With more than 100 years of experience in SLP education, Ithaca College supports your journey to practice through fully online coursework and prerequisites (alongside in-person clinical experiences). The online Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) is a competitively priced, accredited program designed to provide the same level of engagement and support you’d receive in an on-campus program. Here, you’ll benefit from: 

• Degree completion in less than 3 years (or just over 3.5 years with our leveling track)
• Our history of exceptional program outcomes 
• Immersive virtual simulations 
• Ongoing student support 
• No travel requirements (outside of in-person clinical experiences) 
• Clinical placement support in your local area 
• The opportunity to earn your degree while maintaining work/life balance 
• A connected learning environment 
• Engaged faculty dedicated to student success 
• A diverse community of peers from across the country 

• 53 total credits - general track
• 100% Online Coursework
• No on-campus residency requirement
• Accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CAA)*
• 8 semesters, part-time (2.7 years to complete)
• Two intakes per year (Fall and Spring)
• Tuition: $55,862*

* Tuition is subject to change during your academic career. The tuition information should be used as a guideline for estimating costs.

• Bachelor’s degree with 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Prerequisite Science courses
• Required Speech-Language-Hearing leveling courses (general track students only)
• 25 observation hours (general track only)

An evaluation of your transcripts will determine what prerequisite courses are needed.

Required Speech-Language-Hearing Leveling Courses – Offered Online

These required foundational leveling courses are offered online by Ithaca College and can be built into your MSSLP program.

• Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms
• Phonetics
• Child Language Development
• Basic Audiology
• Basic Speech Science
• Clinical Observation

An evaluation of your transcripts will determine what prerequisite courses are needed.

Prerequisite Science Courses**

One college-level course in each of the following must be completed before starting your MSSLP program, but you can apply to the program before the coursework is completed.

• Physics or Chemistry
• Biology
• Statistics
• Social or Behavioral Science

An evaluation of your transcripts will determine what prerequisite courses are needed.
**These courses are not offered online and are typically completed elsewhere.

Students from a number of states are welcome to apply to Ithaca College’s online SLP program. Please see our State Authorization page for more detailed information. 

Licensure Requirements: 

For SLP licensure, every state requires a graduate degree and a passing* score on the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology. Licensure requirements by state can be viewed here. Please see our state licensure disclosure here. 

*Each state determines its passing score for professional licensure and teacher credentialing 

The degree can be completed in 8 semesters (2.7 years) without prerequisite courses or 11 semesters (3.7 years) with prerequisite courses.

Yes! Ithaca College has a more than 100-year legacy in SLP education, so you can expect a quality education taught by expert faculty dedicated to student success.

Yes! This program is designed specifically for working professionals to maintain work/life balance. No campus visits or travel are required. However, in your last semester you will be expected to dedicate time to clinical experiences and work commitments may need to change.

Ithaca College’s offers two online pathways to an MS-SLP:

• A General pathway for those with a Speech-Language-Hearing background.
• A Leveling pathway that incorporates required foundational Speech-Language-Hearing coursework.

General students have a bachelor’s degree and have completed all their foundational Speech-Language-Hearing coursework.

• They have bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders/speech-language hearing fields and have completed all the necessary foundational courses.
• They have a bachelor’s in another field but have completed the foundational SLP coursework in a leveling or bridge program.

Leveling students typically do not have a communication sciences and disorders/speech-language-hearing background and require foundational coursework to begin the MS-SLP program.

Ithaca’s MSSLP online leveling pathway includes 6 foundational speech-language-hearing courses, completed over 1 year before starting your graduate SLP courses.

Foundational Speech-Language-Hearing Leveling Courses are the core courses required to enter the MS-SLP program. These are typically included in a Speech-Language Hearing bachelor’s program or bridge program, but Ithaca College offers an optional online MS-SLP pathway that incorporates these foundational courses into the SLP degree.

Leveling courses include Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms, Phonetics, Child Language Development, Basic Audiology, Basic Speech Science and Clinical Observation.

Prerequisite Science Courses are typically taken elsewhere and must be completed by both General and Leveling students before entering Ithaca’s MSSLP program. However, students can apply to the MSSLP program before the prerequisite coursework is completed.

Students must take one college class in Physics or Chemistry, Biology, Statistics and Social or Behavioral Science.

If you have completed any leveling courses with a B or higher, you do not need to retake them. Upon the completion and verification of a completed CSDCAS application, your application and transcripts are reviewed to determine your plan of study and any outstanding coursework, or requirements needed.

After reviewing our site, we encourage you to submit a request for information, which will direct you to a program brochure page with a link to register for one of our upcoming information session webinars. The information session webinar is a valuable opportunity to hear from an admissions advisor to gain a comprehensive understanding of the program, requirements, application process and more. You’ll also learn from a live audience Q&A session.

CSDCAS (Centralized Application Service for Communication Sciences and Disorders) is a centralized application service for graduate SLP programs, including Ithaca College’s online MSSLP. When you are ready to apply to Ithaca’s online MSSLP program, you will be directed to the CSDCAS site.  

Yes, to prevent delays in the verification process all applicants must provide official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities where they have received college credit. Transcripts are required to submit your courses to your CSDCAS application.

Upon the completion and verification of a completed CSDCAS application, your application and transcripts are reviewed to determine your plan of study and any outstanding requirements needed.

Due to the high demand and limited MSSLP program capacity application deadlines can change. Please refer to https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login for the most up-to-date deadline information.