Clinical Practicum

One of the most exciting parts of the Speech-Language Pathology Program is clinical practicum. Students begin in our state-of-the-art Speech & Hearing Center in the Institute for Well Being. After the first year, students then complete clinical rotations in some of the finest medical centers and schools in the region.

Students posing in front of the Institute for Well-Being

Practicum Requirements

Students need to complete 400 hours of clinical practicum to graduate and apply for certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Twenty-five of these hours are observation hours. Although ASHA allows students to complete observation hours concurrently with other practicum experiences, the SPPA department requires that all 25 hours be completed before practicum begins with clients. Students are allowed to complete up to 50 clinical hours at the undergraduate level in addition to the 25 observation hours. The remaining 325 hours must be completed at the graduate level. Although ASHA does not specifically require clinical practicum hours in Audiology, the department requires all speech-language pathology students to complete 12 hours of audiology (hearing screening, diagnosis, or rehabilitation).

On-Campus Practicum

During the first year of the program, students complete clinical practicum at the Speech and Language Center, located in the Institute for Well-Being.  While some students have previous clinical experience at the undergraduate level, most students begin graduate clinical practicum with no experience.  The department recognizes this and provides intensive supervision and support during the first year of practicum. Students are assigned multiple different clinical experiences each semester.

Clinical assignments include in-person treatment of individual pediatric and adult clients, teletherapy services, diagnostic teams, speech and hearing screenings, and group treatment programs.  Group programs such as the Teeny Tigers program, the Children’s Therapeutic Program, and the Wellness in Stroke and Head Injury program are run collaboratively with Occupational Therapy.  Students may also be assigned to group programs in the Hussman Center Adults with Autism.  Our state-of-the-art facility has numerous speech language pathology treatment rooms for small to large groups, and two large Children’s Therapeutic Program rooms with an adjoining outside playground.  Treatment and diagnostic simulations are also part of the clinical experience during the first year of graduate school. 

The Institute for Well-Being functions as an interdisciplinary professional teaching center of excellence for a variety of majors within the College of Health Professions. This setting gives our students exposure to professional practice across multiple health care disciplines. The Institute for Well-Being is located within walking distance of the main campus. The Towson University shuttle bus makes regular runs between the two locations. For more information, visit the Institute for Well-Being

Off-Campus Practicum

In the second year of the program, students complete clinical practicum off campus under the supervision of speech-language pathologists employed in the practicum setting. The clinic director surveys students to determine interests and attempts to coordinate opportunities for placements in clinical settings that match. Many placements are competitive, and those agencies interview several students for the placement. Students must complete a minimum of two off-campus placements before graduation.  Students may complete placements in a variety of settings including public, non-public and private schools, nursing and rehabilitation settings, hospitals, private practices and outpatient facilities. Students who complete their pediatric placement in the schools may be eligible for teaching certification in Speech-Language Pathology after graduation. Some students may also complete a third off-campus practicum in the Summer between the first and second year of graduate school based on practicum availability and readiness to go off-campus.  Recent off-campus placements include the following sites:

School Settings where TU students have been placed Hospitals where TU students have been placed
 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children 
 Baltimore City Public Schools  Anne Arundel Medical Center
 Baltimore County Public Schools  Baltimore VA Medical Center
 Carroll County Public Schools  Baltimore Washington Med Ctr
 Forbush School at Shepherd Pratt  Forbush School at Shepherd Pratt
Carroll Medical Center
 Frederick County Development Center  Franklin Square Hospital (Medstar)
 Frederick County Public Schools  Frederick Health Care Center
 Harford County Public Schools  Frederick Memorial Hospital
Howard County Public Schools Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Kennedy Krieger Institute School Good Samaritan Hospital (Medstar)
Maryland School for the Blind Harford Memorial Hospital
Maryland School for the Deaf Hershey Medical Center
Montgomery County School System Johns Hopkins Hospital
Odyssey School Kennedy Krieger Institute Hospital
Prince George's County Public Schools Kernan Hospital
Villa Maria School Maryland General Hospital
Washington County Public Schools Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital
Rehabilitation Centers National Institutes of Health
Bel Air Nursing & Rehab National Rehabilitation Hospital
 Forest Hill Nursing & Rehab  Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
Future Care Sinai Hospital
Genesis Rehab St. Agnes Hospital
Kennedy Krieger Inst Center for Autism St. Josephs Hospital
Manor Care Rehab Services Union Memorial Hospital
Hearing and Speech Agencies University of Maryland-Shock Trauma
Associated Speech & Language Services University Specialty Hospital
Hearing & Speech Agency of Baltimore Upper Chesapeake Med Ctr
National Speech & Language Center VA Hospital
Scottish Rite Center Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Treatment & Learning Centers Washington Adventist Hospital
  Washington County Hospital