The document is an informational guide created by Farmvegas University for Schwa Speech Therapy Clinic about pursuing an undergraduate degree in speech language pathology. It provides an overview of the course of study, analyzes survey results from current and past students, describes internship opportunities in the area, reports on faculty ratios and student satisfaction, and outlines the graduate school application process. The goal is to increase understanding of the path to becoming a speech language pathologist and enhance success for future clinicians given the national shortage of SLPs.

1. Speech Language Pathology Handbook:
Everything You Need to Know as an Undergraduate Student
Prepared for: Schwa Speech Therapy Clinic
Prepared by: Farmvegas University
April 29, 2022

2. ii
2345 Ruffner Street
Farmvilla, VA 23901
January 25, 2022
Taylor Reveley
President
Farmvegas University
201 Low Street
Farmvilla, VA 23901
Dear Ms. Reveley:
Subject: Undergraduate speech language pathology handbook commission
Due to the national shortage of speech language pathologists, Schwa Speech Therapy Clinic is
experiencing short staffing. Although we are an established business, this shortage is raising concerns
about the quality of care we can provide. As a combative measure, we are looking for ways to increase
student enrollment for a future career in speech language pathology. We hope that by releasing
information, it reaches, informs, and recruits more potential students.
We are asking your university to create a Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) undergraduate
guide for potential CSD graduates. We would like to develop a resource that has easily accessible and
understandable information regarding the CSD undergraduate experience. We would like the guide to
include material regarding course of study, internships, and preparation for graduate school.
ations for the following calendar school year.
This will allow us to disturb the information to individuals at our clinic as well as prospective and current
students on your campus.
We look forward to receiving your analysis. If you have any questions, please contact our
Communication Sciences and Disorders department chair, Allyson Queen at
allyson.queen@farmvegas.com
Yours sincerely,
Annie Kralidis
CEO

3. iii
201 Low Street
Farmvilla, VA 23901
April 23, 2022
Annie Kralidis
CEO
Schwa Speech Therapy Clinic
2345 Ruffner Street
Farmvilla, VA 23901
Dear Ms. Kralidis:
Subject: Undergraduate speech language pathology handbook completed
We are pleased to present the undergraduate speech language pathology guide that you requested in your
letter of January 25. The guide analyzes the CSD undergraduate experience at Farmvegas University and
provides recommendations to help CSD students in the graduate school process.
We chose to include critical information unique to CSD undergraduate students. This includes student
opinions of the program, CSD course of study at Farmvegas, internship requirements and expectations at
Farmvegas, rapport and ratio between Farmvegas CSD faculty and students, and the graduate school
application process. Based on our analysis and results of a survey from Farmvegas alumni, we have
recommended that our CSD students (who could be your future SLP clinicians) consider the following:
Consider past experiences of CSD alumni when selecting graduate programs,
Observe faculty experience and ratio between faculty and students of graduate programs,
Compare graduate programs based upon accreditation, size, location of clinic, externship
placement opportunities, and
Consider that the graduate application process takes careful thought.
We are confident that these recommendations will help current and future CSD students become
successful speech language pathologists. We hope that this guide can promote not only our undergraduate
program, but all programs across the nation to address the speech language pathologist shortage.
We would like to thank Allyson Queen for her feedback on the draft analysis. If you have any
questions or concerns about the guide, we would be pleased to speak with you. I can be reached by phone
at 434-434-4444 or by email at taylor.reveley@farmvegas.com.
Yours sincerely,
Taylor Reveley
President

4. iv
Table of Contents
ii
iii
v
Executive Summary vi
1
3
3
Post- 3
4
4
5
6
Faculty Student 7
7
8
8
Tip: Personal Statemen 8
10
10
11
12
13

5. v
List of Figures
1
Figure 2: Post- 3
4
5
5
Figure 6: Chart of 6
7
7
7
Figu 8
8
10

