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Program:
Current statistical projections show that the future for jobs in the speech-language pathology profession is excellent. More frequent recognition in preschool and school age children by teachers and parents combined with increased numbers of senior citizens and medical advances has created a growing need for speech and language services.
Mercy College's Graduate Communication Disorders (CD) program is a premier Master of Science program in the metropolitan New York area. The 57 credit program - that can be completed within five years for part-time students and two years and two summers for full-time students - fosters ethical, competent, autonomous practice. It will prepare you for New York State licensure and for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) national certification in speech-language pathology. Our pass rate for the national certification exam (PRAXIS) is near 90% on first attempt. Our average program completion rate is 92%.
The program incorporates a variety of academic and clinical methods and develops professionals concerned with evaluation, treatment, prevention, and research in human communication. Our innovative curriculum offers learning by doing. Students are exposed to a variety of interactive and invaluable real-work-learning experiences both in our on-site Speech and Hearing Center and in externships with an emphasis on developing clinical skills for the CD profession. Our faculty is comprised of speech- language pathologists with various specializations, providing Mercy students with first-rate, well rounded instruction and supervisors who take a personal interest in their students' success. Many faculty members present at national conferences, have published within the field and are nationally recognized for their expertise.
- Students with a bachelor's degree and the required prerequisite courses can apply directly to the MS degree program
- Students with a bachelor's degree in another field must take seven prerequisite courses as a foundation for graduate study
- Students without a bachelor's degree can apply for a BS in CD which includes prerequisites or pre-professional CD training
"The graduate program has wonderful professors who treat you like their own and when you are finished with graduate school you feel very qualified as an SLP."
Kristen Miele, '03
SLP, Mahopac School District
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Download a PDF version of our Program Brochure
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Program Contacts:
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Helen Buhler
Associate Professor and Program Director
hbuhler@mercy.edu
Telephone: 914-674-7743
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Denise DiCristofaro
Instructor and Graduate Admissions Coordinator
ddicristofaro@mercy.edu
Telephone: 914-674-7739
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Eileen Hoffman
Instructor and Undergraduate Admissions Counselor
ehoffman@mercy.edu
Telephone: 914-674-7711
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Gloria Schlisselberg
Associate Professor and Clinic Director
gschlisselberg@mercy.edu
Telephone: 914-674-7505
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Patricia Chute, Ed.D.
Chair, Division of Health Professions
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"I would highly recommend students to this program in the future. It provided a close, organized learning environment for me."
Maria Lazzinnaro, '02
SLP, Interactive Therapy Group, NYC
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Career Opportunities:
Students who complete the Master of Science in Communication Disorders aspire to be speech-language pathologists and NYS Education Department Teacher of Students with Speech-Language Disabilities (TSSLD). (Note: This certification requires 12 additional credits in education coursework, workshop attendance in education, and completion of a student teaching experience.)
"I was very pleased with all services provided. The problems we had were addressed efficiently. I highly recommend the Mercy College speech pathology program to other friends in need."
Mercy Speech and Hearing Center Client
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"I had a great experience at Mercy. It was very challenging, but I feel that I truly learned! The professors and supervisors were very supportive both educationally and personally."
Catherine Ruiz '02
SLP, Ossining Union Free School District
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Curriculum:
The 57 credit Master of Science degree curriculum includes coursework in both academic and clinical areas: speech and swallowing disorders, language disorders, literacy, audiology, neuroanatomy, diagnostics, speech and hearing science, research methods, Master's project and clinical practicum experiences (at the on-site Speech and Hearing Center and through externship experiences). Forty-five credits of the program are required courses, six credits are clinical practicum experiences, and six credits are taken in elective coursework.
For the complete course curriculum click here.
"My graduate school experience at Mercy College prepared me for the challenges of working in the real world."
Meagan Moscaritolo '02
SLP, Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA
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Campuses where program is offered:
Dobbs Ferry
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Facilities:
Mercy College has an on-site Speech and Hearing Center, a speech and hearing science laboratory, an audiology suite, and a hearing aid dispensary servicing children and adult clients from the community.
"Excellent! We have already recommended the service to friends."
Mercy Speech and Hearing Center Client
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Accreditations:
The Master of Science in Communication Disorders is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
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Pre-requisite Program:
Current statistical projections indicate that the future of speech language pathology professions appears excellent. There are shortages of qualified personnel in many areas of the US and job opportunities in medically related areas are expected to grow at an above average rate.
