The Master of Science in Speech, Language and Auditory Pathology is Accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The Distance Education program of study has the very same degree requirements as the regular, full-time program. Candidates must complete a minimum of 54 hours of graduate credit and pass a final, comprehensive examination. Students have the option of completing an additional 6 credit hours to qualify for the North Carolina DPI 60 hour advanced certificate. Generally, the program of study will take approximately three years to complete (including the summer terms between each academic year). See the Program of Study link for the sequence of courses to be taken.

In addition to the academic course work, the candidate must obtain a minimum of 375 supervised clinical hours in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders. These hours are required to meet certification and licensure requirements as set forth by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Asscoiation and the North Carolina Board of Examiners. The accumulation of supervised clinical hours will begin during the first summer after admission. An on-campus, 10 week summer residency is required for all students, unless appropriate sites and supervisiors can be found near the student's place of residence. The 10 week residency is offered in order for the department to be able to adequately determine the clinical competencies of the student. This residency occurs during the summer session between the first and second year. In some situations, a second summer residency may be required. Clinical hours following the summer residency will occur during the remaining semesters of the student's program of study. It will be the responsiblility of the candidate in conjunction with the clinic director, to secure at least two (2) internship sites in their geographic area with ASHA approved supervisors. The department will provide the guidelines for securing clinical sites. In order to meet the clinical hour requirements, it may be necessary for the student to enroll in internship courses beyond the three year projection. There is no guarantee that your clinical internships will be loacted in your immediate geographic area.