Post-baccalaureate Certificate for the SLP Assistant

Get started on your career with a post-baccalaureate certificate for the speech-language pathology assistant from TWU. 

Students who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than Communication Sciences may pursue this online post-baccalaureate certificate program to prepare them to work as a speech-language pathology assistant.

NOTE: This certificate program does not meet all the prerequisite requirements for application to TWU’s master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology. Students in the certificate program will be eligible to enroll in two additional courses upon completion of this certificate to prepare them for graduate school applications. More information about the pre-master’s leveling courses can be found on the Pre-Master’s Leveling Courses for SLP catalog page.

Program features
A speech-language pathology supervisor works with a young child at a table
  • Certificate completion in 5 semesters (27 semester credit hours)
  • Coursework targeted to meet Texas state licensure and national certification requirements
  • Courses offered synchronously online in the evenings
  • Small class sizes with knowledgeable faculty
  • Available to students who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than communication sciences

Experiential learning

  • University-guided observation hours under the supervision of experienced faculty
  • Direct clinical experiences under the direction of speech-language pathologists in your geographic location*
  • Opportunities to develop a professional network through clinical experiences and practicum

*Students are responsible for securing their own clinical placement

Supportive student organization

Student Organization of Communication Sciences (SOCS)

The Student Organization of Communication Sciences (SOCS) works to bring you opportunities in leadership, community service, addressing professional issues and participating in social activities with peers and faculty to learn more about communication development and disorders.

SOCS is a member organization of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an online program?

Courses in the program are held synchronously online in the evenings over Zoom. Students are expected to attend each class. Clinical practicum experiences are not online.

Can communication sciences undergraduate students apply for the certificate program?

Prospective applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in order to apply. The SLPA certificate program is designed for those who have bachelor degrees in programs other than Communication Sciences and would like to pursue a career as an SLPA.

Is this program full-time? Can I work while in the program?

Online, synchronous classes held in the evenings over Zoom allow students to work while in the program. Students will generally have classes two evenings a week.

Is this program self-paced?

No — students move through as a cohort with classes being offered specific semesters. Students must attend classes each week.

Can TWU help me find a practicum site?

While students are required to secure their own practicum site, TWU may be able to provide students with leads for potential sites in their area.

Once I am accepted into TWU, am I automatically in the SLPA program?

No — acceptance to the university is not acceptance into the program. Applicants must also apply to the program using the program application. Admission is competitive and enrollment is limited.

Are there retention requirements for the program?

Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 once admitted to the program. No more than one grade of C will apply toward the certificate, nor will credit be awarded toward the certificate for a grade of D or F. Courses may be repeated one time to replace a grade. Students must also maintain professional and academic integrity at all times and must abide by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), university, college, department, and program codes of ethics/conduct and policies and procedures while in the program.

Does the program require a comprehensive exam for the SLPA certification?

There is not a comprehensive exam required for completion of the program certificate. However, in order to be nationally certified, applicants must successfully pass the ASHA Assistants Certification Exam.

Course sequence

For course sequence, please refer to the catalog page Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA).

Admission details

Admission to the Post-baccalaureate Certificate for the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.

Applications are accepted each year between January 1 and April 1 for classes beginning in the summer semester. To be considered for acceptance into the SLPA certificate program, applicants must:

  • Have a bachelor's degree
  • Have earned a minimum GPA of 3.25 for the last 60 hours of college coursework
  • Apply to TWU as an undergraduate transfer student by completing the Transfer Apply Texas application
    • Select "Communication Sciences" as the first school program choice.
    • Select "Certificate in Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)" as your first choice major.
    • On page 2 of the GoApplyTexas application (Educational Plans), check the boxes for the first question indicating that you already have a bachelor's degree AND the second question that you are seeking a second bachelor's degree.
    • Submit official copies of all transcripts to TWU's Office of Admissions Processing. As it may take Admissions Processing several weeks to approve your application to the university after receiving all transcripts and any other required documents, these items should be submitted prior to the April 1 application deadline.
  • Once admitted to TWU as an undergraduate transfer student, complete the Post Baccalaureate SLP-A Certificate Program Application To complete the  application, applicants must first create their TWU Pioneer Portal account and log in to their TWU Google Drive account using their TWU email address and Pioneer Portal password.
  • To complete the Post-Baccalaureate SLP-A Certificate Program Application, applicants much submit:  
    • The names, titles/positions, employers, and email addresses of two recommenders (The program staff will email the recommenders directly asking for a letter of recommendation)
    • A one-page letter of intent describing the reasons you would like to be a speech-language pathology assistant (This will be uploaded within the online program application)

Students must be accepted by both the university and the program. Department notices of acceptance will be emailed by May 1.

Retention requirements

Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 once admitted to the program. No more than one grade of C will apply toward the certificate, nor will credit be awarded toward the certificate for a grade of D or F. Courses may be repeated one time to replace a grade. Students must also maintain professional and academic integrity at all times and must abide by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), university, college, department, and program codes of ethics/conduct and policies and procedures while in the program.

Post-baccalaureate Certificate for the SLP Assistant vs. Pre-master’s leveling coursework

Potential students should be aware of the differences between the Post-baccalaureate Certificate for the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant and the Pre-master’s Leveling Coursework offered by TWU. The pre-master’s leveling coursework sequence is offered to out-of-field students with a bachelor’s degree who wish to apply to graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology. The Leveling coursework sequence does not meet the requirements for State licensure as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, nor do students earn a certificate for coursework completion.

The SLPA certificate program prepares students for Texas licensure and national certification as a speech-language pathology assistant. Students in the SLPA Certificate program may elect to add two additional courses to their plan of study that will also prepare them for graduate school application.

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Post-baccalaureate Certificate for the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Pre-master’s Leveling Coursework
27-hour certificate program over 5 semesters 22 hours of coursework over 3 semesters
Prepares students for Texas licensure and national certification as an SLPA; may add on two leveling courses in preparation for graduate school application Provides required coursework for application to graduate school; does not meet requirements for licensure or certification as an SLPA
Synchronous online courses via Zoom weekday evenings Combination of synchronous online courses via Zoom weekday evenings and asynchronous online courses
Courses include 25 hours of university-directed observation and 100 hours of clinical practicum experience; students must secure their own practicum site(s) Students accepted into the master’s program will be offered the opportunity to earn 25 hours of observation and 25 hours of clinical practicum hours, if needed, prior to beginning graduate work; this option is not available through the leveling coursework otherwise
For questions contact

Admissions Coordinator
940-898-2025
csohadmissions@twu.edu

Page last updated 10:08 AM, August 11, 2023