Goal 2. Broaden student experiences to facilitate entry into a dynamic, team-oriented, multi-cultural profession

• Objective 1. Identify opportunities for co-treatment among health profession departments
• Objective 2. Identify spaces and patient care models that can facilitate co-treatment
• Objective 3. Broaden community and professional outreach and advocacy
• Objective 4. Explore and establish international clinical rotations *

Goal 3. Continuous improvement academic and clinical curriculum

• Objective 1. Prepare students to meet the increasing demands of competitive and intensive medical and school externships
• Objective  2. Ensure student ability to meet program and professional summative requirements
• Objective 3. Explore possible use of distance technologies and frameworks
• Objective 4.  Incorporate clinical certification opportunities into clinical training

Goal 4. Increase support for faculty research endeavors to meet increased demand for grant funding

• Objective 1. Explore possibilities to expand or share research lab space
• Objective 2. Identify internal and small external grant opportunities for junior faculty, and have all faculty take advantage of University support for conference travel to ensure academic and clinical continuing education. 

Goal 5. Ensure department sustainability

• Objective 1. Obtain and staff a full time clinical coordinator position *
• Objective 2. Obtain and staff a full time advisement and admissions director position. *
• Objective 3. Ensure that LIU clinic space and supervision is adequate to support increasingly larger entering graduate student cohorts.

Goal 6. Review and update this strategic plan

• Objective 1. Review and update the department’s strategic plan to reflect progress, and ensure that the plan meets changing department, university, and professional needs, on a recurring annual basis.

Degree Requirements

Curriculum

Overview

The graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology at the Brooklyn Campus can be completed in 2.5 to 3 years by full-time students. The time limit for the degree is 5 years. All candidates for the degree must have completed a minimum of 64 credits and a comprehensive exam or research thesis.

All students must demonstrate English writing proficiency as a requirement for graduation. Students who exhibit deficiencies in this area in foundation courses will be advised to enroll in SLP 700, Academic Literacy, provided by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, to support their academic, research and clinical writing.

The Master’s degree program offers two summative options: (1) a comprehensive examination, or (2) a written research thesis in which the summative requirement is a formal defense before a thesis committee.

All students are required to complete a minimum of 400 competent clock hours of clinical practicum, including 25 hours of observation. Up to 25 clock hours of undergraduate practicum and 25 hours of observation may be credited toward clinical practicum requirements. Clinical practica are completed in several locations: on campus, in the university clinic; at LIU satellite centers; at off-campus hospital settings, and in school settings. Students will be issued a clinic manual with further information upon beginning their clinical sequence. Students also must complete the following courses in order to obtain ASHA certification (if they do not enter with them completed in their undergraduate studies): aural rehabilitation, one course in the physical sciences (biology, chemistry or physics), psychology, sociology, and statistics.

Foundation Coursework

The Foundation Sequence provides the basis from which students may progress to advanced coursework and clinical practica. The foundations courses are listed below.

• SLP 601: Introduction to Research in Speech-Language Pathology (3 credit)
• SLP 602: Advanced Language Acquisition (3 credits)
• SLP 603: Bilingual/Multicultural Foundations I (3 credits)
• SLP 606: Advanced Neuroanatomy for Speech-Language Pathology (3 credits)
• SLP 608: Seminar in Speech-Language Pathology (1 credit)
• SLP 620: Comparative Phonology and Phonological Disorders (3 credits)

Students may retake a maximum of two foundation courses to remediate grades of C+ or C. Each foundation course may be retaken only one time.

Students must complete any outstanding undergraduate pre-requisites by the end of their first year of graduate coursework.

Higher Level Courses

Higher level courses consist primarily of evaluation and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders, including clinical practica and seminars. Students who are performing well in foundation courses may begin taking higher level courses in their second semester of study; this will be determined during academic advisement.

Students may receive up to one grade of C+ or C in their non-foundation, higher level courses. Students may opt to retake only one higher-level course a single time to remediate a grade. Grades lower than a C must be remediated.

Clinical Practicum Courses

Students begin their clinical practicum sequence after they complete the foundation coursework. Students must resolve all incomplete grades and/or remediation plans prior to starting the clinical practicum sequence. Students must have earned an overall GPA of 3.0 or above to start their first clinic course, SLP 610A.

Clinical skills are developed and evaluated throughout the practicum sequence. Full details of practicum requirements and evaluations of clinical performance are presented in the Clinic Procedures Manual of the Department of CSD, LIU/Brooklyn Campus.

Grading Policy

The University grading policy involves a plus and minus grading system (A, A_, B+, B, B_, C+, C, F).

Minimum Grade Requirements

To continue in the program, students must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average within and across all courses. Students are placed on Academic Probation when they fail to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Students are only allowed one grade of C+ or C in their graduate coursework. This single C+ or C may not be for a course in the Clinical Practicum sequence: 610A, 610B, 610C, 611A, 612A, 614A, 614B, 615A. This single grade of C may not be used for the clinic prerequisite course SLP 640: Language Disorders in Children or SLP 639: PRAXIS Exam Preparation course. Students with two or more grades of C+ or C will receive a letter of dismissal from the department chair, which they may appeal by writing to the Academic Standing Committee.

Formative Assessment: Foundations Exam

Students are required to take and pass a formative assessment exam (Foundations Exam) following successful completion of their Foundations coursework, SLP 640 and one higher level course. The Foundations Exam is a comprehensive exam, integrating all didactic and practical information learned in the prerequisite coursework prior to beginning the clinical coursework. The exam consists of multiple choice items designed in a similar format to the PRAXIS exam questions as well as essay questions designed to assess clinical writing and basic application of clinical knowledge. Students are required to successfully complete all areas assessed with 80% accuracy to be eligible to begin clinical coursework. Failure to achieve a score of 80% will trigger an individualized remediation plan. The Department Chair, Program Director, and Academic Standing Committee will oversee remediation plans. Remediation plans may include but are not limited to: enrollment in a writing support course, extended coursework, self-study, and/or simulated clinical assignments. A student under remediation will be permitted to register for only a limited number of higher-level courses until the remediation plan is completed or the student has retaken the exam. Students are eligible to retake the exam once (the following semester it is offered) after completing advised remediation work. Students who fail the exam twice are dismissed from the program.

Course of Study

Student Outcome Data

*Data are reported from September to August for each of the years listed

Length of Time for Students to Complete Residential Program of Study

• Full-time with CSD undergraduate major: 2.5 to 3 years (7-8 semesters)
• Full-time without CSD undergraduate major: 2.5 to 3 years (7-9 semesters)
• Part-time with CSD undergraduate major: 3.5 to 4.5 years (9-13 semesters)
• Part-time without CSD undergraduate major: 3.5 to 5 years (10-15 semesters)

Faculty

Miriam Baigorri, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor
Jessica M. Baquero MS, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor & Clinical Placement Coordinator
Gemma Moya-Galé, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor
Nelson Moses, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Professor & Program Director
Marisa Nagano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Martha Tyrone, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department Chair
Katrien Vermeire, Ph.D., CCC-A, Visiting Professor
Gina Youmans, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Associate Professor