Direct clinical experience begins at the graduate level. Students first participate in a pre-clinical experience (CMD 465, then CMD 565), followed by completion of both on- and off-campus internships throughout their graduate training. Note that the faculty of the Department of Communicative Disorders requires its students to supercede the clinical hour requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). For example, although the ASHA allows students to graduate without specific hours of experience with fluency disorders, CMD does not. This was a collective decision made by the faculty because of our belief that beginning professionals need to have experience with a truly representative sampling of clients and communication disorders prior to graduation. That is one reason why many of our graduate students complete their M.S. program with significantly more than the 375 direct clinical hours required.
Below are listed selected off-campus placement sites for graduate student interns. This is just a small sampling, however; the department is fortunate to work with over 40 facilities in the clinical training of graduate students. In addition to local sites, out of state students are routinely able to participate in practicum experiences in their home state during the summer months.
Speech Pathology Placements
Placement |
Clinical Population |
Jamestown Schools |
Pre-K to 6th |
Kent Hospital |
Adult |
Meeting Street Center |
Ages 3-21 |
MHRH Facilities (Slater and Zambarano Hospitals) |
Adult |
South County Early Intervention |
0-3 years |
South Kingstown Schools |
Elementary, Middle School, |
The graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Congratulations to our May 2013 B.S. and M.S. graduates! Your hard work has paid off!
NSSLHA NEWS:
Here are our URISSLHA officers (Left to Right below): Mary Loveley, secretary; Kristen Troy, historian; Jaclyn Schiemer, president; Lexi Caruso, treasurer; and Kristy Wallace, vice-president. We thank our outgoing board members: Shannon Witter, Meredith Fitzgibbon, Heidee Pottker and Jess Lally for all of their hard work. Shannon and Meredith are graduating in May, Heidee will be a second-year graduate student, and Jess is heading off to graduate school! Look for information about our first fall 2014 meeting here on the CMD web site.
Message from URISSLHA President
***SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE ASHA FOUNDATION***
See the following web site for information: www.ashfoundation.org/grants/GraduateScholarships/
Check out our updated table of graduate student student outcomes: PRAXIS examination, graduation, and employment rates by linking to:
Why CMD at URI? - Communicative Disorders - University of Rhode Island
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS