Following the completion of theoretical courses, graduate student clinicians participate in a five-step Clinical Practicum and Field Placement Sequence (Practicum I-V) which consists of both on-campus and off-campus clinical experiences to prepare them to be well-rounded speech-language pathologists. Each step in the sequence is a semester in length.
At the conclusion of the Clinical Practicum and Field Placement Sequence, students will have completed clinical learning in a minimum of three different settings with sufficient exposure across the nine disorders. All experiences will be completed under the supervision of a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who meets the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) standards on supervision.
Direct Contact Hours
Our national governing body, ASHA requires that students complete 25 guided clinical observation hours before beginning the Clinical Practicum and Field Placement Sequence. They are then required to complete a minimum of 375 direct contact hours in order to be eligible for certification and professional licensure.
The following direct contact hour requirements will be met over the course of the Clinical Practicum and Field Placement Sequence. Most students do surpass the requirement by the end of their Clinical Practicum and Field Placement Sequence, thereby meeting all New York State and ASHA certification standards. Please note it is to a student's advantage to surpass the minimum direct contact hour requirements.
Within the minimum direct contact hour requirements, students must earn a minimum of:
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100 treatment direct contact hours which must include:
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50 hours of adult treatment
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50 hours of pediatric treatment
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30 diagnostic direct contact hours which must include:
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15 hours of adult diagnostics
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15 hours of pediatric diagnostics
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5 direct contact hours in audiology
Each Practicum course is coupled with a different immersive clinical experience either at the NYU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic or an off-campus field placement.
Practicums I-III: NYU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic
For Clinical Practicum I-III, students will primarily be in our NYU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. The opportunities presented allow student clinicians to apply their knowledge from course work to a variety of cases. Please refer to the NYU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic webpage for specific information.
On average, students earn approximately 75 direct contact hours. They are expected to attend the NYU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic up to five days per week.
Specialty Clinics During Practicums I-III
Students also have the unique opportunity to work under the supervision of NYU adjunct and clinical faculty at a variety of partner sites throughout Practicums I-III. This may include:
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Gigi's Playhouse – Graduate student clinicians work with Gigi Playhouse members in a group setting fostering leadership and self-advocacy.
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Lenox Hill Neighborhood House – Graduate student clinicians work with multilingual preschoolers in an early childhood setting.
Practicums IV-V: Field Placements
The beginning steps in the sequence clinically educate and prepare students for their off-campus field placements. The purpose of the field placement experience is for students to continue "learning by doing" in one primarily pediatric (Practicum IV) and one primarily adult (Practicum V) setting to further advance their clinical and professional competencies as outlined by the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Disorders.
Each field placement experience is a semester in length (can range 12-16 weeks) and requires a student to attend 3-5 days each week. The cadence of each field placement is at the discretion of the field placement supervisor. Graduate students find working during the field placement experience challenging. It is recommended that students begin to plan for full-time field placement experiences few semesters before entering the sequence.
Our field placements include hospitals, private practices, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation clinics, schools for children with special needs, public schools, and other settings.
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.
