Speech-Language Pathology - Next Steps for Admitted Students

All new students in the MS speech-language pathology program must pay an initial $300 new student deposit followed by a $1,000 tuition deposit to secure their enrollment in this selective degree program. These payments are nonrefundable and will be applied directly to your first-semester tuition.

View additional details and instructions regarding payment.

Attendance at orientation is mandatory for all incoming SLP students. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

2021 Orientation: Thursday, August 19 and Friday, August 20
Classes Begin: Tuesday, August 24, 2021

All SLP students are required to complete a comprehensive background check, including fingerprinting, as part of the initial enrollment process.

The BW SLP program has partnered with CastleBranch, a background check and compliance management company to coordinate fingerprinting, medical information and CPR. Go to the Baldwin Wallace University CastleBranch portal link to begin this process. 

Students whose background checks reveal a criminal history or arrest record of any sort that has not been expunged or sealed, and that cannot be successfully adjudicated prior to the beginning of the program, will not be allowed to begin the Master of Science SLP program.

Although students with an expunged record may be eligible for enrollment in BW’s SLP program, an expunged or sealed record may impact a student’s eligibility for clinical placement or future employment in certain work settings. Eligibility for a professional license varies by state and may be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the professional licensing board.

Prior to beginning the SLP program, students must have personal health documentation on file in the Speech-Language Pathology office. The BW SLP program has partnered with CastleBranch, a background check and compliance management company to coordinate fingerprinting, medical information and CPR. Go to the Baldwin Wallace University CastleBranch portal link to begin this process. 

When you enroll in the SLP program, your health documentation must include proof of the following:

• Appropriate immunizations, or written validation of titers establishing immunity for measles (rubeola), German measles (rubella), mumps, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, chicken pox (varicella), hepatitis B and polio.
• Health status that qualifies the person to work directly with patients (refer to BW Technical Standards for Speech-Language Pathology Students).
• Tuberculin (Tb) Testing: The two-step Mantoux Tb skin test is required to be completed by the student's healthcare provider. This is an annual requirement of the affiliating clinical agencies and will need to be repeated by the student during the program prior to expiration with documentation provided to the SLP program. Students who have a medical history of a false positive, allergy to the Mantoux test, BCG vaccination or are a converter are required to undergo Tb QuantiFERON testing (interferon-gamma release assay [IGRA]) for Tb infection through their provider, annually.

After enrolling in the SLP program, students must have an annual influenza vaccination administered during influenza season (October through March). The student must provide written validation to the SLP program that the vaccination has been received before the student will be permitted to continue in the clinical area beyond fall semester.

As a guest of the health care facilities that provide clinical experiences, students are subject to the policies of the agency, which include meeting the above standards for immunizations and the ability to work directly with patients (refer to BW Technical Standards for Speech-Language Pathology Students). Because clinical experience is an essential element of the SLP program, the inability to work in direct patient care will result in the student not continuing in the program.

If you paid your tuition deposit online, you have already set up your BW network access (BW email, username and password). If you did not make an online payment, you will need to set this up. Beginning June 1, the SLP program will be communicating with you via your network access.

The BW network access gives you access to BW email, Blackboard and many online resources that you’ll use as a member of the BW community.

To set up your BW network account, go to myaccount.bw.edu and confirm your identity. You will need your BW student ID number, which is on your letter of admission.

If you need help with your student ID, contact the office of admission at (440) 826-8012 or admission@bw.edu.

Once you answer the identity questions, you will receive a username and password and your BW email will be displayed.

Many hospital affiliations for the SLP program require that speech-language pathology students are certified in CPR. All students must complete this before August orientation or they will not be permitted into the clinical setting, which then will impact progression in the program.

The BW SLP program has partnered with CastleBranch, a background check and compliance management company to coordinate fingerprinting, medical information and CPR. Go to the Baldwin Wallace University CastleBranch portal link to begin this process. 

Substance abuse is incompatible with the practice of professional speech-language pathology. The Master of Science SLP program at Baldwin Wallace University recognizes its responsibility to maintain a drug-free educational environment and to ensure that students provide safe, high quality speech-language pathology services while engaged in official school educational activities. In keeping with this goal, the faculty support the policies set forth by the University relative to the use of drugs and alcohol. 

As guests in the health care facilities at which the Master of Science SLP program affiliates, students will be subject to the policies of the agency, which may include random urine testing. If student drug or alcohol usage is detected in the clinical setting, the student will be tested at the clinical agency in accordance with agency policies. Detection of drug or alcohol usage while in the clinical setting will result in immediate dismissal from the Master of Science SLP program. 

All students returning to the Master of Science SLP program after an absence will again be subject to substance abuse testing.

Program Costs and Financial Assistance

View SLP program cost and financing options.

This sheet details how your SLP program cost will be billed throughout the program, and outlines financing options/graduate loan eligibility.

FAFSA

To apply for a federal direct student loan and graduate PLUS loan, complete the FAFSA annually. BW's Federal ID code is 003014. If you have not done so already, it is time to complete and submit your 2020-21 FAFSA.

Graduate PLUS loans are available to help SLP students finance any remaining educational costs not covered by federal direct student loans, including program costs and estimated living expenses as determined by the financial aid process. Learn more about financing options for graduate students.

Baldwin Wallace provides liability insurance for speech-language pathology students while they are at a clinical site at no cost to the student. This policy provides coverage while on site at the clinical setting only. This coverage does not extend beyond the active clinical experience under the auspice of this speech-language pathology program.

Proof of medical insurance coverage must be provided to the director of clinical education for the SLP program before orientation and will be collected through CastleBranch.

Students must provide their own personal health insurance while a student at Baldwin Wallace University. Proof of insurance will be required prior to participating in any clinical experience. Neither the university nor clinical affiliates cover student health-related incidents.

Books are covered in the cost of the program and will be distributed as electronic books during orientation. Online fees for the Calipso program used to track competencies and hours will be provided. Students will be provided a computer with necessary accessories as part of tuition.

Baldwin Wallace provides student parking for Master of Science SLP students while they are on the BW campus at no cost to the student. All students are required to follow University parking regulations. Visit campus access services for parking regulations and details. Students are responsible for any citation fines, payable at the BW cashiers office in Bonds Administration Building. Unpaid fines are attached to the student bill after ten days.

BW is located just 20 minutes from Cleveland, and SLP students find many affordable housing options within the surrounding communities. SLP students who wish to live in campus-owned housing may consider a BW graduate student apartment.

Baldwin Wallace is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. The BW Office of Accessible Education (OAE) is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Students who have or think they may have a disability (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical or systemic) are invited to contact OAE to arrange a confidential discussion at (440) 826-2147 or disability@bw.edu. Find additional information about how to get connected with the OAE.