Undergrad

The following seven courses are required to become eligible to apply to the SLP Master’s program at USF:

• SPA 3004       Introduction to Language Development and Disorders
• SPA 3030       Introduction to Hearing Science
• SPA 3101       Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Hearing Mechanism
• SPA 3112       Applied Phonetics in Communication Disorders
• SPA 3011       Introduction to Speech Science (pre-req: SPA 3030, SPA 3112)
• SPA 3310       Introduction to Disorders of Hearing (pre-req: SPA 3030)
• SPA 4104       Neuroanatomy (pre-req: SPA 3101)

The courses above are offered in an online format, though they are not available every semester. Please refer to the course sequencing information below.

The online post-baccalaureate coursework is designed to start during the fall semester (only). Due to the prerequisites between courses, students will want to adhere to the following course sequencing to allow for completion:

Fall: SPA 3030, SPA 3101, SPA 3112
Spring: SPA 3004, SPA 3011, SPA 3310
Summer: SPA 4104

*If you are a Tampa area resident, these courses are offered on campus during other terms and non-degree seeking students are eligible to take them in person, if space permits, as priority registration will go to degree-seeking undergraduate majors. Immunization records would need to be provided to Student Health Services if interested in completing courses on campus. Student Health Services information and contact details can be found here: https://www.usf.edu/student-affairs/student-health-services/

Please note: courses on campus are typically offered during daytime hours. The class schedule search can be found here: https://usfonline.admin.usf.edu/pls/prod/bwckschd.p_disp_dyn_sched

Entrance into the master’s program is not guaranteed upon completion of the post-baccalaureate courses above. Acceptance into the master’s program is highly competitive and acceptance is based upon the quality of a student’s application profile: GPA, GRE scores (if required), extracurricular activities, letters of recommendations from your professors, and experience. Because the post-baccalaureate courses are taken as a non-degree seeking student, the courses above will not change your original undergraduate degree-seeking GPA, which will also be considered. The average GPA of admitted students is typically around 3.70 – 3.80.

All information about USF’s Speech Language Pathology graduate program, including application instructions and requirements can be found here: https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/csd/graduate/ms-slp.aspx

If you are planning to apply to another university for graduate school, please contact them directly to ensure that our classes will meet their admission requirements. While the courses required at other universities are likely similar, the courses we require are specific to USF’s Speech Language Pathology master’s program, and we can only guarantee that they will meet the eligibility requirements for USF.

There are four additional prerequisites that you will need to take before you start your Clinical Fellowship, which is completed in the first year after graduating with the master’s degree. Please visit the following link for more information: https://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/

Please note that the completion of these additional courses is not required to be admissible to the master’s program. However, if students did not complete them as part of their original undergraduate degree, they will take them as part of the master’s program. For this reason, some students will choose to take any of these courses they may be missing alongside the post-baccalaureate courses, while other students prefer to wait until they’ve been admitted into the master’s program, at which point they will be notified of any missing KASA standard courses still needed.

The minimum GPA required for admission to the Speech Language Pathology master’s program at USF is a 3.20. However, due to the volume of applicants, the average GPA for students admitted is 3.70-3.80. Since the required courses are taken as a non-degree seeking student, they will not change your original degree-seeking GPA. If your GPA does not meet the minimum required, we strongly advise students to pursue a second bachelor’s degree in Language, Speech, and Hearing Sciences, which would provide a second degree-seeking GPA under which to be considered. You can read more about the Language, Speech, and Hearing Sciences major here: https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/csd/undergrad/lsh.aspx

Students pursuing a second bachelors in LSH would need to take any missing undergraduate major prerequisites, two semesters of a college-level foreign language (if not previously taken), and all major courses. Please note the bachelor’s degree at USF is not offered in an online format and daytime attendance would be required. Students interested in this option would need to apply through USF Admissions and be admitted as a second bachelor’s student majoring in Language, Speech, and Hearing Sciences.

Information and the application for non-degree seeking students can be found here: https://www.usf.edu/registrar/services/non-degree-admission/personal-enrichment-students.aspx

Since students are taking the post-baccalaureate courses as a non-degree seeking student for the purpose of being eligible to apply for the master’s in Speech Pathology, the courses taken will not result in an awarded certificate.

The determination of whether a student meets the requirements needed to qualify for licensure as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant belongs to the State of Florida Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology and will be based upon a review of your final transcripts. You can review the requirements necessary for licensure here: https://floridasspeechaudiology.gov/licensing/speech-language-pathology-assistant-certification/

Non-degree seeking students typically do not qualify for financial aid through the Department of Education. Please reach out to USF Financial Aid if you have questions: https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/

Please work with your major advisor to ensure that you have the academic space to take the required courses.

You can find information about how to register for classes here: https://www.usf.edu/registrar/register/index.aspx

Non-degree seeking students typically register two weeks prior to the start date of the semester. You can find specific dates for registration, term dates, Drop/Add, tuition deadlines, and more on the Registrar’s Academic Calendar found here: https://www.usf.edu/registrar/calendars/

Please email the post-baccalaureate advisor at usfslponline@usf.edu