6. vi
Executive Summary
Based on the national shortage and growing need for speech-language pathologists, the Schwa Speech
Therapy Clinic requested an informational career guide from Farmvegas University. A career within the
Communication and Sciences Disorders (CSD) field has been reported as being a rewarding career choice
and to have exceptional growth within the next eight years. A deadline of April 29, 2022 was set for the
requested informational career guide.
The goal was for this informational guide to increase the understanding involving the process of
preparation for the field of Speech Language Pathology and to enhance the success in clinical practice of
future speech language pathologists from Farmvegas University. Information that was analyzed within
this informational handbook- an intensive course of study, competitive internships, successful interactions
with faculty, and the graduate school application process.
In addition to the analysis, a survey was conducted on undergraduate experiences of current and past CSD
students at Farmvegas University and helped us determine whether Farmvegas University provided
information and opportunities to support its students in their future clinical practice. Current and past
CSD students at Farmvegas University had an overall positive undergraduate experience; however,
disparities among responses in data collected indicated that more alumni from Farmvegas University
currently in clinical practice felt as though they were not prepared during their time as an undergraduate
at Farmvegas University.
These responses supported our analysis that it is critical to provide information for Farmvegas to utilize
so students are provided with the opportunities that will support their preparedness and success in future
clinical practice. This led us to recommend the following:
consider experiences and past success rate of past CSD graduates when determining selection of
graduate programs,
observe ratio between faculty and students as well as noting area of expertise among faculty that
influences the success of the students and the CSD program,
compare graduate programs based upon accreditation, size, faculty expertise, clinical hours,
location of clinic (on-site or off-site), externship placement opportunities, and
consider that the graduate application process takes careful thought, and the applicant must
manage time wisely to make deadlines of the required material.
We are confident that our recommendations will provide the information and opportunities required to be
successful in the CSD field. Our goal is to produce students from Farmvegas University who will
contribute to the continued growth and success of the CSD profession.

7. Introduction
CSD graduates. To increase the understanding of the process to enhance success of the potential speech-
language pathologists, an informational handbook that analyzes the varying components undergraduates
will navigate
an intensive course of study,
competitive internships,
successful interactions with faculty, and
the graduate school application process.
Background
Schwa Speech Therapy Clinic is a
pediatric therapy center with a
focus on family-centered speech
therapy. The clinic opened in
2014, and since then has had great
success. Affiliation with
Farmvegas University has
provided the clinic with extra
hands in the form of internships.
Although, these internships are
only temporary, and long-term
help is needed. Schwa speech
clinic is concerned not only for
themselves, but other clinical Figure 1: Speech session at Farmvegas University
settings that offer speech services.
Within the past two years, there has been a shortage of speech-language pathologists. According to the
United States Bureau of Labor, this occupation is predicted to grow by 35 percent in the next eight years.
Within our own clinic, we have three job openings for SLPs which impacts the quality of care that can be
provided at the clinic. Resources are spread thin, and many SLPs have too large of caseloads. The lack of
SLPs can be attributed to recent pandemic, better identification of disorders, widening scope of practice,
and burn out due to high caseloads.
A survey given to current undergraduate students and alumni from the Communications Sciences and
Disorders program at Farmvegas University indicated too many did not feel they were given enough
information to be successful. An in-depth guide providing information on how to navigate the
complicated process of the undergraduate experiences as a future SLP is provided.

8. 2
Informatory Approach
The first component of the proposal is to outline the course of study that undergraduates will take at
Farmvegas University. Generally, these courses can continue at other universities that offer a CSD
program. Through data, we have found undergraduates were not familiar enough with the ASHA
requirements or the major course requirements. By specifically outlining and providing a checklist for
these courses will ensure students have a physical copy they can refer to.
Secondly, information pertaining to the various internship opportunities in the Farmville area are outlined.
Along with this outline, is a comprehensive evaluation in terms of location and academic status.
Next, the importance of students-faculty relations was emphasized through data collected from student
satisfactory ratings in comparison to average final grade of students and faculty to student ratio.
Lastly, a review of the graduate school application process is provided. Graduate school is extremely
competitive for the field of speech-language pathology; therefore, a guide was created to help students
plan and provide recommendations for the various aspects of applications. These aspects include
letters of recommendation,
resume,
personal statement and/or guided questions,
official transcripts,
GRE scores, and
GPA

