Speech-Language Pathology

The Master of Science in speech-language pathology is a two-year program for full-time graduate students. View a complete list of required courses and descriptions and elective courses and descriptions in the BW catalog.

Course Schedule

Semester 1 (Fall)

Foundational Knowledge

Semester 2 (Spring)

Expansion of Foundational Knowledge

Semester 3 (Summer) – 10 weeks

Prevention, assessment and intervention of special populations and modes of communication.

Semester 4 (Fall)

Prevention, assessment and intervention of Speech Disorders (voice, resonance and fluency) and aural rehabilitation.

Semester 5 (Spring)

Integration, application and reflection on academic and clinical experiences.

Elective Courses

All students enrolled in the master’s program will participate in diverse and challenging clinical experiences that incorporate a wide range of communication disorders and settings. Through the BW Speech Clinic and partnering community organizations, BW SLP students provide speech, language and hearing services to clients under the supervision of licensed and certified speech-language pathologists. 

Because they start earning clinical hours in their first semester, BW SLP students earn more clinical hours by end of their second semester than students in many other programs earn by the end of their third.

• The BW Speech Clinic is an on-campus clinic where students provide speech and language diagnostic and intervention services to more than 300 patients weekly. Students work closely with faculty members while learning about communication disorders within the profession.
• BW SLP students participate in an international experience in Zambia, Africa during the summer of their first year, providing a clinical practicum and service-learning opportunity to gain exposure to speech-pathology and other allied health professions in a developing country.

Below is a small sampling of the types of opportunities available to students through local agencies:

• A collaboration with the Bedford City School District allows Baldwin Wallace students to get first-hand experience with a diverse population. Students work in classrooms to provide supplemental language and literacy support for at-risk elementary and preschool students.
• Working with The Treehouse, students provide speech and language services in a community based setting with children ages 1 to 5 years.
• Programs with the Olmsted Falls City School District allow graduate students to work with students in social skills groups, response to intervention and phonological awareness skills to facilitate success in the classroom.
• During the second year of the master’s program, Baldwin Wallace students will engage in multiple external placements. Examples of possible placements include the Cleveland Clinic Health System, University Hospitals, Akron Children’s Medical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Monarch Center for Autism and Achievement Centers for Children.

The communication sciences and disorders department values evidence-based educational approaches that actively engage students within the learning environment. The faculty utilize a variety of techniques, including the following:

• Problem-based learning (PBL) presents students with “real-life” problems that encourage them to utilize higher-level thinking to develop well-conceived solutions. The problems vary greatly and include situations that require students to work individually during a class period to apply course information to find a solution as well as situations that require groups of students to access information outside of class, draw connections between courses and solve the larger problem over several weeks. During PBL tasks, students work to solve the assigned problem, while faculty members are present as collaborators, asking questions and providing encouragement and support as needed for students to act as independent thinkers and learners.
• Technology is incorporated in a wide variety of ways both within and outside of the classroom. Internet-based teaching and learning, iPad applications, wikis, online journals and discipline-specific equipment are all incorporated for students to engage with the course material.
• Collaborative learning techniques such as high-quality class discussions and peer teaching (i.e., role play, test taking teams, etc.) offer an alternative to lecture-based class meetings.
• Academic service-learning engages students in learning as they actively apply classroom concepts directly and indirectly to the general community. This enables students to see how the course content relates to real-life experiences while at the same time providing valuable services to the community.

More information is available in the student handbook.

Vision

Empowering our students to affect meaningful and progressive change, through mindful engagement as global citizens within the greater community, as well as effectively serving those with disabling communication impairments.

Mission

Mission for Undergraduate Program

Educating students to be compassionate, innovative leaders in the area of communication disorders and/or related fields.

Mission for Graduate Program

Educating future Speech-Language Pathologists to be compassionate, innovative leaders and effectively serve the local and global communities.

Strategic Plan

(3 years = 2022-25)

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

• Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders
• Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology 

The department of communication sciences and disorders at Baldwin Wallace University is committed to academic and clinical excellence. Informed by our mission and input from students, graduates, clinical supervisors, the SLP advisory board, BW administration and CSD faculty, the following strategic plan identifies the ways in which the department intends to achieve its vision for the future. The strategic plan is reviewed on an annual basis.

• Continued excellence in academic and clinical education.
  • Maintain accreditation from the Council of Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA).
  • Evaluate physical space needs and use to support academic and clinical programs.
  • Curriculum assessment and revision as needed in the areas of Interprofessional Education (IPE), supervision, evidence-based practice (EBP), cultural competence and leadership.
• Support for faculty.
  • Share research, scholarly activities and achievements.
  • Support for faculty in scholarship and professional development activities.
  • Develop and implement a mentoring and peer support program.
  • Examine opportunities for faculty engagement and collaboration within the department.
• Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
  • Increase diversity of undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Share opportunities for faculty development in DEI.
  • Examine and revise external and internal documents regarding DEI as needed.
  • Examine opportunities to increase diversity within the clinical experiences.
• Innovative leader in education and clinical services.
  
  • Be an innovative leader in clinical education and supervision.
  • Continue to update and utilize Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) library and resources.
  • Examine opportunities to collaborate at BW.

In spring 2017, Baldwin Wallace graduated its first class of students earning the Master of Science in speech-language pathology degree. Since then, 100% of BW's graduates have completed the program on time, passed the Praxis exam, and are employed in professional positions in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Program Outcomes

On-Time Program Completion Rates

Praxis Exam Pass Rates of Test-Takers

Employment Rates of Graduates

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Baldwin Wallace University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, (800) 498-2071 or (301) 296-5700.