Augustana approved to admit international students to SLP master’s program

International students now may be admitted to Augustana College’s master of science in speech-language pathology program following a successful review process. 

Xong Sony Yang, director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) at Augustana, said the program was adjudicated in late November by the Department of Homeland Security: Student and Exchange Visitor Program. 

“OISSS is excited and looks forward to welcoming Augustana's first international graduate students and the first international students to join the communication sciences and disorders (CSD) master's program this summer,” Yang said. 

The college must reapply for recertification every two years. The successful adjudication process signals Augustana’s continued commitment to hosting F-1 VISA students and the successful management of the program. 

Dr. Allison Haskill, chair of CSD and director of the master’s program, said securing this approval was a joint effort across departments. 

“Since our master of science in speech-language pathology program began in 2020, we have had interest from prospective international students,” said Dr. Haskill. “We appreciate the work done by our colleagues in international student admissions that has made it possible for Augustana to be an option for international graduate students.”

Augustana’s speech-language pathology graduate program launched in 2020, and the first cohort of master’s students graduated in May 2022. The two-year program includes academic coursework and clinical work at the on-campus Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing. Master’s students also complete school-based and medical externships.

The Roseman Center is the oldest college clinic in the nation, and it serves as a resource to the entire Quad-Cities area. During a typical semester, student clinicians provide assessment and intervention services for communication disorders to 95 members of the Quad-Cities community.

Augustana is a diverse campus community. About 15 percent of students are from other countries and, altogether, 49 countries are represented on campus.

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Augustana College is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.