Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology

Take Your SLP Career to the Next Level

Students help clients (two blonde boys younger than ten) write at a small table on construction paper.

Take Your SLP Career to the Next Level

Sub Headline:

Our doctorate program prepares certified speech-language pathologists to assume advanced professional roles in the field

Lead with Confidence. Advance with Knowledge.

Our Speech-Language Pathology doctorate program develops highly effective leaders and practitioners who draw on cutting-edge clinical expertise and critical thinking abilities to improve patient outcomes and advance educational systems. The program prepares certified speech-language pathologists with a strong desire to advance their clinical practice and leadership skills to assume advanced professional roles both within the field and within interprofessional teams. The program provides rich intellectual resources through our affiliation with Mass General Brigham.

Designed for the Working Professional

• Two points of entry (fall and summer)

• Flexible schedule with primarily self-directed learning & optional live discussions

• Personalized learning model with assignments focused on your area of clinical practice

Primarily Online Format

6 semesters for Master's prepared SLPs

+ 2 On-site Intensives

Complete coursework online; come to Boston twice with your cohort

The Only

Clinical doctorate of Speech-Language Pathology in New England

The IHP Advantage for SLPD

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Interdisciplinary focus

Learn and collaborate with students and practitioners from across the health professions, empowering you to provide patient-centered care in an increasingly complex health care environment.

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Personalized learning model

Customize your coursework and take a deep dive into a specific area of interest. You will be matched with capstone mentors that help you meet your specific learning objectives. Mentors can be from within or outside the Institute depending on your selected topic.

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Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Topics, projects, and action plans throughout the curriculum focus on influencing and promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in service delivery for clients.

Meet our Program Director: Bridget Perry

"As a speech language pathologist myself, I know firsthand many of the challenges SLP’s face in clinical practice today. The Post-Professional SLPD program at the IHP aims to provide practicing SLPs with the skills they need to become highly skilled, advanced clinical practitioners and field leaders within interprofessional health care and educational settings. Additionally, the SLPD will provide speech language pathologists with the opportunity to obtain an advanced degree similar to those now required by our colleagues in other rehabilitation disciplines."

-Bridget Perry, PhD, CCC-SLP [4]

Meet other Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty [5]

A professor points to a laptop one of her students is working on, while another student works on a laptop nearby

SLPD Curriculum

The SLPD curriculum consists of:

Eight 3-credit core courses
Two 3-credit electives
Four 1-credit Capstone Project courses

The core courses are six weeks long and are taken one at a time.  The Capstone Project courses span the entire 14-week semester and run concurrent with core classes.  The Capstone Project sequence provides an opportunity to individualize your learning experience by allowing you to target a specific skill set and immediately apply it to your clinical practice.

Course content is delivered via our online learning platform and available in written, video, and auditory modes to meet all learning styles. In addition to self-directed learning, an optional weekly live session allows you to collaborate with peers and further expand opportunities to apply new knowledge.

View our SLPD Curriculum - Fall Entry [6]

View our SLPD Curriculum - Summer Entry [7]

A Unique and Innovative Approach to SLP

Achieving your clinical doctorate in speech language pathology supports "advanced clinical practice and opportunities for specialization" (ASHA, 2020). The SLPD is beneficial to individuals who wish to take on roles as master clinicians, clinical educators, clinical administrators, or wish to conduct their own independent research.

Over the course of the two-year online program, you will:

Develop a deeper understanding of knowledge gaps within their area of clinical practice or interest
Define a focused question and targeted approach to address a specific knowledge gap
Advance interpersonal, interprofessional, and interdisciplinary knowledge through the execution of a capstone project
Disseminate newly discovered knowledge to wide audience of peers and interdisciplinary teams.

Throughout the program, students will tackle their studies with careful examination of issues surrounding justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in their area of clinical practice and in health care service delivery in general.

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Institute Pledges to Combat Racial Injustice Head On

In late June 2020, the IHP announced the diversity office would become the Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, or JEDI [8]. Its agenda includes a new anti-oppression statement [9]; the expansion of the JEDI Fellowship program [10]; programs to improve the diversity, retention, and support of faculty, staff, and students of color, especially Black faculty, staff, and students; and a review and streamlining of procedures for reporting bias. View an update on the progress in this January 2021 email [11]from IHP President Paula Milone-Nuzzo and JEDI Executive Director Kim Truong.

Costs and Funding Options

Tuition and Fees [12]

Voucher Opportunities [13]

Tuition Reduction for MGB Employees [14]

Take the Next Step

Sign Up for Updates [15]

Attend a Webinar [16]

Application Requirements [17]

Apply [19]

Now accepting applications for Summer 2022
Application Deadline for Summer 2022 Cohort: August 2, 2021

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SLPD Frequently Asked Questions

How does an SLPD degree compare to a PhD?

The Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD) degree is primarily for students who want to acquire additional knowledge and skills in a focused area of speech-language pathology in order to assume advanced professional roles-such as master clinician, clinical educator, clinical administrator, or leader in a clinical setting or area of specialization-or to serve as collaborators and supporters of clinical research. The SLPD is unlike the PhD, as the focus is not developing individuals whose primary focus is research.  The SLPD program allows students to continue working while pursuing their degree and takes less time to complete than the PhD.

Is the program traditional (face-to-face), online, or hybrid/blended?

The program is primarily online, with two visits to Boston required over the course of the program.

How many students do you accept each year?

Students have flexibility in when they choose to enter the program, with either a Summer semester start or a Fall semester start. Each cohort will have approximately eight students.

How much does the program cost? Will there be funding available?

The Institute supports your path toward obtaining a post-professional degree. Tuition information including costs and discounts are detailed here [12]. Please reach out to the program director for any questions regarding program costs and available discounts.

What kinds of career benefits would a SLPD bring me? Would an SLPD allow teaching at the university level?

The SLPD is beneficial to individuals who wish to take on roles as master clinicians, clinical educators, clinical administrators, or who wish to conduct their own independent research. Approximately 10% of university positions in the field during the 2010-2011 academic year were filled by individuals with an SLPD.