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Speech-Language Pathology

Master of Science (M.S.)

Graduate Major

Grand Rapids • Face to face (?) • 36 Credits

Speech-language pathology is a field focused on diagnosing and treating communication and swallowing disorders to improve individuals' speech, language, and overall communication abilities.

Overview

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.) program at Grand Valley is designed to prepare students to identify and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders. This 60-credit hour program offers two tracks: an intensive four-semester program for those who have completed pre-professional requirements and a six-semester program that includes the pre-professional coursework. The program provides opportunities for supervised clinical practice in community-based healthcare and educational settings, ensuring students gain practical experience.

The curriculum covers a wide range of topics essential for speech-language pathology practice. Students will study speech sound disorders, autism spectrum disorders, cognitive and social aspects of communication, stuttering and other fluency disorders, voice and resonance, feeding and swallowing, augmentative and alternative communication modalities, and receptive and expressive language. The program integrates clinical application into academic coursework, providing a comprehensive education that prepares students for professional practice.

The program is known for its interprofessional health sciences approach and is one of the few in Michigan offering all therapy programs. Located on Grand Valley's Health Campus in downtown Grand Rapids, students benefit from the proximity to major medical and healthcare providers on the "Medical Mile". The unique combination of rigorous academics and practical experience ensures graduates are well-equipped to make a significant impact in the field.

College of Health Professions
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Speech-Language Pathology

gvsu.edu/csd
500 Lafayette Ave. NE, Suite 204
(616) 331-5540

Program Director

Cara M. Singer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
(616) 331-5564

Application Deadline

Deadline for Track 1 fall applications is January 15; Track 2 priority deadline is April 1 and seats will be filled until July 1 as available. The $30 nonrefundable application fee is waived if the applicant has previously applied to GVSU.

Career Opportunities

Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.

Top skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
Earnings statistics
Annual Earnings Percentile
$ 57,685.85 10%
$ 64,955.74 25%
$ 80,724.79 50%
$ 98,635.91 75%
$111,851.87 90%

Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.

Top skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
Earnings statistics
Annual Earnings Percentile
$ 58,190.74 10%
$ 73,580.87 25%
$ 94,327.42 50%
$113,232.46 75%
$140,497.98 90%
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Accreditation

The porgam is fully accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Clinical Experience

All four program semesters include community-based clinical placements and clinical application infused into academic coursework.

Scholarships

Grand Valley State University offers a wide variety of merit-based scholarships. For information on all of the scholarships that are available to students, please visit Scholarships at GVSU.

Grand Valley offers myScholarships (a scholarship matching tool) to help admitted students match with GVSU scholarships, as well as external scholarship opportunities. myScholarships will prompt you to answer questions to help match you to scholarships for which you might qualify.

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Page last modified June 13, 2025