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Speech Language Pathology

Master of Science (M.S.)

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Earn Your SLP Master's at UW

Study with experts in telepractice and learn how to become an effective clinician. As a graduate student in UW’s speech-language pathology program, you’ll practice using electronic medical records while completing interesting and meaningful clinical work. UW offers the most current clinical education and training available in speech-language pathology graduate programs.

Admission and Application

Program Details

Tuition and Fees

Please visit our cost of attendance page

Department

Division of Communication Disorders

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About Our Exceptional Clinical Degree Program

The University of Wyoming's Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program (MS-SLP) is a full-time, six-semester program, classified as a residential program according to the criteria established by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). This program incorporates a online education component, involving one semester of online coursework and off-site clinical practicum, known as "community placement," completed during the fall semester of the second year. Consequently, students in this program dedicate their "first year" (three semesters) to on-campus studies and clinical practicum at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The "second year" (three semesters) consists of off-campus components, with students engaging in online education coursework and clinical practicum during the fall. Full-time externships are undertaken in the spring and summer of the second year. While off-site clinical placements can be located anywhere in the United States, it's important to note that students are matched to clinical sites by the Speech Clinic Director, and existing agreements must be in place prior to students beginning their placements. The combination of academic coursework and clinical experience allows you to gain diverse and deep knowledge and skills to diagnose, prevent, assess, and remediate communication difficulties and disorders.

On your path to becoming an SLP, you will learn about communication difficulties, such as voice disorders, speech sounds disorders, stuttering, language impairments and learning disabilities. You will also learn about communication and swallowing difficulties associated with neurological disorders such as strokes, head injuries, and developmental disorders.

You will be prepared to work with people across the lifespan, from infants to seniors, in diverse settings, including schools, preschools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, universities, and private practice. You will learn to diagnose speech and language disorders in children and adults, make recommendations for remediation, and provide direct intervention. Choose from either a thesis or non-thesis track. You can work with researchers investigating the nature and treatment of communication disorders, and conduct your own thesis research under the supervision of one of our PhD faculty members.

Audiologist working with client

Both tracks in our master’s program for speech-language pathology lead to eligibility for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), granted by the Council for Clinical Certification in Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). A supervised Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) is required beyond the graduate degree for MS-SLP clinical certification of competence. After earning your master’s in speech-language pathology from UW, you’ll also be eligible for the Wyoming license in speech-language pathology.

Speech language pathologist working with child

Admission to our program is contingent on the outcome of the background check and students must submit MMR immunization to UW’s Student Health Services. Students also must submit COVID-19 vaccination status, because that information is required for  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of the UW Speech & Hearing Clinic’s billing for patients to that agency. Students should also know that external clinical placements often require updated background checks and have their own processes and guidelines for vaccination documents and requirements, these sites are not bound to the University of Wyoming determinations.

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The Master’s of Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology {residential} at the University of Wyoming 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.

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Number of Terms and Modality for Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Degree Program

The Master's in Speech-Language Pathology is a full-time, two-year degree program consisting of ≈ 61 semester hours (SCH) of graduate study. The program is delivered in six consecutive semesters with full-time fall, spring and summer enrollment required. The program is classified as a residential program according to the criteria established by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA). This program incorporates a online education component, involving one semester of online coursework and off-site clinical practicum, known as "community placement," completed during the fall semester of the second year.

  • First Year: Students enroll in coursework while engaging in clinical practicum in the UW Speech & Hearing Clinic for the first three semesters. During the first year of the program, students are required to be on the UW main campus in Laramie, Wyoming.
  • Second Year: Students complete online synchronous coursework in the fall semester, and an intensive “community placement." These community-based practicums can occur in Wyoming or another state as long as a cooperative agreement can be obtained and the site and student placement is approved by the University, the program, and the Speech Clinic Director.  Students complete the oral comprehensive exam during the second year. During the spring and summer semesters of the second year, students engage in two full-time clinical externships in an educational and medical setting (arranged by the Speech Clinic Director). Externships occur throughout the U.S., generally at sites for which we have existent/formerly established contracts (most often in the Mountain-west region). At the bottom of this page, view the Interactive Map of Community Placements, Externships and Graduates' First Place Of Employment for Recent Years, for a sense of this information.

View the Course Catalog for details and curriculum information on the MS in SLP.

