(a) An individual shall not practice as an intern in
speech-language pathology without a current license issued by the
department. An applicant for an intern in speech-language pathology
license must meet the requirements under the Act and this section.
(b) Education. The graduate degree shall be completed
at a college or university which has a program accredited by a national
accrediting organization that is approved by the department and recognized
by the United States Secretary of Education under the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. §1001, et seq.).
(1) Original or certified copies of the transcripts
showing the conferred degree shall verify the applicant completed
the following:
(A) at least thirty-six (36) semester credit hours
shall be in professional course work acceptable toward a graduate
degree; and
(B) at least twenty-four (24) semester credit hours
acceptable toward a graduate degree shall be earned in the area of
speech-language pathology including normal development and use of
speech, language, and hearing; prevention evaluation, habilitation,
and rehabilitation of speech, language, and hearing disorders; and
related fields that augment the work of clinical practitioners of
speech-language pathology.
(2) A maximum of six academic semester credit hours
associated with clinical experience and a maximum of six academic
semester credit hours associated with a thesis or dissertation may
be counted toward the thirty-six (36) hours but not in lieu of the
requirements of paragraph (1)(B).
(3) A quarter hour of academic credit shall be considered
as two-thirds of a semester credit hour.
(4) An applicant who possesses a master's degree with
a major in audiology and is pursuing a license in speech-language
pathology may apply if the department has an original transcript showing
completion of a master's degree with a major in audiology on file
and a letter from the program director or designee of the college
or university stating that the individual completed enough hours to
establish a graduate level major in speech-language pathology and
would meet the academic and clinical experience requirements for a
license as a speech-language pathologist.
(5) An applicant whose transcript is in a language
other than English or whose degree was earned at a foreign university
shall submit an original evaluation form from an approved transcript
evaluation service. The transcript evaluation service must determine
that the applicant's degree is a master's degree or higher with a
major in one of the areas of communicative sciences or disorders.
The applicant shall bear all expenses incurred during the procedure.
(6) An applicant who graduated from a college or university
not accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation shall
submit an original signed letter from ASHA stating the Council for
Clinical Certification accepted the course work and clinical experience.
The applicant shall bear all expenses incurred during the procedure.
(c) Clinical Work. An applicant shall complete at least
twenty-five (25) clock hours of supervised observation before completing
the minimum of the following hours of supervised clinical direct client
contact, which may be referred to as clinical practicum, with individuals
who present a variety of communication disorders within an educational
institution or in one of its cooperating programs:
(1) 275 clock hours if the master's degree was earned
prior to November 10, 1993; or
(2) 350 clock hours if the master's degree was earned
between November 10, 1993 and December 31, 2004; or
(3) 400 clock hours if the master's degree was earned
on or after January 1, 2005.
(d) In the event the course work and clinical experience
set out in subsections (b) - (c), were earned more than ten (10) years
before the date of application for the intern license, the applicant
shall submit proof of current knowledge of the practice of speech-language
pathology. Proof of current knowledge may include: recently completing
continuing education or other courses; holding a current license in
another state; holding a current ASHA certification; or retaking and
passing the written examination.
(e) An applicant who successfully completed all education
and clinical requirements under this section, but who has not had
the degree officially conferred may be licensed as an intern in order
to begin the internship but shall submit verification from the program
director or designee verifying the applicant has met all academic
course work, clinical experience requirements, and completed a thesis
or passed a comprehensive examination, if required, and is awaiting
the date of next graduation for the degree to be conferred.
(f) An applicant whose master's degree is received
at a college or university accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic
Accreditation will receive automatic approval of the course work and
clinical experience if the program director or designee verifies that
all requirements have been met and review of the transcript shows
that the applicant has successfully completed at least twenty-four
(24) semester credit hours acceptable toward a graduate degree in
the area of speech-language pathology.
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