Students in speech language pathology and audiology programs learn how
to help people whose communication abilities are interrupted. Both programs
involve communication. There is some overlap in what you study. But they are
two different fields.
"Audiologists really work on diagnosing hearing problems and in some cases
fitting hearing aids or doing aural rehabilitation with people who have varying
degrees of hearing loss, and some people get into sign language and that kind
of thing," explains Walter Manning. He's a professor and associate dean at
the school of audiology and speech-language pathology at the University of
Memphis.
"But that's very different from the speech language pathologists -- the
scope of practice for a speech language pathologist is just huge," Manning
says.
For example, speech language pathologists work with voice problems, articulation,
language development and fluency disorders like stuttering. They assist clients
with cleft palate and motor speech problems. They help children (and sometimes
adults) with swallowing disorders. They assist with literacy. And the list
goes on.
"The scope of practice is just very, very wide in speech pathology and
it has two implications," says Manning. "A lot of people don't necessarily
know what we do because we do so many things. It also means that you can't
assume that a speech language pathologist is particularly good in all those
areas. People tend to specialize, as they do in many fields."
Manning's area of specialty is helping people with fluency problems, particularly
those who stutter.
You'll be facing stiff competition if you apply to get into a speech language
pathology or audiology program.
Phyllis Schneider is a professor in a university department of speech pathology
and audiology. "They [speech language and pathology master degree programs]
are all very popular, so we tend to get very strong students," says Schneider.
She says a lot of applicants have honors degrees, but they aren't required.
What does it take to get into a program? "Grades are number one," says
Schneider. "If they have research experience, that's very good."
Some universities in the U.S. offer bachelor's degrees in speech-language
pathology and audiology (sometimes also called communication disorders). However,
to work in most regions of North America, you'll need at least a master's
degree. Bachelor's degree graduates may act as assistants to professionals.
Audiologists go straight from their undergrad program to an Au.D. program.
This is a clinical doctorate in audiology. Although it's a doctorate degree,
an Au.D. is not the same a PhD.
"You don't really focus on research like you do in the PhD," says Manning.
"It's more [like a] master's degree. It takes three years of coursework and
then a year of internship or externship in a clinic or hospital."
A master's degree in speech language pathology typically takes two or two
and a half years. Then you do a clinical internship that is nine months to
a year in duration.
The most common undergraduate degree for applicants to the master's program
at the University of Memphis is speech language pathology, says Manning. But
there's a wide variety, he says, and they need not be honors degrees.
"We often advise people to go into the psychology program if there's no
undergraduate program [at their university] in speech language pathology,"
says Manning.
Graduates of speech language pathology and audiology programs can choose
to write a certification exam given by the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association (ASHA). Getting certified is optional but most choose to do it.
Certification provides clients and employers evidence of your skills and knowledge.
More than 140,000 audiology and speech-language professionals currently hold
ASHA certification.
Typical courses in a speech-language pathology and audiology program cover
language disorders, communication problems of the hearing impaired, audiological
disorders and evaluation, neurogenics, and communication and aging.
Links
Occupational Outlook Handbook
For more information related to this field of study, see: Audiologists
American Speech-Hearing-Language Association
Lots of career info, including student profiles
Caroline Bowen's Speech-Language Pathology Reciprocal Links
Links and articles of interest