Speech-Language Pathology, BS (43-273) (120 hours)

Major, Bachelor of Science Degree

Overview of Program

The primary purpose of the B.S. Degree in Speech-Language Pathology is to prepare students for possible admission to graduate programs in either Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Completion of the B.S. Degree in Speech-Language Pathology does not provide the qualifications that students will need for employment as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist, nor does it guarantee admission to a graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology; however, the undergraduate degree can lead to employment opportunities in a variety of related fields. The Master’s degree is considered the entry level degree to enter the field of Speech-Language Pathology. UCM offers a Master’s degree program that is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) in Speech-Language Pathology. The clinical doctorate (AuD), not currently offered at UCM, is the entry level degree to enter the field of Audiology.

Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes

The graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology will use the knowledge and skills obtained in the program to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of information regarding prevention, assessment and intervention concerning communication differences and disorders and swallowing or other upper aerodigestive disorders.
2. Provide prevention, assessment and intervention services to children and adults across a wide range of speech and language disorders and differences in a closely supervised setting.
3. Demonstrate emerging skills in oral and written language to achieve effective clinical and professional interaction.
4. Begin to exhibit professional behavior as defined in the cardinal documents of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) including but not limited to Certification Standards for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA Code of Ethics and ASHA Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Speech-Language Pathology.
5. Collaborate with professionals and provide counseling to individuals and their families regarding speech and language differences and disorders in a closely supervised setting.
6. Begin to integrate classroom-based knowledge, clinical experience and technological resources to support Evidence-Based Practice in a guided clinical setting.

Undergraduate Admission Policies and Procedures

Student enrollment is limited to the following Communication Disorders courses unless the student is either provisionally or fully admitted to the undergraduate functional major in speech-language pathology: CD 1000, CD 2301, CD 3301, CD 4401, CD 4900. If the student is not provisionally or fully admitted to the undergraduate program, enrollment in Communication Disorders courses other than the ones listed above, shall be determined in conference with the director of undergraduate studies in the program.

Students who have been admitted to the undergraduate program and have not enrolled in Communication Disorders’ courses for three consecutive semesters will be dropped from the undergraduate program. These students must reapply for admission to the undergraduate program prior to enrollment in any additional courses in Communication Disorders.

1. Admission of Non-Transfer Students
   1. Admission Criteria:
      1. Must have a minimal overall GPA of 3.20.
      2. Must have earned a minimum of 30 university credit hours, applicable to graduation, including a grade of C or better in ENGL 1020 and ENGL 1030 or CTE 3060 or ENGL 1080.
      3. Must have made a grade of C or better and a 3.20 GPA or better in the following CD courses: CD 1000, CD 2301, CD 3301.
      4. Students may enroll in the four courses listed under I.A.3. a maximum of two times.
      5. Students must complete a speech, language and hearing screening.
      6. Students must submit a formal application for admission to the undergraduate Communication Disorders program.
      7. Students who do not meet requirements I. A. 1-6. are ineligible for admission to the undergraduate Communication Disorders program.
   2. Maintenance Criteria:
      1. The first semester the student’s overall GPA drops below a 3.20 after being admitted to the undergraduate program in Communication Disorders, the student will receive a letter of written academic warning from the Communication Disorders program.
      2. Any student under academic warning whose overall GPA falls below a 3.20 for any subsequent semester will become ineligible to continue taking courses in the Communication Disorders program and/or to re-apply for admission to the undergraduate program.
      3. Any student who receives a grade below C in any CD course or whose GPA drops below a 3.20 in CD courses will receive a letter of warning. Students must obtain a grade of C or better and a 3.20 GPA or better in all CD courses taken prior to completing an undergraduate major in Communication Disorders. Students may enroll in any CD course a maximum of 2 times.
      4. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
2. Admission of Undergraduate Transfer Students
   1. Admission Criteria:
      1. Transfer students must meet requirements I.A.1-7.
      2. Students who are transferring two or more of the courses listed in I.A.3. and meet other criteria listed in I.A. will be provisionally admitted and must take an additional six semester hours of Communication Disorders courses at the University of Central Missouri before applying for full admission.
      3. Transfer students must demonstrate the competencies required for the UCM equivalent for any courses being transferred before applying for full admission to the undergraduate program.
   2. Maintenance Criteria:
      1. Same as for non-transfer students.
   3. Other
      1. A minimum letter grade of a C or better and a 3.20 GPA or better must be obtained for the six semester hours under II.A.2. for the transfer student to be able to apply for full admission to the undergraduate program. Those courses in which the undergraduate transfer student makes a grade below a C can be retaken only once. If this requirement is not met, the student becomes ineligible to continue taking courses in the School of Human Services and/or to apply for full admission to the undergraduate major in speech-language pathology.
3. Post-Baccalaureate Students
   Post-Baccalaureate Students must have permission of the program director to enroll in any Communication Disorders course.
4. Clinical Practicum Requirements
   Undergraduate students will complete the following practicum requirements as described below:

