Prerequisite Requirements

Applicants may complete prerequisite courses through OBU or complete equivalent courses through another regionally accredited institution. Courses completed at another regionally accredited institution must be recorded on an official transcript and are subject to review (course description, learning outcomes, course syllabus, etc.). The SLP Director of Admissions is responsible for decisions regarding all required prerequisites completed at another institution.

Non-Degree Student

Applicants who would like to complete prerequisite courses as a non-degree students should submit a non-degree application.

Speech-Language Pathology Core Prerequisites

For applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) or Communication Science and Disorders (CSD), the following speech-language pathology (SLP) prerequisites or equivalent are required for MS-SLP program enrollment. All required SLP core prerequisites must be completed no more than ten years prior to application unless the applicant provides documentation of current and consistent employment as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) or bachelor’s level speech-language therapist. The SLP Director of Admissions is responsible for decisions regarding SLP prerequisites completed more than ten years prior to application.

Course Code	Course Title	Credits
SLP 3003	Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders	3
SLP 4003	Anatomy and Physiology of Communication and Swallowing	3
SLP 3023	Acoustic and Articulatory Phonetics	3
SLP 3013	Language Science	3
SLP 4013	Audiology Fundamentals	3
SLP 4023	Speech and Language Development	3
SLP 4031	Guided Clinical Observation*	1

*Requires completion of 25 hours of guided clinical observation that meets the ASHA certification standards (Standard V-C). Guided clinical observation hours may be completed as a requirement in a standalone course or may be completed through an academic program without a standalone course. See below for requirements for documentation of guided clinical observation hours.

Four of the seven SLP core prerequisite courses must be completed with a final grade of B- or better on an official transcript at the time of application to be eligible for an admission decision. The remaining prerequisite courses may be taken prior to enrollment in the program and must be completed with a final grade of B- or better on an offKicial transcript prior to enrollment.

General Education Prerequisites

Specific undergraduate general education courses are required for professional certification. The MS-SLP program requires all students to complete these prerequisites prior to enrollment to ensure that they will be adequately prepared to pursue certification. For detailed descriptions of the general education perquisite requirements for certification, refer to this website Prerequisite Course Content Areas Related to SLP Certification Standards.

The required areas are: 

• Biology  
• Physics or Chemistry 
• Statistics 
• Social Sciences and Behavioral Sciences