How to Choose the Right Online Speech Pathology Program

Find the Best Online Speech Pathology Master’s Program for You

Online Master of Speech Language Pathology CAA Accreditation

Licensure requirements vary by state, so find out what your state requires, including any accreditation requirement, before you choose a program that is valid for speech-language pathologist (SLP) licensure in your state. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) accredits graduate programs in speech-language pathology through its Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA). ASHA’s State-by-State resource is a starting point for finding information on each state or U.S. territory. Confirm the requirements with your state’s licensing board.

State licensure and ASHA certification are separate. To earn ASHA’s Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), ASHA’s 2020 standards require that your coursework and clinical experience be completed in a CAA-accredited program or in a program with CAA candidacy status (Standard II). ASHA’s 2027 standards, effective August 1, 2027, include the same candidacy provision. The Association indicates that ASHA certification could make you eligible for salary supplements in some states and school districts.

Not all online speech-language pathology master’s programs are created equal, so check each program’s status in the CAA directory, which lists programs by accreditation status, such as accredited or candidate. The CAA notes that compliance with all standards is not required at the time candidacy is awarded, so candidacy and full accreditation are different statuses. A program that describes its accreditation as pending may not yet have been awarded either one, so confirm the status in the directory rather than relying on a school’s description.

Online Speech Therapy Master’s Program Admissions Requirements

Before you start applying to online SLP programs, make sure you meet the program’s admissions requirements. Requirements vary by school but will often include:

• Prerequisite coursework (some institutions either have a separate program for completing prerequisites or offer them as part of the master’s program).
• Bachelor’s degree
• GPA (program-specific; some programs list a minimum and others do not)
• GRE test scores, if the program requires them
• Transcripts
• Recommendation letters
• Résumé
• Personal statement

Two examples show the range. The online program at UW–Eau Claire lists a minimum 3.25 GPA in communication sciences and disorders coursework, transcripts, three letters of recommendation and a personal statement. The online program at NYU lists no minimum GPA (it recommends at least a 3.0), asks for a résumé and two to three letters of recommendation, and does not require the GRE. Both require a bachelor’s degree.

ASHA’s CSD Education Survey also shows how much these requirements vary. In the 2024–25 academic year, 16 of 295 responding SLP master’s programs (5.4%) required GRE scores, and 234 of 270 responding programs (86.7%) required prerequisite coursework for applicants without an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders. Among 286 responding programs, the mean GPA of admitted students ranged from 3.08 to 3.99 by program. These figures cover responding SLP master’s programs in all delivery formats, not only online programs, and the average GPA of admitted students is not a program’s minimum requirement. Check each program’s requirements before you apply.

Our guide to applying to speech pathology school walks through prerequisites, letters of recommendation, personal statements and how competitive admission is.

Learn more about how to become a speech-language pathologist.

Accredited Online SLP Programs Offer Flexibility

Online speech pathology master’s programs offer flexibility in where you attend class, although some include on-campus or on-site requirements. Online SLP curricula can offer a more manageable balance between class and work commitments, especially during semesters without clinical hours, but schedules differ by program. Programs differ in whether they offer full-time study, part-time study or both, so look for a schedule that works best for you. If you are coming from another field, see our guide to making a career change to speech pathology.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time Online Speech Pathology Master’s Programs

Part-time online SLP master’s programs spread coursework over more semesters as a way to allow you more time for work or other commitments. UW–Eau Claire’s online program, for example, is part-time, admits students as a cohort and spreads coursework over three years. No matter what type of online program you choose, there is usually less flexibility during practicum components. You may need to either be away from work for several weeks at a time to complete clinical hours or be able to work at a practicum site multiple days per week over a semester. JMU’s online program, for example, states that students must commit to at least three full days a week for placements in educational settings and four in medical settings. Each program is different.

Non-Live vs. Live Online Master’s in Speech Pathology Classes

While some classes are taught in real time with active participation and opportunities to ask questions, others include asynchronous components. WKU’s distance program, for example, holds synchronous lectures in the evenings (Central time), while courses in JMU’s online program have both synchronous and asynchronous components depending on the instructor and content. Think about how you learn best, ask each program how often classes meet live and whether any in-person sessions are required, and choose an online SLP program accordingly.

Clinical Field Placement Services for Speech Pathology Degree Students

The practicum is an integral part of a master’s in speech pathology. Under ASHA’s 2020 standards, the 400-hour minimum of supervised clinical experience for certification comprises 25 hours of guided observation and 375 hours of direct client or patient contact (Standard V-C), and at least 325 of the 400 hours must be completed during graduate enrollment (Standard V-D). For students who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2023, at least 250 hours must be graduate-level, on-site, in-person direct contact, and up to 125 hours may be completed through telepractice at the graduate program’s discretion and where permitted. Under the 2027 standards, effective August 1, 2027, the 400-hour and 250-hour in-person minimums continue, but observation becomes optional: a program may count up to 25 hours of it.

ASHA’s standards set the number of hours, not how a program helps you find clinical sites. Online SLP programs may offer varying levels of field placement services to help secure clinical sites for online students, so ask each program who arranges placements, whether it can place you near where you live and what happens if it cannot. JMU’s online program, for example, states that its Off-Campus Placement Coordinator works with each student to identify sites and secure contracts, and that placements are arranged near the student’s geographic location.

Some online SLP graduate programs require that a certain amount of practicum hours are completed on site, so learners may need to travel to the school to complete those portions of the practicum. WKU’s distance students, for example, complete a three-week summer clinical internship on its Bowling Green campus, and UW–Eau Claire’s online students attend a one-week on-campus residency each summer. Think about what level of assistance you will want when securing your placements and how much you are able to travel. These speech pathology clinical experiences may affect your preferred speech pathology job setting for your speech pathology career.