July 17, 2023

Contact Patti Johnstone at 608-796-3632 or pmjohnstone@viterbo.edu

VITERBO UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY DEGREE; VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSIONS JULY 20 AND AUGUST 8

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Enrollment is now open for Viterbo University’s newest academic degree offering, a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MSSLP).

Classes will begin in fall 2024 for the two-year, 58-credit MSSLP program, which will provide students with the academic and practical experience needed to work as a certified speech-language pathologist. A unique aspect of the Viterbo program is the inclusion of clinical experiences in both health care and area schools.

Curriculum will include a wide range of topics related to communication disorders and corresponding treatment, including speech, language, social communication, cognitive communication, and swallowing problems. Students will gain experience assessing and treating communication disorders under the supervision of a licensed speech language pathologist while also developing a professional network in the field.

“According to the US Department of Labor Statistics, employment of speech-language pathologists is projected to grow 21 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all other occupations,” said Patti Johnstone, faculty member and department of communication disorders program director at Viterbo University.

Students who earn an undergraduate degree in communications disorders and sciences from Viterbo and meet the minimum requirements will be guaranteed a spot in the university’s MSSLP program. Spaces in speech-language master’s programs are very competitive nationwide.

The Viterbo program is designed to meet the requirements for health care licensure, national clinical certification, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s requirements to work in Wisconsin schools. Students may also complete 75 of their required 400 clinical hours in the Viterbo Nursing Center’s state-of-the-art simulation labs, as was recently approved by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association governing body.

For more information on the Viterbo University Master of Science in Speech-Language program, visit https://www.viterbo.edu/programs/master-speech-language-pathology. Virtual information sessions will be held Thursday, July 20 at 2 p.m. and Tuesday, Aug. 8 at noon. Visit https://www.viterbo.edu/graduate-admissions-events and open the speech-language drop-down for more information and to register.

-30-