Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.)

The mission of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Delaware Valley University (DelVal) is to prepare culturally competent professionals to enter the field of speech-language pathology with the skills necessary to assess and to treat a diverse population of individuals, to integrate scholarship and policy into practice, and to serve and to lead in the community.  The mission is to deliver the needs of the community and society as a whole and to offer education that is inclusive of all.

There are two overarching goals of the program: 

1) Students will gain comprehensive knowledge of speech-language pathology across diverse age groups, diagnoses and disorders, assessment processes, and treatment plans; and:   

2) Students will gain insight regarding ethical challenges, develop cultural competency, pursue professional licensure, and produce effective communication skills.   

Below is a list of the program learning outcomes: 

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), graduates of the program will demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and professional competencies. Students will: 
 

1. Demonstrate knowledge of anatomical and physiological aspects of typical and atypical speech, language, hearing, cognition and swallowing processes, and genetic and pathophysiological processes affecting these functions. 

2. Demonstrate clinical skills to screen, assess, diagnose and provide appropriate interventions for individuals with communication and/or swallowing disorders across a diverse population, as well as develop interventions to help prevent or mitigate loss of communication functions.  

3. Critically evaluate research, integrate theory, and apply evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning skills in order to problem solve within clinical settings. 

4. Demonstrate a professional code of conduct within the field of speech-language pathology and audiology that is commensurate with the standards of the profession, including integrity, accountability, ethical conduct, communication, cultural competency, and patient care. 

5. Demonstrate knowledge of inter-professionalism in healthcare, and be able to collaborate with other health professionals to provide quality comprehensive services to individuals with diverse needs and backgrounds. 

This Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology is an important building block within Delaware Valley University’s strategic plan for increasing graduate student enrollment.  As a growing field within the healthcare industry, the SLP Program will attract bachelor’s level graduates from across the United States.  The program’s small class size, online delivery model, hands-on approach to learning, and clinical experiences will appeal to students interested in the field of study.  Furthermore, the fieldwork component of the SLP program fits with the institution’s strategic goal of expanding experiential learning opportunities and developing mutually beneficial partnerships within the program’s local, regional, and national geographic footprint.

The program is delivered in a cohort model, with each course taught once per year.  Within 5-years the goal is to attain full CAA accreditation.  The SLP program will help foster Delaware Valley University’s goal of growing the graduate programs in the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and further the institution’s regional, national, and global reach by developing leaders of tomorrow whose employable skills will help fulfill critical clinical needs within the communities served.

The strategic plan of the SLP program includes the following long-term goals, specific measurable objectives, strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives, and a schedule for analysis of the plan. Each goal is assessed using various measures and metrics, which culminate in the evaluation of the entire plan.

1. Long-Term Goal: Educate and prepare highly qualified SLP health care providers within the community regionally and nationally.

a. Strategies for the evaluation of the attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide an innovative SLP program that helps prepare students and professionals better meet the needs of the communities and populations they serve. By offering small class sizes, an online delivery model, a hands-on approach to learning, and comprehensive clinical experiences, the program is able to educate and prepare qualified health care providers. Furthermore, the fieldwork component of the SLP program fits with the institution’s strategic goal of expanding experiential learning opportunities and developing mutually beneficial partnerships within the program’s local, regional, and national geographic footprint.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. The SLP master’s program will become a Candidate for Accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) by Spring 2022.

2. The SLP master’s program will become a fully accredited CAA program within the 5-year requirement set by CAA (2027).

3. The program will meet anticipated program outcomes demonstrating student success to include program completion rates and Praxis® Subject Assessment examination pass rates.

b. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Formulate affiliation agreements with health service organizations to provide high quality clinical rotations.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. Affiliation agreements will be established with organizations that represent the breadth of practice in the field, such as community agencies, nonprofit organizations, and education institutions. We will obtain four sites for each projected student each year.

2. Long-Term Goal: Provide interprofessional collaboration for faculty and students.

a. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide interprofessional opportunities and activities that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. The program will collaborate with other health-related graduate programs at DelVal to provide an interprofessional event for students. This may involve collaboration between clinical and health science departments and programs, such as Physician Assistant Studies, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, and Counseling Psychology. In addition, the students and faculty will have the opportunity to participate in the university’s annual Day of Scholarship.

b. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide interprofessional opportunities and collaboration for students in the Speech-Language Pathology department and students in other departments.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. Students will be encouraged to participate in faculty-led research, up to one project per year.

