Speech Language Pathology - Master of Science
Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology (MS)
This program is designed for people with a college degree who want to become Speech-Language Pathologists.
Historically, about half of our students have an undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology, while the rest have a diversity of undergraduate degrees including linguistics, education, biology, psychology, English, business, engineering, drama, music, family/child studies and world languages.
This comprehensive, innovative program:
- Is a two-year, full-time program that starts each September
- Integrates intensive study of written language disorders with the traditional study of spoken language disorders
- Emphasizes both educational and medical speech-language pathology, enabling you to work with the full range of congenital, developmental and acquired disorders
See the program's application process for prerequisites and other admission requirements.
Optional Concentrations for Specialty Training
The program's extensive core curriculum and specialty electives eliminate the need for tracking into either a medical or educational course of study. Instead, you may specialize in an area of interest through concentrations, including:
- Adult Neurogenic Communication Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Early Intervention
- Literacy
- Literacy with preparation for Reading Specialist Licensure
- Medical Speech Pathology
- Voice Disorders
Our integration of written with spoken language disorders studies also allows you to become eligible for:
Many of our students graduate with extra credit hours simply because they want to take full advantage of the powerful, scholarly opportunities afforded them through our elective offerings.
Research and Thesis Options
Research opportunities and thesis options are available if you wish to pursue them. Faculty research projects are ongoing in the areas of autism, voice, reading/literacy, aphasia, motor speech disorders, cognitive impairment, and phonology.
You can participate in faculty research and take advantage of our centralized location within the hub of New England’s top teaching and research institutions and our affiliation with the world-class Mass General Brigham and our more than 200 active affiliates.
Upon completion of the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program, you will be prepared to serve in both educational and health care settings as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Clinical Experience
To integrate classroom and clinical learning, our program offers intensive but supportive clinical experiences. Two initial in-house practica, involving work with developmental speech-language and reading problems, take place onsite under close faculty supervision in the MGH Institute Speech, Language and Literacy Center. During these two semesters, students pair up in dyads sharing primary and secondary roles in planning and conducting evaluations and therapy with clients who have spoken and written language disorders.
These peer-pairings allow students to ease into their first clinical experiences with a greater sense of security, while also enabling them to have more experiences with a wider array of clients. Client casework is reviewed weekly at clinical team meetings where students present their cases for the week. Weekly seminars offer hands-on learning of clinical procedures and techniques.
A minimum of three semesters of offsite practica follow the in-house practica. Each student’s offsite practica include one school setting, one setting in which they work with adults, and usually another setting related to their interests. Practicum placements are individually determined through consultation with clinical coordinators to best ensure the acquisition of knowledge and skills.
MGH Institute students enjoy priority placements at prestigious health care facilities (including Massachusetts General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, Children’s Hospital Boston, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Boston VA Healthcare System) and schools (including Boston Public Schools and Winthrop Public Schools) in the greater Boston area and throughout New England.
The MGH Institute Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders currently has more than 200 clinical education affiliations with prominent hospitals and schools in the Greater Boston area and throughout New England, including:
Mass General Brigham
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
MGH Chelsea and Revere Healthcare Centers
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
North Shore Medical Center
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network
Educational Clinical Placement Sites
Billerica Public Schools
Boston Metro Early Intervention Program
Boston Public Schools
Brookline Public Schools
Dearborn Academy, Arlington
Hanover Public Schools
New England Center for Children
Newton Public Schools
Perkins School for the Blind
Anne Sullivan Early Intervention Program
Wakefield Public Schools
Wellesley Public Schools
Whitman-Hanson Regional School District
Winthrop Public Schools
Other Medical Clinical Placement Sites
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Cambridge Hospital
Children's Hospital, Boston
Franciscan Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Center
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
New England Medical Center
Barry L. Price Rehabilitation Center
South Shore Visiting Nurses Association
Veterans Administration, Boston Healthcare System