15 Best Associates in Speech Therapy

Miami Dade College offers an excellent Associate in Arts with a focus on speech pathology & audiology. This degree is a pathway program: Alone, it carries no weight. Thus, you should only enroll in the program if you plan on transferring to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor’s in speech pathology & audiology or something similar.

So why start at a two-year college, then? For the most part, it’s an excellent financial decision. Every undergraduate degree requires general education courses, right? And while some universities have far better speech therapy classes than others, most gen-ed courses across the country are of the same quality. In an associates program, though, the curriculum focuses almost exclusively on general and preparatory courses.

So, again, why begin at a two-year institution? Here’s why: At Miami Dade College, you can finish your gen-ed requirements for only $7,093.20 per year. That’s a lot cheaper than most four-year schools. Then, when you finish your associate’s, you can jump into a reputable four-year program, having saved money and completed the general requirements.

Miami Dade’s curriculum focuses on biology, communication, humanities, and social science classes. These classes will prepare you for upper-level speech pathology courses. 

Millions of people across the world are riddled with communication disorders, and they need speech therapists. At Sante Fe College, aspiring speech therapists can obtain the basic requirements to transfer to a four-year degree program. Along the way, they will get an Associate in Arts for a price they can afford.

To clarify, the Associate in Arts is a general degree. Unlike a bachelor’s or master’s degree, Associate’s degrees aren’t specified by the program focus. As such, you won’t obtain an Associate in Arts in speech pathology. Instead, you’ll receive a standard Associate in Arts, but your program will focus on communication disorders and sciences.

Some classes you can expect to take are College Algebra, Composition, Anatomy, General Biology, and Chemistry. Some of the courses you’ll take will give you the foundation to become a speech therapist, while other classes are there for basic requirements. But courses in the latter category are still necessary: Learning how to think is as critical as learning what to think.

Unlike the previous degrees reviewed on this list, Granite State College offers a program for people who want to jump in immediately to the speech therapy field. Upon completing the school’s A.S. in communication sciences and disorders, students can apply for certification as an SLP assistant with the New Hampshire Allied Health Speech-Language Pathology Governing Board.

This program offers a bit more than many other associates degrees. Besides the standard general education and introductory classes, students will gain supervised field experience in a variety of settings. They will have more focused speech therapy-related courses, too, including the Role of Speech-Language Assistant and Survey of Communication Disorders.

For students who already hold a degree, GSC provides an expedited program to obtain an Associate of Science in communication sciences and disorders and their certification as an SLP assistant. On the whole, this program is one of the best on this list, especially if you would rather be an SLP assistant than a speech therapist.

Like the last course we reviewed, Fayetteville Technical Community College offers a program to become a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA). SLP assistants make an average of $20.00 per hour, which isn’t bad considering that it only requires two years of school. Plus, the job allows you to peek into the career, and gauge if you want to return to school to become a speech therapist.

By the end of a student’s studies, they will be able to:

• Demonstrate mastery of the principles and methods necessary to practice as an entry-level speech-language pathology assistant;
• Execute therapeutic and evidenced-based practices, under the direction of a licensed speech-language pathologist;
• Evaluate professional standards and engage in ethical practices;
• Engage in professional discourse to effectively communicate and collaborate with other professionals and the families they serve; and
• Enrich the FTCC service area by increasing therapeutic resources.

Some classes students will take are Ethics and Standards for SLPAs, Anatomy & Physiology, Administrative Procedures and Management, and Phonetics. By completing courses like these, students will become capable SLP assistants.

Again, this program is for aspiring SLPAs who wish to learn everything in a two-year program. While SLPAs may not have the same pay and esteem as SLPs, they’re critical to the profession. Assistants provide quality services to a growing number of speech pathology caseloads, supplementing SLPs who are busy with other tasks. 

Some classes offered by the College of DuPage include Speech Disorders and Intervention Across the Lifespan, Phonetics, Introduction to Audiology, and Professional Issues and the SLPA. Students are required to complete several general education classes like Social-Behavioral Science and Humanities, but the faculty suggests that students complete these classes before admission.

