National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA)
FAQs
Although there are rumors that a program can be one and not another, clinical treatments are evidence based and therefore scientific. ASHA standards require a solid foundation in both classroom and clinical standards. All UVa graduates receive at least 400 clinical hours before graduation.
Students can choose where they want to spend their internship, and this can be completed at any facility in any state as long as the facility agrees to an affiliation agreement with our program. UVA has a large variety of placement options and contracts with sites all over the country. Students are locally placed into their school externship sites, and preferences for age groups are taken into consideration. As for the medical externships if the student has no conflicting classes that semester, he/she can choose to go anywhere (like the internship). For those students that need to stay local due to class, placements are available in local medical sites.
The admissions committee, which consists of a group of communication disorders faculty, considers your entire application. Grades from your undergraduate career and GRE scores are important, yet so are your personal statement and letters of recommendation. The committee reads the applications and has the opportunity to vote in your favor. Each voter may hinge their final decision based on a different piece of your application this is due to their experience and their role in the communication disorders program. Then those votes are averaged to determine the final list of students to be officially considered for admission.
Each professor has his/her own areas of interest. Some of those include: children's language, autism, fluency, AAC, voice, dysphagia, aphasia and accent modification. Feel free to email a specific professor and ask more about his/her interests.
Charlottesville is a great place to live! There is so much diversity here both economically and culturally. There's an opportunity to meet people from many different programs here, like the law, business, engineering, and med schools. The shopping is great and the restaurants are even better. We have one of the highest restaurants per capita rankings in the entire country.
Some fun things to do: Live Arts is a local theatre group that puts on great plays; during the late spring, summer, early fall Fridays After Five runs downtown this is an outdoor event with live music and beer/wine carts; First Fridays the first Friday of every month all of the art galleries downtown are open with new art for viewing.
Living expenses are relatively high. The closer you live to grounds, the more you will pay for rent. Most students pay between $400 and $600 for rent per month. Take a look at offgrounds.com for info on housing. You'll have to create a username and password, but then it will give you a lot of info on places to live.
Charlottesville is located an hour from Richmond, and approximately two hours from both Washington DC and Virginia Beach.
New students receive registration information during orientation at the end of August.
During orientation in August, students will meet with the advisor to determine specific course schedules.
Students must remember that clinical assignments often change. If a student decides to have a part-time job, the employer must be flexible with scheduling. A few part-time fellowships are available for students who qualify for Federal Work Study. These positions are offered as part of the admissions process.
There are only a few breaks built into the schedule. Although vacations are partly determined by Externship/Internship placements, Students usually have 1 week before the Fall semester begins, 2 weeks for Christmas and 1 week after the Spring semester ends. Academic and Clinic work continues through the summer.
NSSLHA Officers
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Why I chose SLP: In high school I went to a specialty program for Education and Human Development because I was set on being a teacher. In junior year, I realized classroom management was not my strong suit and sought out other professions that allowed me to help and educate others, that’s when I found SLP! I loved my speech therapist as a child and have always enjoyed helping those with disabilities, so SLP was perfect for me. I did an internship at the International School of Hope in Harlem, NY that solidified my interest in SLP, and I have been pursuing it ever since.
My clinical interests: I'm currently interested in working with adult populations in a medical setting, especially with dysphagia patients. But I am always open to new opportunities and look forward to seeing where my externships take me and how they will shape my clinical interests!
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: I love the community that we create at the undergraduate and graduate level, as I also attended UVA for undergrad. The professors are so passionate about what they do and are always willing to talk and lend a helping hand with whatever needs you express to them. It is evident from the moment you meet them that they want the best for you and are excited to guide you on your journey to becoming an SLP.
Hometown: Norfolk, VA
Why I chose SLP: I grew up with my grandma having hearing aids and struggled with communication all her life. It was not until she received her cochlear implant that as a family, we noticed a huge improvement in her communication abilities. it was this experience that made me interested in looking into becoming a SLP because I realized how meaningful it is to improve someone’s ability to communicate.
My clinical interests: As of right now, I do not have a specific clinical interest. I love working with kids on the spectrum, individuals with hearing loss, and I love apraxia and dysphagia. I am excited to explore this more in graduate school and figure out which population I am interested in working with.
