Augustana College (IL)

What you'll study

Coursework covers core clinical domains and contextual topics relevant to contemporary SLP practice. Areas explicitly mentioned in the program include:

• Assessment and intervention for language, speech, hearing and voice disorders
• Counseling and ethical issues in clinical methods
• Neurocognitive topics and the aging brain
• Multiculturalism in clinical practice

Practical training components specified by the program:

• Four clinical practicums completed in the Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing on campus
• Two full-semester externships in schools, clinics, and medical centers across the United States
• Opportunities for teaching and research experience through a competitive graduate assistantship program
• Service-learning projects such as hearing screenings for refugees, literacy tutoring, and work with at-risk expectant mothers

The program comprises 84 graduate credits, with approximately half of those credits focused on clinic-based courses.

Entry requirements

Applications are submitted through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). Admission pathways described by the program include:

• Regular admission: for current undergraduate seniors or those who already hold a bachelor’s degree (apply via CSDCAS)
• Junior admission: for current Augustana communication sciences and disorders majors (apply in the fall of the undergraduate senior year via CSDCAS)
• Direct admission: for incoming first-year undergraduates who apply to Augustana College; these students then apply to CSDCAS in the fall of their undergraduate senior year

Career prospects

Graduates leave with substantial clinic-based experience and supervised externship placements, preparing them for clinical roles in schools, clinics, medical centers and community settings. The program’s combination of clinical hours, externships and assistantship experience is intended to ready students for professional practice in a range of speech, language and hearing service environments.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Augustana offers competitive graduate assistantships that provide teaching and research experience; these positions may also offer financial support. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the program for details on assistantship availability and any other funding opportunities.