ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½

Mission Statement

The mission of the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ is to educate and train future clinicians to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services using evidenced-based methodologies. Through our numerous and diverse clinical affiliations across the New York area, we are able to deliver unique, community-based experiences for our ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ and quality clinical services for local and broader communities. We prepare our ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ to become professional, competent and compassionate clinicians who utilize state-of-the-art technologies and procedures, and provide quality services to children and adults with communication disorders while maintaining sensitivity to cultural, linguistic, and individual diversity.

Vision Statement

The SLP graduate program at ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ aims to address the academic and clinical needs of master’s ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ by providing rich, diverse learning opportunities that integrate theories of typical and atypical communication, evidence-based practice, developing technology, expanding service delivery platforms, and national and global outreach. The program is dedicated to fostering professional excellence that will benefit the quality of life of persons with communication disorders from varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We envision the future of our program developing with advanced technology, extended academic training, increased collaboration with other disciplines, wider variety of specialty clinics, and expanding opportunities to service new trends in population communication needs.

Strategic Plan

Scholarships

Rationale: The cost of graduate education is increasing every year; ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ are burdened with student loans for numerous years. We aim to assist more ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ by distributing scholarship funding to more applicants.

By the end of the 2027-2028 academic year, 50% of our ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ will receive a scholarship.

Recruitment

Rationale: There are numerous competing SLP master's programs in our tristate area. We will more broadly promote and advertise our program through social media channels, brochures, videos, and clinic and campus tours.

By the end of 2027-2028, we will add three new modes of engaging with prospective ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.

Comprehensive Exam

Rationale: Clinical practices, research, and education continuously evolve, and thus our comprehensive exam needs to be revised to reflect up-to-date academic and clinical skills.

By the end of 2027-2028, we will have revised our comprehensive exams by updating at least 25% of questions.

Curriculum

Rationale: Pediatric feeding, AAC, and pre-professional practices are crucial topics that will prepare our ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ for diverse cases in their clinical practice, and thus our curriculum will be revised to provide ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ with more educational experiences related to these topics

By the end of 2027-2028, we will have revised our curriculum to incorporate more coursework related to pediatric feeding, AAC, and pre-professional practices.

Specialty Clinics

Rationale: While our Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic has established specialty clinics in the areas of neurogenic speech and language disorders, early intervention, Parkinson’s, and language/literacy in the schools, expansion of specialty clinics will further benefit all stakeholders, especially our ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½.

By the end of 2027-2028, we will create additional specialty clinics in childhood apraxia of speech, intensive aphasia program, and voice.

Program Status from a Master of Arts to a Master of Science

Rationale: Aligning with our schools change from the Schools of Health Professions and Human Services to the School of Health Sciences, we intend to change our degree from a Master of Arts (MA) to a Master of Science (MS), which reflects our curriculum and profession being scientific and analytical.

By the end of 2027-2028, we will change to a MS degree for all ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ graduating by the end of that academic year.

Professional Development

Rationale: Students benefit from our hands-on professional development events in the curriculum, with events such as Spring Research Day, Hanen language and literacy workshop, Poverty Simulation, National Public Health Week, and Interprofessional Education (IPE) events held yearly, and thus we intend to add more opportunities, such as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) workshop.

By the 2027-2028 academic year, the program will provide two more opportunities for ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ to engage in professional development.

Student Engagement

Rationale: Student collaboration within and across programs is vital to student success, and while we emphasize such collaboration already, we intend to increase collaborations through peer mentoring, a Graduate NSSLHA chapter, and interprofessional events, we intend to encourage more collaboration.

By the 2027-2028 academic year, the program will provide three opportunities to collaborate with ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ within and outside the SLP program.

Interdisciplinary Clinical and Research

Rationale: Interdisciplinary efforts are increasingly being recognized as important, and as The School of Health Sciences at Hofstra has created an interdisplinary PhD in Health Sciences, we want to create more opportunities for SLP ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½ to engage in research and clinical work with related fields in our Schools of Health Sciences and School of Education.

By the end of 2027-2028 academic year, the program will present two student research posters with colleagues in related fields (e.g., OT, PT, special education).