Why to Minor in SLHS

What is Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences?

SLHS coursework prepares students for careers in speech-language pathology or audiology. Speech-language pathologists are medical and educational professionals who work with people of all ages who have difficulty with speech production, language use and comprehension, and/or swallowing. Audiologists are medical professionals who work with people of all ages who encounter difficulties hearing or with balance. Both fields require a graduate-level degree to enter the profession.

Who should consider a minor?

Most students who complete the minor in SLHS will be considering a career in speech-language pathology or audiology but will have chosen a different primary major. Some students will complete the minor because they are interested in services for people with disabilities but have no intent to enter the careers of speech-language pathology or audiology, e.g., those interested in special education, psychology, social work, etc.

Applying to graduate study in speech-language pathology or audiology with the minor

Students who are completing the minor in order to apply to graduate programs in the careers should be aware that different programs require different prerequisites. It would be prudent to investigate graduate programs of interest to determine what their prerequisites are rather than to rely on the minor meeting all requirements, for example, some programs require an introductory linguistics or language science course, and students applying to those programs should take SLHS 215: Language Science even though it is not a requirement of the minor. It is recommended that students minoring in SLHS speak to someone in SLHS advising about their plans. The department will be happy to provide assistance in choosing courses, preparing graduate school applications, and learning about career options.

Note: Students who are interested in graduate school preparation might apply to programs that require entering students to have earned up to 25 hours of observation meeting standards of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. The only way to earn observations that meet these requirements at UMass is to enroll in SLHS 420: Clinical Observations in addition to the courses listed above.

Massachusetts Licensure as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant or Audiology Assistant

Students who wish to apply for licensure as a SLP or AuD assistant in Massachusetts can do so with the minor and 20 hours of observation of speech-language pathologists and/or audiologists who are licensed in Massachusetts. Students can enroll in SLHS 420: Clinical Observations in order to meet the observation requirement if they are not able to complete the hours in the field. Please make an appointment with departmental advising if you have questions, and see the information for state licensure as an SLP-A or AuD-A on the Massachusetts Board of Licensing for Speech Pathology and Audiology.