Speech-Language Pathology Prerequisite (SLPP) Program

The Speech-Language Pathology Prerequisite (SLPP) Program consists of 21 credits of undergraduate, upper-level Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology core coursework which can be completed in as few as three semesters (3 courses in fall, 3 courses in spring & 1 course in summer).

The classes align with the GMercyU accelerated semester terms, which take place during 7-week intervals during the first and second halves of the 15-week semester. Typically, 2 courses are offered in the first accelerated session of the fall & spring semesters, and 1 course offered during the second accelerated session of fall & spring semesters). One course is offered during the Summer I session. Each course is offered one time per year.

All courses are online and asynchronous with periodic opportunities to participate in optional online synchronous class meetings and program events.

The Speech-Language Pathology Prerequisite (SLPP) program is designed to accommodate students who may be working or have other regular commitments while still offering personal attention and opportunities to get to know the GMercyU SLP faculty. All SLPP classes will be held online and take place in a combination of synchronous and asynchronous formats. Each course will have two-to-three pre-scheduled synchronous class meetings spaced out over the semester calendar. The remainder of the course will be delivered asynchronously. Course instructors will also be available through regularly scheduled virtual office hours.

Students who enroll in the Speech-Language Pathology Prerequisite (SLPP) program will be eligible to submit an application to GMercyU's and other SLP master’s programs after the first fall semester of the SLPP program and enroll in an SLP graduate program the following fall semester (assuming an offer of admission and completion of all prerequisite courses).

Students may also tailor the program to fit their needs such as electing to take fewer courses each semester (1-2 courses/semester) or to begin the program during the spring or summer semester. Students who have completed one or more of the courses at a different institution may elect to enroll in only the courses they need to build eligibility for graduate school applications.

Each three-credit course will be held during an accelerated term that runs for approximately 7 weeks. The typical course sequence for students completing the full Speech-Language Pathology Prerequisite (SLPP) program in one year is as follows:

Fall Semester

• SLP 400: Phonetics
• SLP 410: Language Development
• SLP 420: Anatomy & Physiology of Speech, Language, & Swallowing

Spring Semester

• SLP 440: Introduction to Communication Disorders
• SLP 430: Introduction to Audiology & Aural Rehabilitation
• SLP 450: Speech & Hearing Science

Summer Semester (1st session) 

• SLP 460: Clinical Observation & Techniques 

• Students who complete at least three of the seven online courses will be given a preferred application status to the GMercyU MSSLP program.
• Classes are offered completely online.
• Designed to be completed in one year.
• Mixed course format allows for student convenience while facilitating the development of networking relationships with peers and maximizing interaction with GMercyU faculty.

All courses are three credits and taught online in a primarily asynchronous format. The first class will be synchronous, but all other classes will be asynchronous. Periodically, optional class meetings and program events will be offered.

SLP 400: Phonetics: Focuses on the typical production of speech sounds, transcribing speech using the International Phonetic Alphabet, and analyzing the acoustic properties of speech sounds. It provides a foundation for understanding typical and atypical speech development and patterns and regional and foreign accents. The course also includes an introduction to speech sound development and disorders in pediatric populations.

SLP 410: Language Development: Focuses on the development of spoken and written language in humans from birth through early adulthood. The course emphasizes the role of environment and human biological factors utilized in learning to communicate with words, sentences, and narratives. It also covers the development of reading and writing.

SLP 420: Anatomy & Physiology of Speech, Language, & Swallowing: Provides foundational information of the structures(anatomy), function (physiology), and neural controls of the structures used for speech, language, swallowing, respiration, and related behaviors in humans. Particular emphasis will be placed on neurological structures & functions associated with speech, language, and swallowing.

SLP 430: Introduction to Audiology & Aural Rehabilitation: Presents basic principles and techniques of hearing evaluation, including pure-tone, speech, immittance, and advanced audiometry; hearing conservation in hospital, school, and industrial settings. It also covers an introduction to aural rehabilitation including identification, evaluation, and rehabilitation of auditory pathologies.

SLP 440: Introduction to Communication Disorders: Provides students with an introductory understanding of the causes, characteristics, assessment, and treatment of speech, language, swallowing, and hearing disorders in children and adults. Examines the professional roles and responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and introduces evidence-based practice principles as applied to Communication Disorders professions.

