Education and training requirements for Speech-language pathologistsOf the 46 States that regulate licensing, almost all require a master�s degree or equivalent. A passing score on a national examination on speech-language pathology offered through the Praxis Series of the Educational Testing Service is needed, as well. Other requirements are 300 to 375 hours of supervised clinical experience and 9 months of postgraduate professional clinical experience. Thirty-eight States have continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurers generally require a practitioner to be licensed to qualify for reimbursement. About 233 colleges and universities offer graduate programs in speech-language pathology. Courses cover anatomy and physiology of the areas of the body involved in speech, language, swallowing, and hearing; the development of normal speech, language, swallowing, and hearing; the nature of disorders; acoustics; and psychological aspects of communication. Graduate students also learn to evaluate and treat speech, language, swallowing, and hearing disorders and receive supervised clinical training in communication disorders. Speech-language pathologists can acquire the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) offered by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. To earn a CCC, a person must have a graduate degree and 375 hours of supervised clinical experience, complete a 36-week postgraduate clinical fellowship, and pass the Praxis Series examination in speech-language pathology administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Speech-language pathologists should be able to effectively communicate diagnostic test results, diagnoses, and proposed treatment in a manner easily understood by their clients. They must be able to approach problems objectively and provide support to clients and their families. Because a client�s progress may be slow, patience, compassion, and good listening skills are necessary. More information on Speech-language pathologists from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Speech-language pathologists occupation Number of Speech-language pathologists in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Speech-language pathologists Working conditions for Speech-language pathologists Significant points for Speech-language pathologists Training requirements for Speech-language pathologists Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |