MS in Speech-Language Pathology FAQs
Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program most frequently asked questions.
Minnesota State University Moorhead’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program most frequently asked questions.
The Speech-Language Pathology program begins in the fall and takes five consecutive semesters, which includes the summer between two academic years.
A student completes three semesters of on-campus clinic, and two semesters of off-campus clinical practicums.
The program is designed to have front-end loaded academics and back-end loaded clinic. This ensures that most academic courses are completed early in the program while completing a light clinical experience. An increasing clinical experience load occurs later in the program with a corresponding light academic course load.
The program is full time and offered on campus.
Sample SLP Graduate Plan of Study 2025 Sample SLP Graduate Plan of Study 2026
In addition to completing the degree, there are two steps that must be completed to be eligible for certification in Speech-Language Pathology:
Our program is a cohort program which means students complete the plan of study together with a cohort of classmates. Each cohort has classes together, but has customized clinical experiences. The class graduates together in May of the second year.
Our program is a face-to-face program and is not offered online.
We do incorporate some online and hybrid courses into the curriculum, especially in the summer for both our undergraduate and graduate programs.
Graduate students have two options for completing the research component of the degree:
MSUM SLP graduate student present faculty mentored student research:
Admission to graduate school for the field of Speech Language Pathology entails a competitive admission process and the process to apply to MSUM is no exception.
This means that applying to an SLP program does not mean you will automatically gain admission if you meet the minimum criterion, as there are a number of students applying and there is a review and selection process. General information about the process:
MSUM’s SLP program also provides recent mean and ranges for students accepted in the last three years for cumulative GPA and GRE scores.
Some of the guiding factors in the graduate admission process are rooted in the Strategic Plan of the Speech-Language Pathology program, in particular:
The graduate admission committee strives to recruit and retain highly qualified MSUM students; serve the workforce needs of the region; recruit under-represented groups in the SLP profession such as persons with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and male applicants.
In addition, the program utilizes uniform graduate admissions procedures so that applications are handled in a consistent way. All efforts are made to communicate in a timely way with applicants.
There are two paths to eligibility for applying to the Master’s program in SLP at MSUM:
All professions have knowledge and skills that must be developed. In the field of SLP, students gain knowledge and develop skills about normal communication, communication disorders and differences. Related aspects are also very important such as completing accurate and timely documentation, practicing ethically, and developing effective interpersonal skills. The following advising resources related to necessary attributes may be helpful to persons considering the field:
The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is the most comprehensive source for information on the profession.
The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) is the student branch of ASHA and has many resources and valuable information for students.
State organizations can also provide information, such as the Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MNSHA).