SLP 450: Speech & Hearing Science: Focuses on the primary aspects of the speech and hearing processes including sounds in the environment (physical acoustics), sounds encoded within the auditory system (physiological acoustics), and perception of sound (psychological acoustics).

SLP 460: Clinical Observation & Techniques: Provides students with the knowledge and skills to conduct, record, interpret, and analyze clinical observations of assessment and intervention of clients with communication disorders. Students will complete 25 hours of clinical observation in the field and through Master Clinician Network, an online platform for guided observation and development of clinical skills in speech-language pathology.

Karen A. Fallon, PhD, CCC-SLP
Position: Professor and Director of the Speech-Language Pathology MS Program
Did You Know? Dr. Fallon’s clinical research focuses on supporting children and adolescents with language-based learning disabilities and she has disseminated her scholarly work at international, national, and state conferences and in multiple peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. 
Read bio

Alison N. Boyle, MS, CCC-SLP
Position: Professor of Practice and the Director of Clinical Education of the Speech-Language Pathology MS Program 
Did You Know? Ms. Boyle has been a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist for over 10 years and has expertise working in medical speech-language pathology with the adult population. 
Read bio

Yvonne D’Uva Howard, PhD, MS CCC-SLP
Position: Assistant Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology MS Program 
Did You Know? Before joining GMercyU, Dr. D’Uva Howard maintained a private SLP practice and contracted with rehabilitation agencies, early intervention, and K-12 schools in eastern Pennsylvania.
Read bio

 

Jennifer McIlvaine, PhD, CCC-SLP, ATP
Position: Assistant Professor in the Speech-Language Pathology MS Program 
Did You Know? Dr. McIlvaine spent more than seven years as a speech-language pathologist specializing in assistive technology (AT) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in a private practice setting.
Read bio

 

In addition to the prerequisite CSD coursework and observation hours provided in the GMercyU SLPP program, students wishing to become certified SLPs must also complete prerequisite general academic coursework.  

As part of the certification process, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association requires that all applicants for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) complete basic academic coursework in the following areas:

• biological sciences
• physics or chemistry
• social/behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology)
• statistics

All coursework must be satisfactorily completed at the undergraduate or graduate level at an accredited institution, and must appear on the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate transcripts. Advanced placement (AP) courses that appear for credit on the applicant’s college/university transcript can satisfy this requirement. All coursework must be completed by the time applicant begins their Clinical Fellowship (first professional employment position).

It is the discretion of each graduate program to determine which courses will be accepted in fulfillment of the requirements and whether coursework must be completed prior to enrolling in the graduate program or may be completed during the graduate program. Students missing prerequisite courses are strongly encouraged to complete all necessary prerequisite courses prior to enrolling in a graduate program.

For a detailed description of these requirements, please visit the ASHA webpage: http://www.asha.org/certification/course-content-areas-for-slp-standards/

The GMercyU SLPP program uses a rolling admissions approach with an application deadline of June 1 for enrollment in fall courses. With this method, completed applications are reviewed as they are received, and subsequently, admissions decisions are made until the program is full.

The required materials include:

• Application
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale). To be considered official, transcripts must be sent from school to school — any transcripts submitted by the student cannot be deemed "official."
• Current resume or curriculum vitae (CV)

All application requirements should be emailed to gradadmissions@vbj4.com. Applicants will be reviewed for program eligibility once all materials have been received. Applicants will receive an admissions decision via email.

Students who complete at least three of the seven online courses will be given preferred application status when applying to the GMercyU MSSLP program.

This status will guarantee SLPP students:

1. An expedited application process
2. Students will be offered an early admissions interview
3. An early admission decision with no obligation to respond to the offer of admission until April 15

Students who have completed fewer than three SLPP courses may apply through the normal GMercyU graduate online application on our MSSLP page.

The following are the 2024-2025 rates for the Speech-Language Pathology Prerequisite (SLPP) program: 

• SLPP per credit: $390.00
• Each SLPP 3-credit course: $1,170.00
• The entire SLPP 7-course (21 credit) program = $8,190.00