Distance Learning Online Coursework

• Students will be enrolled in courses through the University of Akron and the University of Cincinnati.
  • Refer to the following curricula document: DL Program of Study 2025
• Courses are asynchronous, meaning that lectures and material are often recorded and available for you to view at a time that fits your schedule, however, some of the material may also be delivered through a “live” class chat which you are expected to attend, and are generally scheduled during evening hours. .
• Deadlines and live chats are scheduled according to Eastern Standard Time (EST). Students who live in other time zones must be prepared to adjust their schedules in order to accommodate this requirement.

Financial Info

• Students will pay tuition fees (price/credit hour) to the relevant university for each course. Additional fees apply.
• Financial Aid can be applied to the courses. 
• Our program does not currently offer program-specific scholarship opportunities. 
• See tuition and fees information for graduate students at the University of Akron.
  • The School of Speech-Language Pathology is a part of the College of Health and Human Sciences.
• Tuition and fees information for graduate students at the University of Cincinnati can be found at the following link here.
  • Refer to the Allied Health Sciences section.
• Email the coordinator Steffany Wechter (swechter@uakron.edu) for additional information related to fees and tuition. Costs are subject to change.

Clinical Training in the Collaborative Distance Learning Master’s Speech-Language Pathology Program

Clinical placements begin in the third semester. Students will complete a total of five clinical placements (2-3 days per week minimum), which will provide students with clinical training that covers a variety of communication disorders, across the lifespan, and in a variety of settings. Students receive training from speech-language pathologists who have their certificates of clinical competence (CCC) through the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a state license.

The coordinator and students work collaboratively to arrange clinical placements in their communities. Placements are arranged within 50 miles of the student's hometowns. It is wise for students to begin observing and volunteering in schools/facilities in their area prior to beginning the master’s program; this allows students to familiarize themselves to various clinical settings, and it is helpful to make connections to increase opportunities for clinical rotations in the future.

Students must prioritize clinicals when considering their weekly schedule. Students are NOT able to maintain a full-time work schedule when clinicals begin. They must be able to match the SLP’s availability/schedule at each of the placements, which will vary across terms. Although six semesters (semester 3-8) are allotted for only five clinical placements, students are required to be available for any of these semesters to complete their clinical requirements (i.e. cannot request a specific term to be off from clinic).

Placements 1-3 are typically two days per week and can be completed in a variety of settings. The last two placements (4&5) are considered the externships. The externships are a minimum of 3 days per week. One externship must be completed in a school setting, and the other externship is completed in an adult medical facility. Students are enrolled in 1-credit hour seminar courses that pair with each of these externships (i.e school-based externship seminar, medical-based externship seminar).