Communication Disorders and Sciences Program - Graduate's Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: Please see information regarding our preparatory program, the Certificate in Communication Disorders and Sciences.

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Answer: The job market for the profession of Speech-Language Pathology is excellent. Our graduates work in a variety of settings: schools, hospitals, private practices, nursing homes, etc. Some of our recent graduates have decided to work abroad and some have spent several years on the road working as traveling speech-language pathologists. Our recent employment rates appear below:

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Answer: The PRAXIS examination is required by ASHA to receive professional certification. Students typically take this exam during their second spring semester. We are very proud of the fact that our students score above national average and above New York state average. Our students' passing rates appear below. (The data reflect the number of graduate students whose results have been forwarded to the department.)

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Answer: According to our admissions procedures (explained in the packet titled "Guidelines for Master of Arts (M.A.) in Speech-Language Pathology") applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be considered as a candidate for our graduate program. This refers to both the overall undergraduate G.P.A. and the candidate's G.P.A. in major courses. If the applicant has earned a minimum G.P.A. of at least 3.0 in major courses yet has earned less than a 3.0 overall, s/he would still be considered as a candidate for our program.

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Answer: Over the past few years there have been approximately 50-60 applicants to our graduate program per year. Of those, approximately 18 of the qualified candidates are granted admission to the program.

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Answer: SUNY Plattsburgh requires that the G.R.E. be taken. There is no cutoff score that is used to make decisions regarding candidacy for our graduate program.

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Answer: Our admissions procedures are explained in the packet titled "Guidelines for Master of Arts (M.A.) in Speech-Language Pathology." Admission decisions are based on six criteria: G.P.A., G.R.E., letter of intent, letters of recommendation, personal interview, and writing sample.

Initial review of the candidate's application package includes review of G.P.A., G.R.E., letter of intent and letters of recommendation. Based on these criteria a candidate will or will not continue in the admissions process. If the candidate continues, s/he will be required to take part in a personal interview which will take place in April. All candidates will be required to attend this interview day. On that day each candidate will meet individually with two different faculty members, provide the committee with a writing sample (done on that day) and participate in a "proficiency" measure of knowledge of the Basic Sciences (as defined by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association). After the interview day, a profile of the candidate's performance on the five criteria will be developed. Decisions regarding admission will be based on each candidate's profile and will be made by the graduate committee as a whole.

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Answer: Students are enrolled in graduate courses and on-campus practicum for 4 semesters and one summer. During their 2nd year, students go off-campus on their internships.

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Answer: You will apply for the 898 curriculum if you have no interest in teacher certification. You will apply for the 897 curriculum if you have provisional teacher certification (student taught as an undergraduate) and want to meet the requirements for permanent teacher certification. You also will apply for the 897 curriculum if you do not have provisional certification (did not student teach as an undergraduate), but will be student teaching as a graduate student and want to meet the requirements for provisional teacher certification.

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Answer: Graduate courses are taught using a variety of teaching methods. Traditional lecture, group work, class discussions, and the use of multimedia technology including web-based materials are used in most classes.

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Answer: You will the receive the opportunity to gain clinical experience with clients of all ages exhibiting all types of communication disorders including child and adult speech, language, voice and fluency. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work with clients exhibiting Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.), clients from the Alzheimer's Disease Center, and clients in area nursing homes.

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Answer: Graduate students are gathering clinical experience at the same time they are providing assessment and therapy in our Speech and Hearing Center. Graduate clinicians will be supervised by teaching faculty as well as supervisory staff. Most therapy rooms in the Speech and Hearing Center are directly observable through the use of 1-way mirrors. In addition, each therapy room is equipped with a video camera and each supervisor's office is equipped with a TV monitor and VCR. This allows for direct supervision at all times.

The exact amount of supervision varies, but it always matches the needs of a particular student with a specific client. After all sessions observed, supervisors give written or verbal feedback to the clinician.

The supervisory staff does a midterm evaluation of the clinician's performance so that the clinician is aware of his/her strengths and areas in need of focus. This feedback is beneficial to the clinician who can then work on improving specific clinical skills.

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Answer: Graduate students go to off-campus internship sites during their 2nd year in the graduate program. Our graduate students have found that they are comfortable in their internships because of their background and experience. In addition, our program has received a great deal of positive feedback regarding the preparation of our graduate students as interns.

Our department has contractual agreements with over 100 internship sites all over the United States and Canada which provide experiences with a variety of disorder categories in a variety of settings. If a student wishes to intern at a facility that we do not have a contract with, the student may, in conjunction with the Clinical Director, pursue a contractual agreement with that site.

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Answer: Graduate students in Speech-Language Pathology will serve as clinicians in our Audiology Clinic and will be supervised by our full-time audiologist. Students will perform hearing evaluations, central auditory evaluations and hearing aid evaluations and fittings as well as gain hands-on experience adjusting auditory trainers. During this experience, students will learn to use state-of-the-art audiological equipment including a video-otoscope, a programmable hearing aid system and otoacoustic emission equipment. Clients served will range in age throughout the lifespan.

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