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Distance Education Master's Degree Program

in Speech-Language Pathology

The Department of Communication Disorders & Sciences offers a distance education master's degree program in speech-language pathology intended for individuals with a bachelor's degree in communication disorders who are employed in the public school system as a paraprofessional or aide. (See frequently asked questions below about specific quailifications and necessary relationship with a school district.) Many qualified individuals have taken positions in the public schools to gain additional valuable experience with students who have communication disorders. Those experiences will contribute to  success in the program, which is geared for people who are working with individuals on a day-to-day basis under the supervision of a certified speech-language pathologist. Preference for the program will be given to residents from Illinois. The program is intended to help address the critical shortage of certified master’s level speech-language pathologists without requiring individuals currently employed to vacate their position. Click here to see application requirements of the program. 

• Three-year program
  • Students are on campus three summers for six weeks each
  • Students must begin program in summer term on campus 
  • Take online classes during the fall and spring semesters.
  • Full-time 14-week medical internship and 14-week educational internship during the final two semesters of the program
  • Retain employment in the public schools while taking courses and obtaining supervised clinical experiences at employment site during first two years of the program.  
    • Online courses mirror the content offered in the on-campus graduate program and allow for interactive discussion with peers and faculty on a weekly basis 
  • Approximately 15 students are admitted to a cohort  
    • New cohorts will begin every 2-3 years; the first cohort begins Summer 2012
  • The distance graduate program (and the traditional graduate program) in CDS are certified by the Council on Academic Accreditation.
    • Click to read more about accreditions of the program.

The program sequence included below provides an overview of the likely graduate courses and timeframe. Please see the EIU Graduate Catalog for details of the program requirements and course descriptions.

Graduate students in Communication Disorders and Sciences need access to a laptop computer for most class and clinic responsibilities on and off campus.  Students are excpected to maintain the minimum hardware requirements and reliable access to high speed internet. Minimum specifications for laptop requirements can be found at http://www.eiu.edu/commdis/laptop_program.php.    

· Course lectures are recorded and streamed

· Course management software is used to share and organize class materials and discussion

· On-campus clinical experiences are digitally recorded and paperless

Same Faculty for the Distance Program as the Traditional Program

Eastern Illinois University prides itself on its dedicated faculty. Their interest in your success is second to none. You can be assured that the faculty in CDS live up to that reputation. Our faculty teach and supervise, have an open-door policy and are available in on-campus and on-line office hours. Visit www.eiu.edu/commdis/faculty.html to meet the outstanding educators in our department.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are tuition and fee rates the same for the Traditional and Distance Education Speech-Language Pathology programs?

The tuition rate of $269 per credit hour is the same for the distance education and traditional graduate programs and the textbook rental fee is the same for both programs. Other parts of the fee structure are different. Fees for Distance Programs are typically higher because of increased costs to implement and manage the programs.  Fees for the distance program in speech-language pathology at EIU include a fee to Continuing Ed who schedules the program, a fee to the Sponsoring Agency district who collects and processes all payments for the program, a technology fee and advising fee.  See the table below for fee structure and comparison.

The total number of semester hours that students enroll in for the traditional and distance program is between 65 and 69 (depending on coursework that may have been completed at the undergraduate level).  The tuition and fees cost for the Traditional Program with 65 semester hours is estimated to be $23,119 and for 69 hours is $24,542.   The tuition and fees cost for the Distance Program with 65 semester hours is estimated to be $30,095 and for 69 hours is $31,947.

Do I have to be employed in the school setting in Illinois to apply for the program?

You must have a professional relationship with a school district in which the school district agrees to provide

1) Supervision by an ASHA certified, and ISBE certified or IDFPR licensed, speech-language pathologist (or appropriate credentials for other state);  2) Access to speech-language pathology assessments and materials related to the applicant’s clinical practicum at the school;  3) Access to clients for clinical experience; 4) Release time from responsibilities at school for up to 3 days per academic year for on-campus requirements; OPTIONAL support includes employment in the district.

Therefore you may be employed as a paraprofessional or any type of aide in the district, or you may have another type of employment not associated with the school district -- the agreement and clinical experiences within the school district supervised by an SLP with ASHA CCCs employed by the district are mandatory for this program.

The program has been developed to specifically address the shortage of master's level speech-language pathologists in Illinois.  Additionally regulations regarding out-of-state students in distance programs vary state to state in what fees EIU would have to pay to a student's home state to provide distance education to residents of the state.  Therefore priority will be given to Illinois residents with school district agreements in with Illinois schools.

What would the summer class schedule be?  When would the summer classes start? Would I live on-campus?   

The 6-week summer term typically begins Monday of the second week of June and finishes at the end of the 3^rd week in July; in Summer 2012 it will be June 11- July 21.  Courses and clinic are typcially Monday-Thursday (most weeks there are not Friday commitments, but classes usually start at 8:00 or 8:30 on Monday). We would recommend that you live on campus for 6 weeks or close enough for a comfortable commute.

Is  housing availble during the 6-week summer term?

There are furnished 2 bedroom university court apartments that can be rented for the 6 weeks which include phone, internet, cable, water, trash (everything but electric) for a cost of $750 for one person or $375 if you share the 2 bedroom with another graduate student.  Click here for application and more information or call 217-581-8000 with questions. Other options could include 1) dorm room from the university with a 12-meal per week plan for $1,068 for the 6-weeks; 2) apartment sublet from students who are not on campus in the summer (check adds in the Daily Eastern News);  3) Days Inn in Charleston (217-345-7689) has a $39.99 rate per night rate special which includes free breakfast, free wireless, and a small refrigerator and micowave in the room - for 4 nights per week for 6 weeks, with taxes the total would be $1,065.  

Internships----Due to the full-time internship schedule, I would assume that I would be unemployed for 28 weeks.   Would the internships be close to my residence?

Students work with internship coordinators and suggest general location and preferrable sites for the medical and educational internships.  Internship sites must employ a speech-language pathologist with current ASHA CCCs who can provide supervision during the internship experience.   You could choose to work, without enrolling in any classes, during Fall year 3 so you could still remain employed during that fall.  You would need to complete the educational practicum during 14 weeks in the spring and then you could complete your 14 medical week internship in Summer after year 3 (when you normally would not be employed by a school).  The internships are unpaid experiences; it is expected that the student intern will take over responsibility for the SLP's caseload while the SLP provides supervision and guidance.  

Would I receive up to 4- 5 credits for CDS 5900 for my supervised employment in a school district?

Yes, you would be doing tasks such as administering and interpreting assessments with children that you would not normally do as a paraprofessional. You would be able to count that supervised practicum (CDS 5900) in your school for 4-5 credits. One experience needs to include assessment and treatment with an individual with a hearing impairment.

My supervisor was wondering how many supervised speech hours I would need each school year during the program?

You would need to obtain approximately 30 supervised hours of assessment and treatment experience each semester (approximately 60 hours during the school year) that is supervised by an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. We hope that the clinical experiences will include assessment, determining treatment objectives and treatment with a variety of ages, severities and types of speech-language disorders.  

Are my GRE scores still valid if I took the exam more than 7 years ago or do I need to retake the GRE to apply?

GRE scores are only valid for 5 years; if it is longer than that they need to be retaken.