Clinical Observation Requirements
Undergraduate students will complete 25 clock hours of clinical observation as follows:

1. CD 3503 - Principles of Clinical Management (3)   - 5 clock hours
2. CD 4404 - Assessment and Treatment of Language-Based Literacy Disorders (3)   - 5 clock hours
3. CD 4504 - Introduction to Articulation and Phonological Disorders (3)   - 5 clock hours
4. CD 4505 - School-age Issues in Communication Disorders (3)   - 5 clock hours
5. CD 4512 - Best Practices in Early Childhood Intervention (3)  - 5 clock hours

Orientation Policies and Procedures
All first-semester clinicians must enroll in  CD 4802 - Undergraduate Clinical Practicum I (1) . Students will pay a one-time fee for Clinic Shirts and name tag. Students enrolled in CD 4802  will also pay a fee for Clinic Note, a cloud-based electronic medical record for universities and private practice clinics. Undergraduate students enrolled in CD 4803 - Undergraduate Clinical Practicum II (1)   will pay a fee for Clinic Note. UG students will pay for Clinic Note the semesters they are in CD 4802  and CD 4803 . Those UG students who are accepted in the Graduate Speech Pathology program will pay for Clinic Note their first semester as a graduate student in CD 5811 (if they have previously been enrolled in CD 4802  and CD 4803 . Students must pay for three semesters of Clinic Note.) They will not be charged after their first semester of CD 5811, provided they have taken CD 4802  and CD 4803  and have paid for two semesters of Clinic Note.

CPR Certification
Students will obtain certification in adult and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation prior to enrolling in clinical practicum experiences. Students must maintain re-certification throughout all clinical practicum experiences.

Immunizations
Students must be tested yearly for Tuberculosis (TB) and submit results of testing to the Director of Clinical Services prior to beginning clinic each year. Additionally, students must submit proof of having initiated the three shot series of immunization against Hepatitis B prior to beginning clinical practicum.

Student Clinicians participating in the Welch-Schmidt Center for Communication Disorders are expected to comply with all University of Central Missouri health requirements. This includes current tuberculosis (TB) test and updated immunizations as recommended by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

All immunizations that are required by the University of Central Missouri and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services must be up to date prior to beginning clinical practicum. People who are not properly immunized pose a public health risk to their patients, co-workers and themselves.

If immunizations and TB tests are not up to date [for example, by virtue of an exemption], you may not be accepted at medical and/or educational clinical rotation sites, etc. This could prevent you from participating in a variety of clinical experiences which would ultimately prevent you from graduating.

Seasonal flu shots are being required by many external clinical sites and will not accept student clinicians who have not had this immunization.

Criminal Background Check
Prior to beginning clinic, students will receive the most recent criminal background check procedures from the Director of Clinical Services. If a background check is unsatisfactory, placement in clinic may not be possible. A student unable to be placed in clinic will not be able to complete the program.

Grades
Students who are under academic warning from the School of Human Services may not enroll in any clinical practicum courses.

Clinician Meetings
Clinicians are required to attend clinician meetings which cover a variety of topics ranging from paperwork and procedures to assessment and intervention tools available in our clinic. These meetings are scheduled as needed throughout the semester.

Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA)
The Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology is a competency based program. These competencies reflect the knowledge and skills required by the ASHA Certification Standards III, Program of Study-Knowledge Outcomes IV, and Program of Study-Skill Outcomes. These required knowledges and skills are delineated on the KASA. To understand the procedures associated with the KASA documentation, students are required to attend KASA trainings offered each semester. Students will be expected to demonstrate competency related knowledges and skills throughout their undergraduate program through formative and summative assessments. For all courses listed on the KASA, students must achieve a grade of C or better. Students’ successful demonstration of the acquisition of knowledges and skills will be documented on the KASA. Students not demonstrating the achievement of course and practicum related knowledges and skills will be required to successfully complete remediation procedures that will then allow those knowledges and skills to be documented on the KASA. The faculty of the Communication Disorders Program has determined a grade of “B” or competency of a “4” or “5” on the KASA demonstrates specific knowledge and/or skills have been acquired for clinical practicum. In cases where the student’s progression in the acquisition of knowledge and/or skill does not meet expectations within the semester, a plan for clinical remediation may be established. Remediation plans are designed to improve a student’s knowledge and skills in a specific area of weakness. Successful completion of remediation procedures does not alter the final course grade.

Credit for Life Experience
Credit will not be given for life or previous work experience for courses required in the speech-language pathology major.

Speech-Language Pathology, BS (43-273) (4 Year Guide)