9. 3
Analysis
The following section analyzes the information collected during our research. This analysis will be
examined by
Surveying current students majoring in CSD at Farmvegas University and alumni,
Descri
Explaining the internship process CSD students need to complete during their undergraduate
experience,
Reporting faculty details regarding student faculty rapport and student faculty ratio, and
Highlighting important aspects of the graduate school application.
This presentation of research will provide insight on the information for speech-language pathology
undergraduates at Farmvegas University to use to
Student Survey
To determine the current and past outlook of students that are attending Farmvegas University to pursue
an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders an in-program survey of current CSD
students and alumni from the CSD program were distributed through email. Our survey consisted of five
questions designed to gain an understanding of the level of preparation for current students and past
students. Copies of the survey and its results can be found in Appendices A, B, and C, accordingly.
The survey for current students received 78 replies, a response rate of 56 percent. The survey for alumni
received 213 replies, a response rate of 32 percent.
Post-Graduation Preparation
First, we will discuss whether the
current students in the program feel
prepared enough to be successful after
graduation. As Figure 2 reveals, over
60 percent of students strongly agree
or agree the university has provided
them with enough information and
opportunities to be successful after
graduation.
When examining the population of
students that disagree or strongly
disagree about feeling prepared for Figure 2: Post-graduation methods
success post-graduation, roughly 25

10. 4
percent of students are represented in this population indicates that there is more Farmvegas University
can make students feel more prepared. It is our goal with this guide, students feel more prepared to attend
graduate school and be successful in their endeavors.
Graduate School and Clinician Preparedness
As Figure 3 shows, the survey results from alumni for preparedness regarding graduate school and in their
role as a speech-language pathologist are compared. It is evident there is not a significant difference when
comparing levels of preparation
undergraduate experience. Despite
no major differences, important
details include the variance in the
agree and disagree responses.
These were the most significant
disparities between comparisons.
More clinicians feel they were not
prepared enough during their time
as an undergraduate at Farmvegas
University. After collecting this
data, we have dedicated a
stronger commitment towards
better preparing undergraduates.
Figure 3: Graduate school vs SLP preparation
Course of Study
The Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC) creates
carefully constructed rules and regulations for individuals interested in obtaining a certificate in SLP. The
following courses outline those needed to obtain this certificate. As an institution, we recommend these
courses be completed during your undergraduate experience. The following courses include biology,
physics, statistics, social science, and behavioral science.
In addition to the requirements of the CFCC, Farmvegas University has their own set of curricula related
to the field which we believe will best develop our students. The following courses include
CSDS 275 - Development of Language
CSDS 280 - Syntax & Morphology
CSDS 305 - Phonetics
CSDS 317 - Speech and Hearing A&P
CSDS 318 - Phonology and Language
CSDS 371 - Audiology
CSDS 440 - Literacy and Language
CSDS 460 - Speech Science
CSDS 465 - Neurology
CSDS 470 - Special Populations
CSDS 499 - Clinical Practice

11. 5
The average final grades from 2019-
2021 for the major requirements listed
about are shown in Figure 4. This data
shows the top three lowest grades
include CSDS 280, CSDS 440, and
CSDS 465. Within the upcoming
school years, this data will help to
improve support for students taking
these classes in hope the average
grades rise.
Internship
To successfully obtain an undergraduate
degree in CSD, studentsmust also Figure 4: Average final grades
complete an internship under a supervising
CFCC-certified speech-language pathologist. Farmvegas University requires a minimum of 50 internship
hours, although the required number of hours may vary depending on the university. The internship
typically involves observation of clinic sessions, clerical duties, and assistance to the supervising SLP;
however, the SLP may request the student to perform additional administrative tasks.
At Farmvegas University, internship placement is loosely based upon three factors: student GPA, class
status, and availability at the establishment. Although internships are typically not completed until a
ever,
upperclassmen do have precedent in placements. Possible placements for Farmvegas University students
include five establishments in the
surrounding area.
The 5 available establishments are as
follows:
Centra Geriatric Speech
Services,
Early Intervention Clinic,
Speech Services for Exceptional
Children LLC., and
Figure 5 visually shows the location of
each in relativity to Farmvegas
University. Each establishment has a
professional contract with Farmvegas
University and the selected interns. Figure 5: Map of Farmvegas Town

12. 6
Three of the clinics treat clients from birth to adolescence. One of the clinics treats adult clients with
neurocognitive impairments. The final clinic treats the geriatric population. Each establishment has
different candidate expectations, and thus, may vary on acceptance competitiveness. Average GPA of
interns varies between establishments.
Here we ranked the clinics based on the average GPA of interns:
Clinic Name GPA
1. 3.9
2. Centra Geiatric Speech Services 3.85
3. 3.75
4. Speech Services for Exceptional
Children LLC.
3.5
5. Early Intervention Clinic 3.5
Figure 6: Chart of internship GPA
Faculty
Faculty involvement can heavily influence undergraduate success; therefore, a positive student professor
faculty will be shared. This information is unique to Farmvegas University and is not universal to all
other CSD programs.
ment has 6 faculty members, all of which are academic professors.
Each individual was carefully selected based on areas of specialization, experience, and educating
philosophy. We believe our faculty's excellence is what separates Farmvegas from other CSD programs;

