Speech-Language Pathologist

5 stops · self-paced · a common path, not the only one

1. 📍

   You are here

   Today — wherever you're starting from

2. 🎓
   EducationNext stop →

   Earn a bachelor's (often in communication sciences or related)

   Your bachelor's is often in communication sciences, but related majors work if you cover the prerequisites for grad school.

   ⏱ ~4 years · 💵 varies — community college first is cheapest

3. 🎓
   Education

   Complete a Master's in Speech-Language Pathology

   A Master's in Speech-Language Pathology is required to practice — this is a graduate-level field, no way around the degree.

   ⏱ ~2–4 years · 💵 tuition varies — aid often available

4. 📍
   Milestone

   Finish a supervised clinical fellowship

   The supervised clinical fellowship (a paid post-grad year) is where you turn schooling into real practice before full licensure.

   ⏱ ongoing · 💵 often unpaid or entry pay

5. 📜
   Get certified

   Pass the national exam and get your state license / ASHA certification (CCC-SLP)

   The national exam plus your state license and ASHA's CCC-SLP certification are the final credentials. Most employers expect all three.

   ⏱ weeks–months of prep · 💵 exam & license fees

6. 🔨
   Build skills

   Work in schools, hospitals, or private practice

   Schools, hospitals, and private practice each offer a very different pace and pay — worth trying more than one during training.

   ⏱ self-paced · 💵 free–low cost

7. 🏁

   Speech-Language Pathologist

   Your destination