2. Students will complete one research project in SLP 7040: Research Methods. The students will present this research at the end of the semester.

c. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Develop, implement, and evaluate the annual interprofessional collaboration activities and opportunities provided to students, refining and expanding these activities based on data. 

3. Long-Term Goal: Expand the SLP program to increase outreach and visibility.

a. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Start with a small cohort of students and responsibly increase each cohort size (Year 1: 20; Year 2: 20; Year 3: 25; Year 4: 25, Year 5: 30).

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. Target cohort size will begin with 20 students in the inaugural year and responsibly increase over five years to accommodate 30 students per cohort by Fall 2026.

b. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Maintain Delaware Valley University’s small class size commitment and add additional class sections when needed to keep each class size small for optimal engagement with the instructor and student and optimal learning environment for the student.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. DelVal has a commitment to small class sizes for the benefit of student and teacher engagement. The optimal class section size is 25 students per section.

c. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Create articulation agreements with surrounding universities that do not offer an SLP master’s degree to provide a guaranteed interview for admission to DelVal’s SLP program.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. DelVal will establish an admissions interview agreement with at least one university that does not offer a master’s degree in SLP within the first five years of the program’s development.

d. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: DelVal will identify and establish a guaranteed admissions interview agreement with a university in its region that does not offer a SLP master’s degree.

4. Long-Term Goal: Commitment to quality faculty development.

a. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide professional development opportunities for faculty members including participation in conferences training programs, and tuition support for select degree programs at DelVal.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. All faculty members will participate in professional development opportunities annually to enhance their teaching and practice, including opportunities at DelVal. Each year, the SLP program hosts a faculty retreat in which all faculty and staff are required to attend for professional development.

2. All faculty and staff will be required to complete DE101 and DE201 courses through DelVal to ensure competent and consistent online pedagogy.

3. DelVal provides full tuition remission for faculty and staff members to pursue an advanced degree at DelVal.

b. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide appropriate funding for faculty to present original research at regional, national, and/or international conferences.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. All faculty and staff will have their ASHA dues paid annually.

2. All faculty and staff will be provided with funding for travel to present research at least once annually.

5. Long-Term Goal: Ensure adequate clinical placement sites.

a. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide clinical rotation sites for students that align with the mission of Delaware Valley University and its commitment to experiential learning.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. Annual partnership meetings will be held to develop and reassess partnership goals that are consistent with the mission and goals of Delaware Valley University, the SLP program, and clinical education community partners. Students will be placed in clinical sites to allow them to apply the knowledge acquired in their didactic courses in a clinical environment by serving clients across the human lifespan, SLP scope of practice, and clinical service delivery modalities.

b. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Facilitate affiliations with clinical placement sites with qualified supervisors that provide sufficient clinical learning experiences. Placements will be based on the students’ progress in the program and coursework that is in progress or completed to ensure the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to clinical practice.

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. Students’ learning through clinical placements will be marked by progress toward their learning outcomes through mid-semester and end-of-semester evaluations. Clinical supervisors will participate in a workshop by the clinical director at DelVal to implement the classroom and clinical practice. Direct communication from the clinical director to the clinical supervisor will ensure that students have or are in the process of having obtained adequate clinical knowledge and are receiving adequate preparation during clinical rotations.

2. The clinical director at DelVal will communicate with students every two weeks to provide an update on their experience at their current clinic placement site to ensure the student is receiving adequate supervision and that they are able to transfer skills learned in their courses to the clinical environment. A formal mid-term and final assessment will be established in the clinical management system for this purpose with input from both the DelVal clinical director and the site’s clinical supervisor.

c. Strategies for attainment of the goals and objectives: Provide possible sites for students to obtain their Clinical Fellowship (CF).

i. Specific Measurable Objectives:

1. The DelVal clinical director will maintain a job posting site through the clinical management system in which clinical education sites with current affiliation agreement with the university can post job openings to facilitate clinical fellowship placements for successful DelVal SLP graduates.