Professional Certification

Obtaining the CCC-SLP

To work as a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP), additional steps are needed after the academic and clinical training is completed. 

Many US states and territories require professional licensure/certification to be employed. If you plan to pursue employment in a licensed profession after completing this program, please visit the Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures by State interactive map to see the requirements. 

Be sure to communicate your future career plans with the director of clinical education to ensure you are prepared to practice in any state.

Praxis

All students must take and pass the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology (5331).

Students are encouraged to take this exam after completing their academic coursework and must pass the Praxis before they are eligible for their Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC).

Clinical fellowship year (CFY)

Upon graduation, practitioners are required to complete a mentored professional experience as a Clinical Fellow (CF). During this time, a CF will begin to transition from a student to an independent speech-language pathologist in a clinical setting of their choosing. 

A full-time clinical fellowship year (CFY) is a minimum of 36 weeks and 1,260 clinical hours and requires three segments of observation and mentorship by a licensed SLP. 

Learn more about the requirements and responsibilities for a CFY on the ASHA website. 

Obtaining licensure

To practice clinically, in any state, SLPs must hold a valid state and national license. Provisional licenses are required while completing the CFY. 

National licensure

National licensure is overseen by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 

Once individuals have completed all graduate coursework and passed the praxis exam, they can apply for their national license to begin their CFY.

State licensure

State licensure in Pennsylvania is overseen by the State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

Obtaining teacher certification

Obtaining teacher certification is optional. Our program provides the preparation needed for students to obtain Instructional 1 Teacher Certification in Pennsylvania.

Students who plan to earn their Instructional 1 Teacher Certification are required to pass an additional Praxis exam - Fundamental Subjects Content Knowledge (5511/0511).

In addition to our typical program, students interested in pursuing this optional certificate will need to complete:

1. A course on teaching English language learners
   1. At Penn State, this may be CI 280: Introduction to Teaching English Language Learners, APLNG 493: Teaching English as a Second Language, or EDUC 466N: Foundations of Teaching English as a Second Language.
   2. Students who have taken an equivalent course at another university may petition a substitution by emailing a copy of the syllabus to the Professor-In-Charge of the Graduate Program.
2. CSD 549: Speech-Language Pathologists in the Schools
   1. This course is embedded into the master's program and is typically offered the fall of the second year in the program.
3. A qualifying student teaching/externship in a qualifying school setting
   1. This is typically completed in the spring of your second year in the program.
   2. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires that students pursuing their Instructional I teaching certificate complete at least 50% of their clinical training/fieldwork within Pennsylvania. Students will need to consider this policy when making their location preferences for mini-placement and externship sites.

To learn more about requirements for earning Instructional 1 certification in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania  Teacher Requirements for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists page on the ASHA website. 

Students who do not plan to remain in Pennsylvania following graduation can review state by state requirements on the ASHA website.