How to become a speech pathologist with a psychology degree

April 12th, 2009, 02:53 am

BA in Psychology?

Hi everyone!

I'm new to LJ  and this community and have found many of the posts here VERY informative and helpful, especially to someone like me who has no "real" experience in the field of speech pathology. You all seem great. :)

Anyway, on to my question: does anyone know if applying to grad. schools w/ an undergraduate degree in Psychology will greatly influence the chance of acceptance in a negative way? Has anyone done this successfully, and if so - details please? I know that the process is competitive enough WITH an undergrad. degree in Communication Disorders...

Where I am (Ramapo College of NJ), there is no program for Comm. Disorders or anything related to Speech Pathology... I only recently decided to take this career path (switching from my original plan of school psychology) but am now worried about what kinds of options I'll face after I obtain my BA in Psych. (May 2011)

I'm on full scholarship here so transferring isn't really a good option for me. Besides that, I know an undergrad. degree in Speech-Language Pathology is not "NECESSARY" for acceptance to graduate programs, but am still wondering if many people are able to do this.  My only real experience in the field could be my summer job at a camp for kids w/ special needs  -- I teach arts and crafts and I know that some kids do have speech disorders and autism, but I have never worked directly w/ them in terms of these issues.  Everything I know about speech pathology is courtesy of my Child Psychology class I took  this semester, which initially opened my eyes to the field, and hours and hours of Internet/library research.  I'm also doing a rather in depth, optional paper for Child Psych. on language delays in preschoolers, and that has really sparked an interest for me as well.

Sorry for the length of this post - I just feel that more info. is sometimes better than not enough! Any help or advice is very truly appreciated.

~ Jackie
Ramapo College of New Jersey '11
Psychology major, Sociology minor
Hopeful future SLP

Can You Major In Psychology To Become A Speech Pathologist?

The short answer is yes. If you have a passion for helping people and want to work in the field of speech pathology, then it is very possible to major in psychology and work as a speech pathologist. However, it is important to know that there are other requirements involved with becoming a speech pathologist.

What Do You Need To Be A Speech Pathologist?

To become a speech pathologist you need to complete a bachelor’s degree program or higher. This may include completing an Associate’s or Master’s degree program in speech-language pathology. You must also complete several years of clinical experience before you can apply for certification through ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association). Finally, once you have completed all of these steps you must pass the ASHA certification test! While it may seem difficult at first glance, if you enjoy working with people and helping them achieve their goals then this career path could be perfect for you!

Can You Major In Psychology To Become A Speech Pathologist

Introduction

If you’re passionate about helping people, it’s no surprise that you’re considering a career in healthcare. Becoming a speech-language pathologist can be an extremely rewarding career. However, is it true that you can major in psychology to become a speech-language pathologist? While the two disciplines have some overlap, the answer is no—majoring in psychology will not get you on the right track to becoming a speech-language pathologist.

How to become a speech pathologist with a psychology degree

In a word, no.

In a word, no.

You can major in psychology and become a speech pathologist, but it’s not easy. You’ll have to go through some extra schooling. The good news is that there are many paths you can take to become a speech pathologist—you just need to decide which one works best for your needs and interests.

Can you major in psychology to become a speech-language pathologist?

You can’t major in psychology to become a speech-language pathologist.

The field of speech-language pathology is a specialized one, and to be qualified for it you need to have a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders (CSD). A bachelor’s degree can be earned at many colleges and universities across the country by completing certain prerequisites and coursework, taking 1 or 2 years of some combination of liberal arts classes, writing classes and even basic science classes including anatomy/physiology, biology etc.

A different kind of sound.

Speech and language are two different things. Speech is the physical production of sounds, while language refers to the words and phrases that go along with those sounds. The two are linked—a person can’t speak without language—but they’re distinct enough that there’s a difference between speech disorders and language disorders.

Speech problems can happen when someone has trouble forming words or speaking clearly, or if they have trouble pronouncing individual sounds. Sometimes speech issues are related to hearing loss, which makes it harder for the brain to translate sound into meaning (and vice versa).

Language disorders occur when a person has trouble expressing themselves in their native tongue through either written or verbal means. For example, if you have dyslexia (which is actually not technically classified as a language disorder), it’ll be difficult for you to read letters or numbers out loud because your brain doesn’t recognize these symbols as letters at all!

What courses should be in that speech-language pathology degree?

Your speech-language pathology degree will depend on the school you choose. Most schools require at least a bachelor’s degree, but some schools may require a master’s degree and others may have certain certificate or license requirements (or even something more specific like an ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence).

Most people who want to become speech pathologists need to complete their bachelor’s degree first, then apply for graduate school after they’ve finished. If you’re planning on going into medical school, this can be done while completing your undergraduate years—but if not, you’ll have to wait until after graduation before applying for any graduate programs.

Communication sciences and disorders degree programs.

Communication sciences and disorders degree programs are designed to prepare students for careers in the field of speech-language pathology. As such, they often require students to take courses in anatomy, neuroscience, phonetics and linguistics. These types of classes will be helpful when it comes time for you to work with clients who have problems with speech or language skills.

In order to get into these programs:

  • You will need either an undergraduate degree or a Master’s degree in communication sciences or a related field (such as psychology).
  • You may need experience working in the field as a speech therapist assistant or other related role.
  • You will likely need good grades from your undergraduate program because many graduate schools require that you have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4 point scale (B average).

Many, many paths to the same glorious destination.

If you’re interested in becoming a speech-language pathologist, there are many different options for how to pursue your degree. In fact, it’s possible to major in psychology and minor in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). Or you could major in linguistics and minor in CSD, or even just take classes from both departments as electives. To get an idea of what’s involved with each option, take a look at the list below:

  • Majoring In Psychology And Minoring In CSD
  • Majoring In Linguistics And Minoring In CSD
  • Taking Classes From Both Departments As Electives

What you major in as an undergraduate is less important than making sure you have the requisite courses needed to get into graduate school and on your way to becoming a speech-language pathologist.

One of the things you should know is that what you major in as an undergraduate is less important than making sure you have the requisite courses needed to get into graduate school and on your way to becoming a speech-language pathologist. A lot of people think they can major in psychology, get all those required classes out of the way, then go to graduate school for two years and everything will be good. But it’s not that simple! You need more than just the right courses—you also need good grades, experience (internships), references from professors who know your work well enough to write recommendation letters for graduate school applications, and internships at hospitals or clinics where there are experienced speech-language pathologists who can mentor you along your journey towards becoming one yourself!

Conclusion

Most importantly, be careful not to get too caught up in the “right” major. Your undergraduate course of study is primarily a means to an end, and only one component in your overall educational journey towards becoming a speech-language pathologist. If you are diligent about taking the right classes and getting good grades in them, you will be able to apply for graduate programs with confidence that if you are accepted into one of those programs, it’s because they believe in your ability to succeed as a student. You’ve got this!

What bachelor's degree is best for speech pathology?

A few examples of popular undergraduate majors for future speech-language pathologists are: communication sciences and disorders, linguistics, language development, education, psychology, and english.

What education is required to be a speech pathologist?

Master's degreeSpeech and Language Therapist / Entry level educationnull

Is speech pathologist hard to get into?

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, the acceptance rate to speech pathology grad school is 39% in the recent school years.

How much does a NYC DOE speech therapist make?

$88,470. The estimated total pay for a Speech Language Pathologist at New York City Department of Education is $88,470 per year.