Graduate program in speech-language pathology receives national accreditation

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—More than 15 years ago, Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders began discussing the creation of a graduate degree in speech-language pathology. Then the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009 put those plans on hold.

In 2016, the department picked up where it had left off and began creating the curriculum for the program. That took about two years, followed by another two years of gaining the approval of the Purdue University Board of Trustees, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and then finally an accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.

That accreditation was granted July 28, and the first class in the program is being offered for the upcoming fall semester.

“Accreditation of the program was required for our students to be eligible to be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as speech-language pathologists,” stated Stacy Betz, chair and associate professor of the department. “Having this accreditation will allow our students to graduate with the qualifications to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists.”

While the accreditation process was going on, prospective students were allowed to apply for the program and 15 were accepted. Betz says that small class size “will allow students to get individualized attention and graduate with significant hands-on experience practicing the diagnostic and treatment procedures they will use in their future careers as speech-language pathologists.”

Ron Friedman, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, of which Communication Sciences and Disorders is a member, says the accreditation speaks volumes about the quality of the department, the college, and the university as a whole.

“Since the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is one of the more rigorous accrediting agencies, this accreditation raises our quality from both a branding and marketing perspective,” noted Friedman. “In addition to increasing the market for graduate enrollment in CSD, it likely will have the added benefit of making the undergraduate program even more attractive. The net result for the university as a whole is attraction of high-profile students not only in CSD, but other areas of study as well.”

The new accreditation and graduate program will also increase the services the department provides to the community through its on-campus Communication Disorders Clinic.

“Our clinic provides speech-language therapy services free to community members," said Betz. “The addition of graduate students in our program will allow us to serve more clients and also provide services to clients with a wider range of communication disorders such as autism, stuttering, and dyslexia.”

The accreditation is good for five years, with the department’s inaugural annual review due in 2021.

For more information, contact Betz at [email protected].

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