13. 7
Firstly, we collected data on faculty
satisfaction from student evaluations
placed in the 2020-2021 school year.
These evaluations consist of an
anonymous questionnaire given to all
students at the end of each semester
course. The questionnaire presented
information related to academic
experience, quality of
teaching method, and relevancy of
assignments.
Figure 7: Student faculty rapport
At the end of the questionnaire, students were asked to rate their experience with the faculty member. The
questionnaire answers as well as the professor rating were used to calculate the satisfaction rate of each
professor. Figure 7 shows the student faculty rapport of each CSD faculty member, including the overall
satisfaction rate.
Faculty Student Ratio
An intimate academic experience is a key characteristic of the Farmvegas CSD department. Distinct from
Farmvegas University, the average undergraduate CSD class ratio is 1:14. This ratio allows for personal
connection between the staff and students.
Figure 8: CSDS faculty student ratio Figure 9: Business faculty student ratio
Figures 8 and 9 illustrate faculty student ratios in both the CSD department and the business departments
at Farmvegas University. Compared to the other departments with the University, there is a clear

14. 8
emphasis on small, personal
classroom environments. For
other universities' programs,
we recommend you contact
their undergraduate admissions
office for information.
Graduate School
Application Process
This section will highlight and
outline important information
regarding the graduate school Figure 10: ASHA EdFind webpage
practice as a speech language pathologist. Key items to note for the graduate school application process
are as follows: locating a program, considering deadlines of components required in the application,
taking the GRE, and creating a personal statement that captivates the intended program.
Locating a Program
Firstly, it is important to determine personal priorities when narrowing down a graduate program. Keep in
mind, exploring program options involves careful consideration and selection is based upon the best fit
for the applicant. When locating the best program, we suggest finding search engines (i.e., ASHA Edfind
as seen in Figure 10) that allow the applicant to explore
various programs based on the following criteria:
accreditation status, size of cohort and classes, faculty
(includes area of expertise and research), credit hours
requirement, location of clinic (on-site or off-site), clinical
hour requirements, and types of Externship placements. Aside
from basic research and exploring what programs have to
offer, it is recommended that the applicant attends open
houses that offer the opportunity to ask questions as well as
observing the educational and clinical environment. After
exploring options and further narrowing down choices, the
applicant is encouraged to select three to five
schools/programs to apply. This allows students to keep
options open, as graduate programs for this intended field are
competitive.
Figure 11: Average GRE score
Components Required in Graduate Applications

15. 9
Required material is typically individual to the program; however, the items that are consistent among
programs are letters of recommendation, resume, personal statement and/or guided questions, official
transcripts, GRE Scores, and an average 3.0 GPA. The applicant must also pay close attention to
deadlines and manage time wisely when collecting required material.
Furthermore, programs require three to five letters of recommendations, three from CSD faculty and two
from other faculty or former employers. We suggest you request these in a timely manner and understand
that it could take up to four weeks to receive recommendations. It will also take time if the school requires
you to mail in letters of recommendations. This is also similar when requesting official transcripts and
standardized testing scores.
Additionally, most programs require GRE scores as a part of their required materials. The GRE costs
$200 each time the test is taken (includes when it must be taken again), and the GRE scores take 10-15
days to receive, so timing must be carefully considered. Each program varies in what type of scores are
acceptable. The ideal GRE scores that we suggest are: 150 for Verbal Reasoning, 152 for Quantitative
Reasoning, and 4.0 for Analytical Writing. The national average and percentiles for GRE scores on the
verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections can be seen in Figure 11.
Tip: The Personal Statement
This section provides helpful tips to make your personal statement compelling. The personal statement
requires a great deal of thought and requires proofreading. The school is looking for a personal story that
makes the applicant stand out among the rest of the candidates. We suggest that the applicants avoid over
exaggerating, bluffing, or fudging their personal statement - this takes away from the selling point. The
personal statement can
program. The personal statement supports the application process in displaying the qualities, experiences,
achievements, skills, and passion required for future endeavors of practicing as a Speech Language
Pathologist. The personal statement reveals the character of the applicant and whether the applicant is an
asset to the program.

