Academics Overview

Speech@Emerson offers the blend of independent study, collaboration, and clinical supervision you need to develop into a confident clinician. The online program provides you with the tools to support clients, families, and caregivers through many aspects of the therapeutic process, and coursework explores a range of topics to train you as a generalist in the field.

Speech@Emerson consists of online coursework, live sessions, immersion on campus in Boston, and clinical placements near your community.

Program Requirements

The online Master of Sciences in Communication Disorders (M.S.) program consists of a total of 72 graduate credit hours—54 applied credit hours and 18 foundational credit hours—depending on your academic background.

The program can be completed in as few as 20 months through the 5-term track or in 36 months through the 9-term track. The program will take longer to complete if you need to take foundational courses.

As a student, you are also required to complete:

  • A portfolio reflecting the integration of your academic and clinical work across semesters, and
  • A written and oral assessment to demonstrate your clinical problem-solving skills.

49

academic and clinical course credits

5

clinical practicum credits

20

months to complete, 5-term track

36

months to complete, 9-term track

Clinical Placement Requirements

As a Speech@Emerson student, you must complete in-person clinical placements that satisfy both:

  1. The Emerson College requirement to enroll in at least five semesters of Clinical Practica (CD 605) while in the program, and
  2. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requirement to accumulate at least 400 clinical clock hours.

These are both minimums, and they are independent requirements. To complete the 400 clock hours required by ASHA, 25 hours must be spent in clinical observation, and 375 hours must be spent in direct client contact. Of the 375 contact hours, at least 325 must be obtained within the graduate program.