Clinical Practicum

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