Post-Baccalaureate Program

Speech and Hearing student wearing headphones and seated at a computer.

The post-baccalaureate program prepares aspiring speech-language pathologists who do not have a speech or hearing undergraduate degree for graduate study in this field. Post-baccalaureate students gain hands-on experience with diagnostic materials, case management and clinical observations.

Successful completion of the post-baccalaureate program’s nine required courses (26 credit hours) guarantees entry into GW’s Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology program. Completion of both programs requires seven semesters of full-time study.

Questions? Contact the SLHS Chair of Admissions.

Course of Study

Credits indicated in parentheses.

Fall Semester 1

SLHS 2104 Speech and Language Disorders (3)
SLHS 2105 Anatomy and Physiology for Speech and Hearing I (3)
SLHS 2107 Acoustics (3)
SLHS 3135 Language: Structure, Meaning and Use (3)
SLHS 3136 Phonetics (2)

Spring Semester 1

SLHS 2106 Anatomy and Physiology for Speech & Hearing lI (3)
SLHS 2108 Introduction to Audiology (3)
SLHS 4119 Analysis and Modification of Communication Disorders (Clinical Methods) (3)
SLHS 3131 Language Acquisition and Development (3)

Courses Required by ASHA at Undergraduate Level

These courses are required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for those who wish to apply to graduate school in speech-language pathology:

3 credits of biological sciences
3 credits of physical sciences (typically chemistry or physics)
3 credits of statistics
3 credits of social/behavioral science

Fall Semester 2

Post-baccalaureate students join the “first-year” MA class and begin the graduate program curriculum.

Apply to GW

Request More Information

Post-Baccalaureate Course Requirements

View the post-baccalaureate course of study (PDF)

To participate in the post-baccalaureate program, students apply to the master of arts in the field of speech-language pathology and may be granted conditional admission to the master's program. In order to maintain conditional admission status, students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and earn a minimum grade of B- in each course. No other grades, including I (Incomplete), W (Authorized Withdraw), or Z (Unauthorized Withdraw), are acceptable.

Credits earned in courses taken for the post-baccalaureate program count toward the master’s degree and grades earned in those courses are included in the student's cumulative GPA. Once the student successfully completes the required post-baccalaureate curriculum, they are guaranteed entry into the MA program. Applicants may be eligible to transfer prerequisite credits previously completed. Such cases will be reviewed on an individual basis during the admissions process.

In addition, all post-baccalaureate students perform 25 hours of clinical observation, as mandated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), before beginning clinical practica.

Code	Title	Credits
Required
SLHS 2104	Speech and Language Disorders
SLHS 2105	Anatomy and Physiology for Speech, Language, and Hearing
SLHS 2106	Neural Substrates of Speech, Language, and Hearing
SLHS 2107	Acoustics
SLHS 2108	Introduction to Audiology
SLHS 3131	Language Acquisition and Development
SLHS 3135	Language: Structure, Meaning, and Use
SLHS 3136	Phonetics
SLHS 4119	Principles and Methods in Speech-Language Pathology