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: I love the small and supportive community I have found here. I love that the professors are so engaged in our learning and excited for us to learn their field of study.
Hometown: Martinsville, VA
Why I chose SLP: Speech Pathology is such a versatile and rewarding job.
My clinical interests: TBI patients
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: We have the sweetest professors!
Hometown: Bassett, VA
Why I chose SLP: I chose SLP because of my grandmother's experience with Alzheimer's. Attending her sessions with an SLP really allowed me to see how versatile the field is and how it can positively impact any age group. The progress she made with such little time really inspired me to want to help others. After observing swallowing studies, my interest was solidified, and I've been pursuing SLP ever since!
My clinical interests: While I am very interested in swallowing disorders, I'm keeping an open mind! I am very excited to learn about the many avenues this field has to offer. I know that it is likely I will change my interests several times before I become a practicing SLP.
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: I love how supportive the professors and staff are in the School of Education. Even during online classes, I always felt like each professor took time to not only get to know me but make sure I was doing okay mentally. All professors want their students to succeed and show their passion for the profession, which creates such a great learning environment!
Hometown: Nellysford, VA
Why I chose SLP: Communication is fascinating in that, by those who communicate typically, it is taken for granted. I began studying American Sign Language at UVA, and was introduced to a new modality of communication that forced me to consider speech as more than a given process. After my transition into speech and throughout my studies to date, this initial interest has only grown as I become excited to help children and adults communicate effectively!
My clinical interests: Part of what I love about speech is that, as an SLP, you can work in populations spanning from babies in the NICU to geriatric patients, and with every population in between. Currently, I’m still figuring out what my specific clinical interests are, but think I might be interested in working in a medical setting.
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: I think the Ed School is one of, if not the, best school at UVA in terms of fostering community. Though its programs are very different, I feel that I have a connection to any other student in any of them, and love the conversations I have between classes. This sense of belonging creates such a healthy environment for students!
Hometown: Vienna, VA
Why I chose SLP: The ability to effectively communicate our needs and desires is an essential of humanity, and knowing that I could help make that difference in people’s lives is why I chose SLP.
My clinical interests: I am very open minded as to what my clinical career will look like as an SLP, and that’s a big reason why I love the field, it is extremely versatile. Some days I think I really want to work with children in schools, other days I want to work with swallowing and TBI patients at the hospital.
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: My favorite part of the School of Ed is the community: everyone is so genuine and compassionate. Faculty want to see students succeed, and students want to make a positive impact in our society as future educators, leaders, health care workers, and more.
Although this organization has members who are University of Virginia students and may have University employees associated or engaged in its activities and affairs, the organization is not a part of or an agency of the University. It is a separate and independent organization which is responsible for and manages its own activities and affairs. The University does not direct, supervise or control the organization and is not responsible for the organization’s contracts, acts or omissions.
Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
Why I chose SLP: I've been interested in SLP since early high school, which is when I started thinking about what I wanted to pursue when I got older. My mom is an elementary school teacher, and she has some friends that are speech-language pathologists. She would tell me about them and what they did, and I was convinced to look more into it as she insisted that I would excel in and like this career path. After learning more about the profession and the flexibility/variability within the field, I knew that I wanted to at least try it out upon coming to UVA. This seems to have been the right decision for me because I have really enjoyed every class I've taken in the program! What we learn in each class makes me excited for my future in SLP and reiterates the fact that there are so many possibilities and rewards within the field.
My clinical interests: I'm not exactly sure what I would specifically like to pursue yet! It seems like the options are endless. I do, however, definitely want to work in a medical setting. I've been thinking about somehow getting involved in the NICU and working with babies that are born with cleft palates/cleft lips, and I might specialize in swallowing.
What I love about the UVA School of Ed & Human Development: I am always telling my friends who aren't in the School of Education about how much I love it! The environment within the EdSchool is one that is warm, inviting, and committed to spreading different kinds of knowledge. I really appreciate how much each teacher cares for their students, and I always feel as if I can go to them (and my peers) with anything. The community is tight-knit and close, which is something that can change your learning experience for the better.