A new certificate program in speech-language pathology at Cal State San Bernardino is now accepting applicants for the fall 2022 semester.

Offered through the Department of English in the College of Arts and Letters, this two-year master’s preparatory certificate program will provide students with the prerequisite coursework needed to apply to most master’s programs in speech-language pathology and communication sciences and disorders. 

“The certificate is mainly to prepare [students] to go into a master’s program in speech-language pathology,” said Sunny Hyon, CSUSB professor of English. “In order to work as a speech-language pathologist in the U.S., you need to have a master’s degree in it, so this is the first steppingstone.”

Courses will be taught within several departments, including English, education and psychology, by faculty who have expertise in communication sciences and disorders and related fields.

“It really is an area of study that covers quite a few topics,” said Erin Hall, CSUSB assistant professor of English, “so we bring in people from different fields.”

While the program is designed to prepare students for the next step in their educational journey, Hall said that the certificate will also provide students with good foundational learning for careers in related fields, such as teaching, early childhood education, and healthcare related careers.

Although the department is currently only offering a certificate, Hall and Hyon said an M.A. program in speech-language pathology at CSUSB is currently in the works, with a projected start date of fall 2024.

“CSUSB’s program will be the first of its kind among public universities in the Inland Empire,” said Hyon.

Both Hall and Hyon said the certificate program stemmed from student interest.

“We had students who wanted to pursue speech-language pathology as a profession, but they had to go to other universities to complete the preparatory courses needed to apply to an M.A. program in speech-language pathology,” said Hyon. “We wanted to give them the option of taking those preparatory courses here at CSUSB.”

According to Hall, who has worked as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for more than 10 years, speech-language pathology is a growing field that is in high demand.

“SLPs work with people of all ages who have communication disorders,” Hall explained. “They provide prevention, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of these communication difficulties.”

SLPs can work with a broad range of difficulties, such as speech sound production, stuttering, using the voice, understanding and producing language, communicating for social purposes, and more. They commonly work in healthcare and educational settings, and collaborate with other professionals such as audiologists, occupational and physical therapists, teachers, psychologists, and physicians.

To learn more about the SLP certificate, visit the Speech-Language Pathology Preparatory Certificate website. 

In addition to the certificate, students can get a minor in speech-language pathology. Visit the Minor in Speech-Language Pathology website to learn more. 

The deadline to apply to the programs for fall 2022 admission is June 15.

Application requirements include a personal statement, a writing sample and the contact information for two references.

For more information on how to apply to the master’s preparatory certificate in speech-language pathology, prospective students should contact Erin Hall at erin.hall@csusb.edu, or Sunny Hyon at shyon@csusb.edu.

Speech Language Pathology