 

The Higher Education Act - State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) may affect clinical placement options (“community placements,” as well as externships). For the most current listing and updated information, students should check the State Authorization/Licensure information, as they request externships and work with the Speech Clinic Director up until placement. We will not place students in States where there is no agreement in place.

What Can You Do With a Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Degree?

Work with people and populations across the lifespan, from infants to seniors, as a speech-language pathologist in any setting. SLPs are in high demand in both metropolitan and rural communities across the United States.

Speech-Language Pathology Careers

SLPs work with people in diverse settings such as these:

  • Early Intervention, schools, universities
  • Clinics, hospitals, extended care centers and other medical settings
  • Home healthcare
  • Research labs
  • Government agencies
  • Military branches
  • Private practice 

 

 
Speech pathologist working with child

 

100% of SLP master’s program graduates from the University of Wyoming pass the Praxis exam and are employed upon completing their master’s degree.

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Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Degree Program Highlights

These are just some of the many reasons why we think UW offers one of the best master’s programs for speech-language pathology in the United States:

Clinical Experience

During your first three semesters in the SLP graduate program, you’ll complete clinical practicum in the UW Speech and Hearing Clinic. The program’s format then allows you to complete a “community placement” clinical rotation in a clinical, medical, or educational setting, as well as two full-time, 12-week clinical externships — one educational and one medical — at pre-approved contracted sites across the United States. These clinical experiences will prepare you to work with diverse patients in different settings with a wide range of needs. 

The UW Speech and Hearing Clinic serves people of all ages and with a variety of communication, cognitive, hearing, and swallowing disorders. Featuring telepractice stations, state-of-the-art research laboratories, a testing room for specialty procedures and clinical speech equipment. The Clinic is also where undergraduate students obtain clinical observation hours under the direct supervision of licensed providers.

Nationally Known Faculty & History

At UW, you will get face-to-face interactions with program faculty. Faculty research topics include MRI imaging of children with repaired cleft palates, acquired disorders, speech-sound disorders in children, school-age language and literacy, and dual-language learners and culturally diverse children with language disorders.

The Division of Communication Disorders at UW also has a long history and strong reputation, offering initial academic coursework in “speech corrections” in 1940 and clinical services in 1943. Since initial accreditation of UW’s M.S. program in 1973, we have had three ASHA Fellows on faculty.

 

Leveling Program

Individuals without a bachelor's degree in communication disorders must take a set of undergraduate core coursework before applying to the master's program. For more information, please see leveling program.

 

Graduate Research

If you want to pursue a thesis, you’ll have opportunities to collaborate on faculty-led research projects investigating the cause, nature, assessment, and treatment of communication disorders or typical development.

Community

Join other speech-language pathology graduate students in the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Graduate Assistantships

UW’s Division of Communication Disorders offers a limited number of assistantships. Graduate assistantships typically offer tuition support and a monthly stipend. Students are automatically considered for graduate assistantships as part of their application to the graduate program.

Licensure

Information on state-by-state Speech-Language Pathology Licensure eligibility and requirements can be found here.

Scholarships

UW’s Division of Communication Disorders typically awards more than $30,000 in student scholarships each year. Students apply for these funds through WyoScholarships.

Becoming a speech-language pathologist was a life-long goal for Lindsay Curran, M.S. CCC-SLP who graduated with her master's degree from the University of Wyoming in 2010. She began her career as school-based SLP at Wyoming Indian Elementary School, in Ethete Wyoming, located in the heart of the Wind River Reservation. Lindsay continues to serve students at Wyoming Indian Elementary School and is passionate about improving language and literacy outcomes for all students. UW was appealing for many reasons but topping the list was the affordability of the program as Lindsay completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at UW. The rigor and excellence of the program, along with a distinguished list of professors, provided her with solid, research driven education. In addition to the richness of the coursework was the powerful clinical experience which provided access to diverse clients and clinical supervisors who thoughtfully guided young clinicians through real life treatment sessions. Lindsay continues to collaborate with professors to do research and provide evidence-based practices for her students and values the connections she has been able to maintain at UW. UW continues to be an outstanding graduate program, one that Lindsay is incredibly proud to be a product of. It’s true you know, the world needs more cowgirls."

Interactive map of community placements, externships and graduates' first place of employment for recent years

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Division of Communication Disorders

Department 3311, 1000 E. University Avenue

Health Sciences, 265

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-6427

Email: comdis@uwyo.edu