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Prerequisite Courses

For Entry Into the Speech Pathology MS Program

Required Courses

The following courses are required for entry into the Speech Pathology Program and must be completed with a letter grade of C or higher before beginning the MS SLP program at Tennessee State University.

Fifteen (15) hours of prerequisite courses in speech-language pathology:

• SPTH 2500: Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
• SPTH 2600: Phonetics
• SPTH 2800: Introduction to Speech, Hearing and Language Disorders
• SPTH 3500: Language and Speech Development in Children
• SPTH 3300: Clinical Methods in Articulation Disorders
  • *SPTH2600 is a prerequisite course for SPTH 3300

NOTE: Four out of the five (12 hours) prerequisite courses must be completed before submitting your application to MS Program.
*Comparable prerequisite courses can be obtained from any accredited university.

How long does it take to complete the prerequisite courses at TSU?
The length of time that it takes to complete our five prerequisite courses depends on when you begin. Each class is a three-hour class. Our prerequisite classes are offered online. For a schedule of course offerings, perform a course search below.

COURSE SCHEDULE

• Offered in Fall Semesters:
  • SPTH 2600: Phonetics
• Offered in Spring Semesters:
  • SPTH 2800: Introduction to Speech, Hearing, and Language Disorders
  • SPTH 3300: Clinical Methods in Articulation Disorders
• Offered in Summer Semesters:
  • SPTH 2500: Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
  • SPTH 3500: Language and Speech Development in Children

To find when a TSU course is offered, click here.

Additional Requirements

Effective for applicants applying for the 2027 cohort and beyond , in addition to the Speech Pathology prerequisite courses listed above, completion of the  ASHA-required basic science courses will be required before beginning the MS program.

Applicants for certification must have demonstrated knowledge of statistics as well as the biological, physical, and social/behavioral sciences.

• BIOLOGY: Acceptable courses in biological sciences should emphasize a content area related to human or animal sciences (e.g., biology, human anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, human genetics, veterinary science).
• PHYSICS OR CHEMISTRY: Courses that meet the physical science requirement must be in physics or chemistry.
• SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES: Acceptable courses in social/behavioral sciences should include psychology, sociology, anthropology, or public health.
• STATISTICS: A stand-alone course in statistics is required. Coursework in research methodology in the absence of basic statistics cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.

All of the ASHA-required courses are offered online at TSU. For more information, visit the following link: TSU Online Courses.