Curry offers a master’s (M.Ed.) degree in this area of study. The curriculum fulfills academic and clinical requirements for obtaining professional credentials in speech-language pathology from the Virginia State Board of Education, the Virginia Board of Speech-Language Pathology and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). ASHA’s Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) accredits the master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Clinical services are provided through the Sheila C. Johnson Center for Human Services. Academic and clinical education is comprehensive, and the program is committed to advancing clinical practice in school settings.
Graduates of the master’s degree program are prepared to evaluate and treat a broad spectrum of communication disorders as they occur across the life span. Initially, students participate in clinical practica under the supervision of clinical instructors at the University of Virginia. Advanced clinical training occurs at externship sites throughout central Virginia. Each student is required to complete clinical practicum assignments in a variety of settings. Typically these include educational settings (e.g., public and private schools), health-care settings (e.g., hospitals, rehabilitation units), and community clinics. A full-time internship semester provides the capstone clinical-education (training) experience. The internship site is proposed by the prospective intern and approved by the faculty.
Throughout the curriculum, students must successfully complete a series of clinical learning objectives. These learning objectives correspond to clinical competencies that are required for ASHA’s Certificate of Clinical Competence. Students complete a comprehensive examination the final semester. A thesis option is available.
Students entering the master’s degree program with undergraduate preparation in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) typically complete the graduate program in 5 semesters. Students entering without undergraduate preparation in CSD typically complete the curriculum in 7 semesters.
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