Graduate student clinicians participate in a wide variety of on-campus and off-campus field placement experiences to prepare them to be well-rounded professionals.
In addition to course requirements (see curriculum), students are required to complete their supervised clinical practicum experience in three different types of clinical settings with sufficient exposure across the nine disorders. Please refer to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) website for more information.
Direct Contact Hours
Students must complete 25 hours of clinical observation before beginning their fieldwork – they are then required to complete 375 direct contact hours to be eligible for certification and professional licensure.
As a part of these 375 direct contact hours, the department requires students to graduate with a minimum of:
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50 direct contact hours for adults with exposure across the nine disorders
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50 direct contact hours in pediatrics with exposure across the nine disorders
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A separate minimum of 15 hours in diagnostics for the pediatric population
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A separate minimum of 15 hours for the adult population
Of course, students do surpass these requirements by the end of their practicum sequence experience, whereby meeting all state and ASHA standards.
All on-campus and field placement experiences are coupled with practicum seminar courses.
Placements in Our On-Campus Clinic
During the on-campus experience (Practicum III), the NYU Speech-Language Clinic allows student clinicians to apply their knowledge from course work to a variety of cases. The clinic provides exposure to individuals and groups with aphasia, articulation/phonological disorders, traumatic brain injuries, motor speech and voice disorders, etc.
On average, students spend about 50-60 clinical hours working with clients during their on-campus practicum. They are expected to attend the NYU Speech-Language Clinic five days per week.
Placements with NYU Faculty
Students also have the unique opportunity to work under the supervision of NYU adjunct and clinical faculty at a variety of partner sites as a part of the on-campus practicum, including:
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Terence Cardinal Cooke Center – Gain experience working with adults with Huntington’s disease in an in-patient hospital setting.
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Lenox Hill Neighborhood House – Work with monolingual and bilingual preschoolers in an early-childhood setting.
Off-Campus Field Placements
The time our students spend mastering clinical skills in their on-campus practicum effectively prepares them for a variety of off-campus field placements. The purpose of the field placement experience is for our students to further "learn by doing" in both pediatric and adult settings while mastering their clinical and professional competencies modeled after the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Disorders.
Students participate in a minimum of two off-campus field placements as a part of their MS degree and attend these placements anywhere from 12-16 weeks for 3-5 days each week.
Our off-campus partner sites include hospitals, private practices, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation clinics, schools for children with special needs, and public schools. For example, our students have the opportunity to work at:
- Local medical institutions like Mount Sinai and Manhattan VA Medical Center
- New York City Department of Education public schools, gaining experience working with a diverse student population
NYU-Affiliated Medical Settings
Through our department’s NYU-wide relationships, students have the opportunity to receive dynamic training in a variety of medical settings under the supervision of experts in speech-language pathology, including:
- Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Health – Our students frequently collaborate with speech-language pathologists and researchers at Rusk Rehabilitation's world-class program. Students who are accepted for an externship at Rusk gain first-hand experience working in the areas of adult language, dysphagia, pediatric communication disorders, and cochlear implant surgery. Clinicians from Rusk also serve as adjunct professors within our department.
- The Voice Center at NYU Langone Health – Students in our program have the opportunity to learn from the Voice Center’s highly-regarded scholars who teach courses within our department on the range of conditions that impact the sound and quality of an individual’s voice as well as evidence-based treatment options. Those who excel in the classroom may be selected for externship opportunities and research mentorship with affiliated faculty members at the Voice Center.
Please contact csdfieldplacement@nyu.edu for additional information.
Background Checks: Coverage
In accordance with applicable law and department guidelines, the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders (“CSD”) at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development will require background checks for all students enrolled in the MS degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders who will be participating in an NYU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic or other related on-campus initiatives, including immersions (hereinafter, “clinical training program”).
A student may not begin to participate in a clinical training program unless and until CSD has determined that the student has successfully completed the background check in accordance with applicable law and department guidelines. Please take note that a criminal history does not automatically disqualify a student from participating in a clinical training program. CSD will conduct a full analysis consistent with applicable law before any final decision is made with respect to participation in the program. If CSD determines that the student may not participate in the clinical training program based on the results of the background check, the student may not be eligible to satisfy the requirements for the MS degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders.
In accordance with applicable law, the results of the background check will be kept confidential and shall not be used, distributed, or disseminated to any persons other than those involved in making a decision about the student’s participation in the clinical training program.
Background Checks: Field Placements
Please be advised that students may also be required to undergo a background check before participating in a field placement program with a non-NYU site. The scope and review of the background check will depend on the process and procedures of the non-NYU site. If the non-NYU site determines that the student may not participate in the placement, while CSD will make every effort to help the student find alternative placement, if not possible, the student may not be eligible to satisfy the requirements for the MS degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders.
Background Checks: Licensing Requirements
Please also be advised that a criminal history may render a student ineligible to receive a state license or clinical certification. Students who are planning on working in the state of New York should address questions about licensing eligibility and background checks to the New York State Board of Regents’ Office of the Professions. Students who are planning on working in a state other than New York should direct questions about background checks to the licensing board of that particular state. Contacts for the licensing boards of each state, as well as applicable licensing laws and regulations, may be accessed through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Accreditation Information
The master's (MS) education program in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) at New York University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA)
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800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700