16. 10
Conclusion
Based on the shortage of national speech-
requested a career guide from Farmvegas University for potential CSD graduates. A career in speech-
language pathology is reported to have exceptional growth and is thus, a promising future for many
Farmvegas University students.
Before completing our guide, we conducted research on current information using a survey given to both
current undergraduate students and alumni from the Communications Sciences and Disorders program at
Farmvegas University. Results showed that many individuals felt that the University needed to provide
them with more information to be successful. We consider this to be another supporting reason for the
creation of our guide. Our guide provides information on the undergraduate CSD experience, with
specific experiences unique to Farmvegas, as well as the graduate school application process.
Based on the information covered, it can
be concluded that CSD undergraduate
experience encompasses many things.
The goal of CSD coursework is to
become a speech-language pathologist, a
career that is rewarding yet challenging.
Potential candidates of this career need
to be prepared to be successful. Figure
12 shows the average GPA of students
in the Farmvegas CSD program,
demonstrating the competitive nature of
this program.
Figure 12: Average student GPA
Ultimately, we feel though this
handbook could serve as a tool for perspective and current students. Using an informatory approach, we
cover:
an intensive course of study,
competitive internships,
successful interactions with faculty, and
the graduate school application process.
All this information can be useful to students who are dedicated to the growing need for the speech-
language pathologist profession.

17. 11
Recommendations
We recommend the following to CSD undergraduate students at Farmvegas University:
Consider experiences and past success rate of past CSD graduates when determining selection of
graduate programs,
Observe ratio between faculty and students as well as noting area of expertise among faculty that
influences the success of the students and the CSD program,
Compare graduate programs based upon accreditation, size, faculty expertise, clinical hours,
location of clinic (on-site or off-site), externship placement opportunities, and
Consider that the graduate application process takes careful thought, and the applicant must
manage time wisely to make deadlines of the required material.

18. 12
Appendix A: Survey
This survey will ask you to consider your experience thus far within the Communication Science and
Disorders program at Farmvegas University. The answers provided will help the university and Schwa
Speech Clinic improve the program to increase the success of future speech-language pathologists.
EXPECTED TIME TO COMPLETE: 5-7 minutes
Undergraduate Survey
Q1: Do you feel the university has provided you with enough information and opportunity to be
successful for post-graduation regarding graduate school?
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Q2: What is your opinion of the academic faculty in the program having an adequate level of expertise
about the subject area(s) in which they taught?
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Q3: Are you familiar with the graduate school application process for CSD?
Very familiar Somewhat familiar Unfamiliar Very unfamiliar
Q4: What clinical setting do you intend to work with after graduate school?
Education Healthcare Private practice Other Unknown
Q5: How would you rate your overall feelings about your experience with the Farmvegas CSD program?
Very good Good Neutral Bad Very bad
Alumni Survey
Q1: When did you receive your first job offer for employment as an SLP?
Less than a month 1-2 months 3-6 months More than 6 months
Q2: Did you feel prepared to be successful upon entering graduate school in accordance with your
undergraduate experience?
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Q3: Did you feel prepared to be a successful clinician upon entering the field of speech-language
pathology based on your undergraduate experience?
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Q4: What clinical setting do you currently work in?
Education Healthcare Private practice Other
Q5: Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of clients on your caseload?
Burnt out Overwhelmed Neutral Feeling good Thriving
Appendix B: Survey Results for Current Students

19. 13
The number of people surveyed: 78
Q1.
Post-graduation preparation Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Quantity 17 34 6 13 8
Q2.
Faculty expertise Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Quantity 14 28 18 12 6
Q3.
Grad application process Very familiar Somewhat familiar Unfamiliar Very unfamiliar
Quantity 9 12 36 21
Q4.
Intended clinical setting Education Healthcare Private Practice Other Unknown
Quantity 12 14 17 11 24
Q5.
Over undergrad experience Very good Good Neutral Bad Very bad
Quantity 16 33 25 3 1

20. 14
Appendix C: Survey Results for Alumni
The number of people surveyed: 213
Q1.
First job offers Less than a month 1-2 months 3-6 months More than 6 months
Quantity 125 44 30 14
Q2.
Graduate school preparedness Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Quantity 23 71 36 68 15
Q3.
Clinician preparedness Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Quantity 27 64 29 87 6
Q4.
Intended clinical setting Education Healthcare Private Practice Other
Quantity 76 35 59 43
Q5.
Caseload sentiment Burnt out Overwhelmed Neutral Feeling good Thriving
Quantity 98 43 30 25 17