Fully Subscribed in Its First Year, Program Receives Accreditation Candidacy Yeshiva University’s Master of Science degree program in speech-language pathology (SLP) has received accreditation candidacy status from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This pre-accreditation status is awarded to developing or emerging programs for a five-year period. One of the first offerings from the Mordecai D. and Monique C. Katz School of Graduate and Professional Studies, the program is in such high demand that its initial cohort of students is already fully enrolled and will begin their studies on campus this fall. “At present, we are one of only four graduate programs in Manhattan and one of fewer than 270 programs nationally—our curriculum is one of the strongest of all graduate programs and meets the needs of this sought-after career in the health sciences,” said Dr. Linda Carroll, director of the master’s program. “Our program focuses on preparing the graduate student for a career in medical speech-language pathology and enabling them to manage patients and clients with complex medical history that impacts on their communication and/or swallow skills across the lifespan. We are very excited to meet the high bar for CAA accreditation status, and look forward to expanding YU’s long-standing presence of an undergraduate program into a graduate program in the Katz School of Graduate and Professional Studies.” Students enrolled in the new program will have the opportunity to learn from the experienced clinicians and faculty of the Montefiore Health System and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and will have access to resources at both institutions. Over five semesters, students will learn to become speech-language pathologists who are capable of working in hospitals, rehabilitative centers, university or college clinics, specialized clinical settings or private practice. They will establish a strong base for normal and abnormal speech, language development, voice and swallow in the first year of study, expanding to upper level communication and cognitive function in the second year of study. Students have the opportunity to specialize through didactics and a final Capstone Project near the end of their program. Integrating academic training and collaborative teaching by speech-language and medical professionals, the program offers students the unique opportunity to learn and gain clinical experience in the world-class facilities of the Montefiore Medical Arts Pavilion, The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and Montefiore’s Wakefield Hospital, as well as numerous other externship sites throughout the New York City region. “Many people have worked diligently to create YU’s MS in speech-language pathology, one of the few medical SLP programs in the country,” said Dr. Paul Russo, dean of the Katz School and vice provost at YU. “The faculty’s enthusiasm for good teaching, student support, and community service is contagious. We are very appreciative of Dr. Linda Carroll for her leadership through the planning and development phases of the new degree and to Dr. Ed Berliner, who helped to build the program from the start.” “Graduate programs in speech-language pathology must plan, execute and maintain high standards in many areas to meet national requirements for accreditation and ensure that all graduates have the knowledge and skills to work throughout the USA,” said Carroll. “Programs must uphold clinical, academic and research criteria to achieve our current status and to gain the full CAA accreditation. The CAA requirements also ensure that our graduates are prepared for post-graduate clinical fellowships in SLP, which leads to the important Certificate of Clinical Competence for our field. Receiving accreditation candidacy status is a significant step down that path.” To learn more about the program or to apply, visit www.yu.edu/academics/graduate-arts-sciences/speech-language-pathology/.