Students can complete this program in two years as long as they’ve already completed the general education requirements. Otherwise, it may take you three or four years to become an SLPA. And while the college can technically extend a student’s program, it aims to graduate every student in two years. Thus, you’re more likely to gain admittance having already completed gen-ed courses.

As doctors need nurses and CEOs need receptionists, SLPs also require support. Williston State College’s program prepares students to become speech-language pathologist paraprofessionals (SLPPs). Sound interesting? As an SLPP, you can play a role in administrative tasks, and basic clinical procedures, and decide whether moving forward toward an SLP is right for you.

Before gaining admission into the SLPP program, students must complete College Composition I, Introduction to Computers, Human Structure & Function, and Survey of Communication Disorders. Students should also have two letters of reference, a 2.25 GPA if they’re transferring, and an application letter. 

Some classes that form the SLPP program are Introduction to Exceptional Children, Introduction to Psychology, and Language Disorders and Treatment for the SLPP. Each of these classes will impart essential information for any aspiring SLPP. Williston State College only admits ten students to each class. As such, you can expect a small, interactive, and friendly learning environment. If you want to be an SLPP, this program is for you.

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute offers an excellent speech-language pathology assistant program. In many ways, SLPAs are the nuclei of any SLP office. They schedule clients, prepare materials for SLPs, conduct therapy, organize files, and maintain equipment. Essentially, they’re jacks of all trades: Without them, many therapy centers would be dysfunctional.

CCC&TI offers a two-year speech-language pathology assistant program. Potential applications should note that the program is quite selective. The program only accepts 24 students per year. Those who don’t get admitted are pushed to a waiting list, where they can wait for future admittance. 

The program has an even mix of SLP-focused classes and general education courses. Some SLP classes are SLPA Anatomy and Physiology, Communication Disorders in Diverse Populations, and Assistive Technology. Some required general education classes are Public Speaking, Basic PC Literacy, and Writing & Inquiry. While these courses may not sound relevant, these skills are required of any aspiring SLPA.

Imagine you can hardly speak. You know what you want to say, but the words won’t come out. You try, and you try, but you begin realizing you can’t do it alone. Thankfully, speech therapists are at your service. Still, though, the world needs more people focused on communication sciences and disorders. 

Some Associate’s programs prepare students to become SLPAs, while others prepare students to continue their studies. While these categories aren’t mutually exclusive, UCC’s program fits more closely in the latter category. Students take classes like How Life Works: Introductory Biology, College Algebra, Introduction to Sociology, and Anatomy and Physiology.

Alone, this degree won’t further your career as an SLPA preparatory degree program would. Instead, it caters to students focusing on the full speech therapist track. As an associate’s student, you can expect to focus more on general education classes, which allows you to take speech therapy courses almost exclusively in your last two years of undergraduate school.

As you know by now, the market for SLPs is booming right now. That means the world needs more SLPs, of course, but also more SLPAs and speech-language pathology paraprofessionals. This fantastic program is designed to reverse the critical shortage of SLPPs in school settings. SLPPs are necessary in schools because they enhance communication groups in schools, which is a vital place and time for a child to catch onto language.

Furthermore, an SLPP screens patients, performs established tasks, documents student progress, prepares materials, and maintains equipment. It may not sound like the most glamorous job, and maybe it’s not, but we need people filling every role. And what you lose in glamor, you make up for by knowing that you’re playing a crucial part in a child’s life.

Enrolled students take courses like Applied Phonetics for the SLPP, Language Theory and Treatment for the SLPP, and Introduction to Sociology. These classes will prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and connections to become a successful SLPP.

Oklahoma has a shortage of speech-language pathologists and SLP assistants. That isn’t good, especially considering the accelerating amount of people with communication disabilities. If you want to be an SLPA, and you live in Oklahoma, this program is your best choice. It boasts being the first and only SLPA program in the state, and it’s a good program at that. 

Over four semesters, this program will prepare you to work as an SLPA in school and healthcare settings. Freshmen take elementary courses like Success in College and Life, English Composition, and Phonetics. By the last semester of the program, students will take Augmentative Communication, Clinical Experience, and Medical Issues for the Speech Language Pathology Assistant.

