Augustana’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program earns full accreditation

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has awarded full accreditation status to Augustana College’s master of science in speech-language pathology (MS-SLP) program. 

Dr. Allison Haskill, co-chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Department and director of Augustana's MS-SLP program, said the accreditation was achieved over four years and recognizes the high standards of Augustana's program.

“Accreditation is an important milestone in our program’s development,” said Dr. Haskill. “The accreditation process began several years before we welcomed our first cohort of students, and it involved doubling the size of Brodahl Hall and significantly increasing our department’s faculty size.”

The 24-month program launched in 2020, and Augustana’s first cohort of 12 master’s students graduated in May 2022. The 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 semester-long school-based and medical externships. Externships take place in the Quad Cities or anywhere in the United States, with graduates accruing 400+ clinical hours.

The Roseman Center is one of the oldest college-based speech, language and hearing clinics 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 nearly 100 members of the Quad-Cities community.

Dr. Haskill said there are currently 38 graduate students enrolled in the MS-SLP program, which includes students who completed their undergraduate studies at Augustana and students who completed their bachelor’s degrees at other institutions.

In December 2022, the master’s program completed a successful review process by the Department of Homeland Security: Student and Exchange Visitor Program. This achievement permitted international students to be admitted to the program.

Dr. Haskill said the MS-SLP program continues to evolve, with a new opportunity for graduate students to complete a clinical experience in Cambodia beginning next summer.

“For more than a decade, Augie’s CSD faculty have led an impactful undergraduate study abroad experience in Cambodia,” said Dr. Haskill. “We are grateful that this unique opportunity will now be extended to our graduate students as well.” 

Augustana’s MS-SLP program was launched by Dr. Haskill and Dr. Kathy Jakielski. With support from colleagues in Academic Affairs, they gained regional approval for Augustana to be able to offer graduate coursework and then pursued national accreditation in speech-language pathology.

In 2022 and 2023, 100% of MS-SLP graduates completed the program within the expected time frame, and 100% were employed within 12 months of graduation.  

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, speech-language pathology is a growing field, with employment of SLPs expected to grow 19% from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than average for all occupations. It is projected there will be 13,200 openings in the field each year, on average, over the next decade.

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.