Master's Degree Comparison
Which Master's option is best for me? Take a look at our table below to see how these two paths compare, and which one best fits your lifestyle and learning preferences. Both will lead you to a career in speech-language pathology.
| Master of Science (residential/on-campus; full-time) |
Master of Science (distance education; part-time) |
|---|---|
| Full-time | Part-time |
| Enrollment spans 2 years | Enrollment spans 3 years (WITH speech undergraduate background) Enrollment spans 4 years (WITHOUT speech undergraduate background) |
| 13 graduate hours/semester | 6-7 graduate hours/semester (Final semester internship requires 12 hours) |
| CAN participate in university graduate assistantship opportunities and stipends | CAN work full-time while in the program and be eligible for limited graduate stipends |
| All class lectures on campus at scheduled class times and locations | View class lectures via streaming video and web-based class sessions |
| All exams on campus or within daily commuting distance | Take exams via a secure, online proctored system from a home office setting |
| Students live on campus or within daily commuting distance | Students may live anywhere while in program (except for 5-6 weeks of the first summer practicum experience “speech camp” at a South Carolina location) |
| Practicum opportunities every semester | Practicum during final three (3) summers and final spring semester (1st summer practicum in South Carolina) |
| Communication with course instructors is primarily face-to-face, supplemented by Blackboard, phone and email contacts | For students living at a distance, communication with course instructors is primarily
through email, phone, and live, web- based meetings and is supplemented with Blackboard and Web-based technology |
| Residential Curriculum [pdf] | Distance Education Curriculum [pdf] |