The UT Martin Pre-Speech Pathology Plan is designed to prepare students for application to a graduate speech language pathology program. By following the Pre-Speech Pathology Plan recommendations, students will be eligible for admission into most graduate Speech Language Pathology (SLP) programs; however, the requirements for admission vary substantially from one institution to the next. The courses listed below are intended only as a guideline and students are strongly encouraged to review the requirements for their school(s) of choice as they vary from school to school. Additionally, the Pre-Speech Pathology Plan is not a major and does not fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate degree at UT Martin. The courses listed below are recommendations and are not required for degree completion unless also listed under the student’s chosen major.
The Pre-Speech Pathology Plan is slightly different from the other pre-health plans because the undergraduate prerequisites for most SLP graduate programs are not as rigid as other graduate health professions programs. Moreover, some graduate programs require specific courses in speech language or communication disorders that are not offered at UT Martin. In some cases students can add those courses to their graduate studies; however, in other cases, students will need to plan to take those courses after graduating from UT Martin. Students should contact the HSPP Program Coordinator for more information.
For most SLP programs:
- Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation. Students may major in any area they choose.
- Applicants must complete courses specifically in speech language pathology, audiology, or communication disorders prior to matriculation. These courses are not typically offered at UT Martin.
- Applicants must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and meet the technical skills as defined by the professional school.
- Applicants are encouraged to have some knowledge of the field from direct observations as part of their pre-professional experiences.
- Applications should be submitted directly to each graduate school or through the Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) in the summer or fall of the year preceding the desired admission date.
At a minimum, most SLP programs require:
- one biology course
- one chemistry course
- one statistics course
- one math course
While not an exhaustive list, the following courses are recommended for students considering applying to an SLP program school. As noted above, the requirements for the different SLP programs vary and students should always check with their advisor and/or school(s) of choice before deciding which classes to take. In particular, students need to develop a plan to address the speech language/communication prerequisites.