To become an audiologist or speech therapist, one must earn a master’s degree, complete clinical experience, and pass a certification exam. Accrediting organizations provide educational standards and lists of accredited schools. Practical work is required, and a doctorate is often necessary for teaching and research.
Speech pathology is the study of problems in oral communication. To begin a career as an audiologist, an individual must earn a master’s degree, followed by a doctorate if desired. Clinical experience is part of most programs and is also expected in graduate school. Completing a certification exam is the final step. This shows that the individual has met the minimum education and experience requirements for the jurisdiction and is therefore qualified to work as an audiologist.
A career in speech pathology begins with checking the website of the accrediting organization in the jurisdiction the aspiring pathologist lives. In the United States, for example, the accrediting organization is the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), which offers certification through the Council on Academic Accreditation. These organizations provide outlines of the industry and educational standards needed to become an audiologist.
Education at the graduate level is considered the norm for speech pathology. So, the next step in becoming a speech therapist is to investigate schools that offer speech and language programs. If it is unclear whether an academic institution is accredited, ask the accrediting organization for the jurisdiction in which the pathologist lives for a list of schools. This is advantageous because most accrediting organizations update their accreditation lists on an ongoing basis, providing verification of accreditation even if an institution has not yet updated its website or promotional materials.
Ideally, individuals should earn a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. Courses in linguistics, behavioral sciences, anatomy, psychology, sociology, physiology and general science are standard. After completing your bachelor’s degree, take the entrance exam or standardized qualifying exam, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and apply to a master’s program in speech pathology. A doctorate is required for most teaching, research, and private practice opportunities.
Practical work is fundamental to success in speech pathology. Therefore, most speech-language pathology programs require students to acquire a specified number of hours of clinical experience, typically during their final year of study. The American standard is a minimum of 300 hours. Thereafter, the audiologist generally must acquire postgraduate clinical experience, such as the nine-month ASHA requirement.
Once an audiologist meets the minimum clinical and educational experience requirements of the accrediting organization for their jurisdiction, they can apply to the organization to take the certification exam. Sometimes the exam consists of more than one part; in this case, the pathologist usually needs to pass all sections to become certified.
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