How to Become a Speech Pathologist
If you enjoy helping others in need, you may want to consider becoming a speech pathologist. Speech pathologists work to correct many communication issues people face. With the proper education and plenty of patience, you can succeed in the speech pathologist career field.
- Earn your master’s degree through an accredited college program. Over 240 colleges in the United States offer programs for those looking to become a speech pathologist. Most states require master’s degrees to work in the speech pathology field. This type of study usually requires taking physiology, anatomy and speech and language classes. You can contact your state's Department of Education if you have questions about the education process for this profession.
- Gain at least 300 hours clinical experience while under the supervision of a professional. This usually takes about nine months to complete.
- Talk to the regulatory board in your state to find out all of the requirements to become a speech pathologist.
- Earn a speech-language pathologist license from your state by taking the national examination. Almost every state requires a license to teach this form of education.
- Obtain a certificate of clinical competence in the field from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association to become more highly qualified after earning your degree. This step is optional, but the certification will look great on your resume.
- Learn as much about human communication as possible. In this field, you are going to need to communicate well with others and teach many people how to communicate properly.