The mission of the pre-requisite program in Communication Disorders at Mercy College is to provide the academic and theoretical foundation necessary to enter a graduate level program in speech pathology. The program incorporates an introduction to a variety of academic and clinical methods in the evaluation, treatment and prevention of speech- language disorders. Students from other fields of study and from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are welcome. Our faculty is comprised of doctoral and master's level speech language pathologists and audiologists with various specializations, providing Mercy students with first rate and well-rounded instruction.
Students who earn the 21 credits in the pre-requisite program are eligible to apply to the MS degree program. An MS degree is mandatory for entry level into the field.
For more information about the pre-requisite program in Communication Disorders click here.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What career options are available in communication disorders?
Upon conferral of the master's degree, employment is available in schools, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, private practice, health care agencies, and college/university settings. Our students have a 100% success rate in finding employment upon graduation. A free brochure entitled Careers in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology containing additional information about the profession is available from ASHA at 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 or http://professional.asha.org.
What are the requirements for the professions of speech-language pathology?
A career in speech-language pathology requires a graduate degree in speech-language pathology, communication disorders, communication science and disorders or speech and hearing sciences. The degree includes academic coursework and clinical practicum, and culminates in eligibility for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA.) Most states, including New York, require licensure as well to practice as a speech-language pathologist.
Can I pursue a career/graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology as a change of career?
If you have a bachelor's degree in a field other than speech-language pathology, you may qualify for entrance into the Communication Disorders graduate program. You must complete seven prerequisite courses:
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms
- Phonetics
- Speech and Hearing Science
- Introduction to Communication Disorders (Speech Pathology I)
- Introduction to Audiology
- Normal Speech and Language Development
- Language Science (Intro to Linguistics)
- Statistics*
- Aural Rehabilitation*
*May be taken for undergraduate credit during the first year of graduate study.
The prerequisite courses can be completed in one year as a full-time daytime student. No entrance exams are required
Can I apply to the graduate program and take the required undergraduate prerequisite courses once I am accepted to the graduate program?
Students must have completed the required undergraduate prerequisite courses by the end of the spring term prior to fall admission to the graduate program.
Do you admit students to the graduate program in the spring?
We only admit students to the graduate program in Communication Disorders in the fall term.
Is the graduate program in Communication Disorders at Mercy College a fully accredited program?
The Master of Science program at Mercy College is fully accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Academic and clinical accreditation was awarded in December of 2003.
What is the clinical component of the graduate program?
Clinical education in Mercy's graduate program includes both in-house and externship practicum experiences in over 150 metropolitan area facilities. Students evaluate and treat people of varying ages and cultural/linguistic backgrounds who display a variety of communication disorders including articulation, phonology, oral motor, voice, fluency, hearing, and language disorders. A total of 375 direct contact hours is required by ASHA for certification (a maximum of 50 of which can be accrued on the undergraduate level). The first, in-house practicum takes place in the Mercy College Speech and Hearing Center, where students are supervised by faculty and supervisory staff who are NYS licensed and ASHA certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Clinical externships are completed in a college-affiliated site in the New York metropolitan area, including New York City, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The age and disorder of the population that is served varies from site to site.
What do I have to do to apply to the Communication Disorders (CD) Graduate program?
In order to apply for admission into the CD Graduate program, you need to submit the application to the Mercy College Office of Graduate Admissions along with a transcript, two letters of recommendation (at least one must be from a professor in the Department of Communication Disorders), a written statement about why you are interested in the field of Speech/Language Pathology and a resume.
Can I apply to the CD Graduate program online?
You can apply to the CD Graduate program online.
Please follow the steps below:
- Complete and submit the first section pertaining to your background/personal information. Included in the section is the space for your written statement about why you are interested in the field of Speech/Language Pathology.
- Click on the "Signature Form" link.
- Access the "Recommendation Form" and the "Academic Transcript Request Form".
(Please remember to have the Recommender send the form to the Office of Graduate Admissions in a sealed envelope with his/her signature across the back flap.)
When are the application deadlines?
The deadline for Early Admission is January 10th. You can qualify for Early Admission is your overall GPA is a 3.5 or above and your GPA for all CD pre-requisite courses is also a 3.5 or above. All CD coursework must be completed prior to the time of the January 10th deadline date.
The deadline for regular admission is February 15th.
Where can I find information regarding the New York City teacher scholarship program to ear a bachelor's or master's degree in a critical shortage area?
Go to www.teachnycprograms.net, click on the link for "scholarship program", and then click "speech language pathology".
Who can I contact if I have questions regarding the Communication Disorders Graduate program?
You can contact the Graduate Coordinator, Denise DiCristofaro, at 914-674-7739 or via e-mail at ddicristofaro@mercy.edu.
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