More Than Words: Understanding Aphasia After Stroke
Speech-language Pathology 3+2
Become a speech-language pathologist in five years at Lebanon Valley College. LVC's 3+2 Speech-Language Pathology program gives you a competitive edge in a high-demand field. You'll graduate as a skilled clinician prepared to help children and adults build and regain the ability to communicate, and thanks to our strong alumni network and clinical partnerships, you'll have the support and real-world experience to build a fulfilling career.
You'll enroll as a Communication Sciences and Disorders major, then enter the Speech-Language Pathology program in year three. At the end of your fourth year, you'll earn a B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders, and, at the end of your fifth year, your M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology.
The SLP 3+2 Program at a Glance
LVC’s Speech-Language Pathology 3+2 is a five-year, in-person program in Pennsylvania that allows you to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, preparing you to help people of all ages overcome communication and swallowing challenges.
You enroll as a Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) major, earn a B.S. in CSD after your fourth year, and complete a CAA-accredited M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program in your fifth year. Clinical placements are guaranteed, allowing you to gain hands-on experience treating real patients in LVC’s on-campus Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders. Students who choose not to continue on to the master’s program can earn a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLP-A) bachelor’s degree.
How the SLP Five-Year Path Works
- Years 1-3: Enroll as a Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) major and build the academic foundation for graduate study.
- Year 3: Qualified students enter the Speech-Language Pathology program.
- Year 4: Earn your B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
- Year 5: Complete the CAA-accredited M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program.
Because the pathway is built in, you move straight from your bachelor’s into your master’s program without reapplying to graduate programs elsewhere; an advantage in a field where there are far more applicants than there are openings in graduate schools.
You also start working with patients early through guaranteed clinical placements, so by graduation you have real-world experience helping people across the lifespan overcome communication challenges.
How to Become a Speech-Language Pathologist
LVC’s 3+2 program is designed to take you through both the bachelor’s and the accredited master’s programs in five years, so you graduate meeting the degree requirements and prepared to pursue national certification and state licensure, saving you both time and money.
To practice as a speech-language pathologist, you need to:
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Earn a master’s degree from a CAA-accredited program and complete supervised clinical hours.
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Pass the national Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology.
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Earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) awarded by ASHA.
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Obtain licensure from the state where you plan to practice.
$95,410
median pay for speech-language pathologists, 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
7
categories of communication disorders treated by our on-campus clinic
15%
anticipated job growth for speech-language pathologists, 2024–2034 (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Program
The Speech-language Pathology Assistant (SLP-A) program offers a bachelor’s degree for students in the CSD/SLP program who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree or cannot meet the required cumulative GPA of 3.3. The required cumulative GPA for the SLP-A program is 3.0.
This program offers students an option for graduates to work in schools and medical settings as an a SLP-A.
Receive Loan Repayment
Lebanon Valley College students in select health professions programs, including Speech-Language Pathology, may be eligible to receive significant loan repayment from their future employer through the Scholars Network program.
Faculty Spotlight
Learn More About the Program
You are needed. Speech-language pathology is an in-demand health profession, resulting in more applicants for graduate-level programs than there are openings in graduate schools. Our 3+2 program takes you straight through from your first year to your bachelor of communication sciences and disorders to your master’s in speech-language pathology, giving you a career edge.
In Their Words
What I love most about LVC’s Speech-Language Pathology program is the people. Our professors want to get to know us beyond the classroom and seek out opportunities to learn about us. For example, some of my favorite memories take place at our annual fall game night, where students and professors relax, play board games, and learn more about our lives outside of the classroom.
Meredith Roman
’27, M’28
LVC provided me a quality education that has prepared me for my career. I’m confident I have the skills to evaluate and intervene with school-aged kids to help them succeed! LVC also fostered my lifelong relationships that I’m forever grateful for.
Sarah Leidich
’24, M’25,
Elementary School Speech-Language Pathologist, Red Lion Area School District
There’s a great need for speech-language pathologists in school and medical settings because the caseloads are so high. Part of it is the growing elderly population that needs services after strokes. And in schools, more children are being diagnosed with language disorders and autism.
Dr. Michelle Scesa,
chair and assistant professor of communication sciences disorders/speech-language pathology
Frequently Asked Questions
Most SLPs begin with a bachelor’s in Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD). In LVC’s 3+2 program, you enroll as a CSD undergraduate major and continue directly into the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program.
Five years: Earn your B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders at the end of year four and your M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology at the end of year five.
A master’s degree from an accredited program, the CCC-SLP awarded by ASHA, and state licensure.
Students need to have a 3.3 cumulative GPA to pursue their M.S. in SLP. Students who have a 3.0 cumulative GPA can complete the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLP-A) bachelor’s track.
The SLP-A track lets you earn a bachelor’s and work as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in schools and medical settings.
Yes. Clinical placements are guaranteed, including hands-on work in LVC’s on-campus Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders.
Yes. The M.S. in SLP degree program that concludes the 3+2 pathway is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of ASHA.
Featured News & Stories
*The master’s degree (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Lebanon Valley 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.