School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Accelerated Degree Pathway (ADP)
ACCELERATED OPTION: You can earn your bachelor's and master's in less time and at a significant savings. Learn more about the: Accelerated degree option.
The Accelerated Degree Pathway (ADP) program is a 5-year bridge program between our speech-language pathology (SLP) undergraduate and graduate degrees. Selected students can complete 9-credits of graduate coursework during their third undergraduate year at the University of Akron. Students will then transition into our campus-based SLP graduate program, pending satisfactory fulfillment of their undergraduate degree and graduate program admission requirements. Selected SLP students have the potential to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of Akron in 5 years.
The advantages to the accelerated program include:
-
Flexibility during graduate school
Students can complete graduate classes while fulfilling undergraduate degree requirements. This allows for flexibility at the graduate level for enrollment in additional clinical experiences or for acceptance in one of our offered SLP graduate level specialization training programs. -
Reduce time
Students start fulfilling graduate school requirements sooner. The ADP Program engages students in graduate level courses before their peers and provides the opportunity to make connections with graduate instructors and other students in the program. -
Save tuition costs
Students can save tuition costs by completing up to 9 graduate credit hours at the undergraduate price. These same graduate credits will be applied to their SLP graduate degree at The University of Akron
Curriculum:
The 5-Year Accelerated Degree Pathway (ADP) Program curriculum includes the same coursework offered in the SLP undergraduate and graduate programs. The 5-year program requires 176 total credit hours of undergraduate and graduate courses.
See drop down items below for listing of required courses for the 5-Year ADP Program in Speech-Language Pathology
*Courses are required as part of pre-admission sequence into SLPA major.
**Courses must be completed during summer semester to complete 176 credits in 5-year timeline.
Courses listed in italics are graduate leveled courses completed at the undergraduate level and cost.
| Course | Credits |
| SLPA:540 Augmentative Communication | 3 |
| SLPA:628 Topics in Differential Diagnosis of Speech & Language Disorders | 2 |
| SLPA:620 Articulation/Phonology | 3 |
| SLPA:624 Neurogenic Speech & Language Disorders | 3 |
| SLPA:626 Voice & Cleft Palate | 3 |
| SLPA:632 Dysphagia | 3 |
| SLPA:561 Organization & Administration: Public School Speech-Language & Hearing Programs | 2 |
| SLPA:590 Workshop: Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology | 1 |
| SLPA:627 Stuttering: Theories & Therapies | 2 |
| SLPA:633 Professional Issues | 2 |
| SLPA:611 Research Methods in Communicative Disorders I | 3 |
| SLPA:585 Developmental Disabilities | 2 |
| SLPA:639 Audiology for the Speech-Language Pathologist | 3 |
| SLPA:650 Advanced Clinical Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology | 9 |
| SLPA:695 Externship: Speech Language Pathology | 6 |
| SLPA:696 Externship Seminar | 1 |
| SLPA:693 School-based Externship: Speech Language Pathology | 6 |
| SLPA:691 School-based Externship Seminar | 1 |
| Course | Credits |
| SLPA:613 Advanced Topics in Augmentative- Alternative Communication | 3 |
How to join
Interested students should contact Dr. Scott Palasik at spalasik@uakron.edu.
Once enrolled at UA, SLP students should discuss interest in our 5-Year SLP Accelerated Degree option with an academic advisor. Students are encouraged to apply to the ADP Program after being admitted into the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (SLPA) undergraduate program. Information about admission into the SLPA program can be found on our Undergraduate Website.
Currently enrolled junior level students can also find application and admission information on the SSLPA Undergraduate Brightspace site.