What type of training is required for a speech-language pathologist to be certified?
To be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a therapist must hold a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from an accredited university. During the master’s program, students are required to have at least 375 hours working directly with patients. In addition, upon graduation, therapists are required to complete a clinical fellowship year which involves working as a speech-language pathologist with both direct and indirect supervision for 9 months. After completion of the clinical fellowship year, speech-language pathologists apply for their Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. In the state of Georgia, a license is also required to work in a hospital or private practice.
