Online Speech Pathology Programs

"With a bachelor's degree, schools are the primary career option for a speech pathologist," she asserts. Hainisch works nine to ten hours each day to provide quality care, but she is ready for a change. "Every 30 minutes, a new group of children walks in the door. The challenge of working with so many children and having so little time with each child, as well as dealing with the amount of paperwork and assessment involved, is overwhelming." A master's degree will open up more career opportunities in the school system, as well as in the clinical and health environment.

In a clinical environment, Hainisch can choose to work one-on-one with a child or adult and have more time to plan therapy for each patient. Additionally, she can work and collaborate more with other speech pathologists. The most significant advantage she has found, however, is job availability. "There are opportunities for speech pathologists across the country and abroad," she asserts. "Anywhere I move there's a job."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment is expected to grow in the speech pathology field for a number of reasons. For example, as baby boomers continue to age and medical advances are improving survival rates for premature infants, the possibility for speech, language and cognitive communication problems is likely to increase.

To achieve her goal, Hainisch researched speech pathology graduate schools and enrolled in the online program at Nova Southeastern University, which allowed her to work and go to school at the same time. In a few weeks, she will complete Nova's two-and-a-half-year speech-language pathology program and graduate with a Master of Science degree.

Usually, students pursuing a Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology have obtained a bachelor's degree in this area, but it is not required for all schools and programs. Also, students may or may not have relevant work experience before starting the master's program. With a master's degree, graduates desiring to enter the health care field pursue state licensing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2009, 47 States required speech-language pathologists to be licensed if they worked in a health care setting, and all states required a master's degree or equivalent.

Residing in Portland, Oregon, Hainisch chose a master's program that she could earn online because it offered her a number of advantages. For one, she had the chance to pursue a full-time education and continue to earn an income at her full-time job. "I'm married and own a home," Hainisch says. "It was important for me to be able to keep working." She was able to work during the day and take courses in the early evening.

When considering master's programs, Hainisch also found that few colleges in her area offered master's programs in speech-language pathology. Those that did had only a handful of spots available for prospective students. Facing such fierce competition, she needed to look outside her immediate area. "I wanted to stay in Portland," she says. "I saw Nova's program with the online option and found that I could be licensed when I finished." With that, she was sold on pursuing her master's degree online.

As Hainisch describes, taking course work online involves class time, discussion boards, projects, tests and independent assignments. "We're expected to be online each week for each class at a certain time. Classes resemble a large chat room with a professor. We're expected to have read and participated in discussion board postings, and we need to reply so many times per week to maintain our discussion participation."

Hainisch finds online interaction with peers and professors in the program to be far greater than she anticipated. "Not only can you chat [using an instant messenger] during class, but you get familiar with people's personalities through their discussion board postings." What Hainisch loves most about online courses is that she has a chance to process the content before posting her replies. "I'm a person who needs time to process. I participated a lot in class because I was interested, but I'm able to compose my answers for discussion boards."

Nova requires students taking online courses to attend an orientation during their first semester. Students room with one another and get to know colleagues enrolled for the same program. During orientation, students learn how to log in to classes, how to access email and where to find notes and discussion boards. "It's not super-high tech," Hainisch says, "but you get the training you need to complete the program."

Online students also have the option to take week-long classes on Nova's campus for full credit. Hainisch chose to fly to Florida for some classes and found it rewarding to interact with her peers in person. "During the week, you're there all day, every day, but it's nice to get to know cohorts who will be with you through the program."

Hainisch recognizes another benefit of Nova's program. "Rather than completing a project or thesis to get your master's degree, Nova requires you to create a final portfolio. Throughout the program, you collect evidence of the work you've done that falls into certain categories for licensure. You can present this portfolio to prospective employers to show your qualifications and how you have fulfilled the certification requirements of ASHA."

For those considering earning a master's degree online, Hainisch advises, "Come in with some experience in the field. Experience helps you integrate the class information pretty easily. During lessons, I had examples in mind with kids or adults who had certain issues that we were discussing."

As of 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the median annual income for speech-language pathologists was $66,920. The middle 50 percent earned between $53,230 and $84,250 annually. A 2010 schools survey by ASHA reported that speech-language pathologists employed on an academic year basis in schools (usually nine or 10 months) earned a median annual salary of $65,000.

Hainisch takes pride in having more options now. "There are opportunities for speech pathologists to sign up with private organizations that send you to different states or overseas. You can work in different jobs for a few months at a time to gain more diverse experience." For Hainisch, more experience means learning to provide more quality care, which, in turn, means making a greater difference.