While this program isn’t too rigid, it does require that students pass core classes with a C grade or above. With excellent courses, professors, and faculty, though, students can easily make the mark as long as they make an effort.

You may have trouble finding schools near you with speech-language pathology programs. You don’t want to commute long distances, and you don’t want to relocate. What do you do? You go to Alexandria Technical & Community College’s online Speech-Language Pathology Assistant program! 

This program allows students to choose between an associates degree and a certificate. As an associates student, you’ll begin your first semester with classes like Foundations of Child Development, Phonetics for Language, and Language Development. By the end of your coursework, you’ll take a clinical practicum and enroll in Children with Differing Abilities and Introduction to Sociology.

At around $8,000 per year, AT&CI provides high-quality programs and content for an affordable price. If that sounds like too much money to spend, you can apply for a scholarship through the Alexandria Technical & Community College Foundation. With over $300,000 in scholarships each year, there’s a good chance you can find the money you need for the program.

People across the country and the world face communication challenges. In homogenous populations, the task of an SLPA is straightforward. But what if some of your patients don’t speak English? Are you prepared to work in other languages? In Arizona, many people are primarily or exclusively Spanish speakers. Responsively, EMCC provides the training to work in bilingual populations.

The curriculum comprises many of the courses you’ll find in other programs, like Speech, Language, and Hearing Development and Introduction to Communication Disorders. But, as the program focuses on bilingual populations, it also includes Introduction to the Study of Language and Elements of Intercultural Communication. Students must also take six to eight credits of a foreign language class.

By graduation, students will be able to identify and describe the normal processes of speech-language communication development. Additionally, they’ll be capable of describing the normal process of hearing development. They’ll know a whole lot more, too—this program prepares you for a profession, after all. 

It makes a lot of sense to take general education requirements at a community college before transferring to a four-year university. You save on tuition and living expenses, and you can work up to being able to transfer to prestigious schools across the country, even if you couldn’t after high school. Shoreline Community College offers an excellent speech and hearing sciences pre-major associates degree.

The program focuses on six essential areas: quantitative and symbolic reasoning, communication skills, multicultural understanding, information literacy, general intellectual abilities, and global awareness. Students take 90 credits between these six fields before obtaining an Associate of Arts degree.

Did you slack off in high school? And you’re worried that you’ll never be able to recover? If so, don’t worry: Shoreline Community College is an inclusive school, with high admittance rates and no eligibility requirements to start this program. Start fresh, and take this program today so you can help other people overcome their communication deficiencies in the future.

The speech-language pathology field is vast in scope. Some SLPs focus on toddlers, while others focus on the elderly. Some SLPs concentrate on a specific speech disability, while others are inclusive of all types. This Associate’s program focuses on working with toddlers and adolescents who struggle with communication disorders. Graduates will most likely work at schools, which is one of the most high-demand workplaces for SLPs.

This program suits anybody who’s interested in a career as an SLPA—there are no difficult prerequisites that act as a barrier to the program. SLPAs are in demand, and by working at an elementary or secondary school, you can make a decent paycheck while helping children overcome anxiety-inducing communication issues.

Students in this program take classes like Communication Development, General Psychology, Children with Disabilities, Communication Disorders and Intervention, and Speech and Language Services in the Educational Setting. These classes will prepare you for a successful career as an SLPA with a focus on children and patients with disabilities.

While this program is the last one on our list, it beats out hundreds of similar programs across the country. Thus, you should take this program as seriously as any other. Seminole State College offers an Associate in Arts degree for students who wish to transfer to a four-year institution. 

The A.A. degree is general, meaning there aren’t too many core classes. It focuses on prerequisite and introductory courses so you can focus on higher-level classes once you transfer. You can expect to take English, General Psychology, Concepts of Biology, and Statistical Methods. You’ll have one class—Speech Communication—that caters more to your career focus.

Seminole State College’s Associate in Arts program is comprised of 60 credits. These will most likely cover all of the required gen-ed requirements of whichever institution you plan to transfer into. The school boasts affordable tuition, small class sizes, an online degree option, and the ability to prepare students to transfer to high-quality institutions.