SECTION 111.30. Speech-Language Pathology License--Licensing Requirements

(a) An individual shall not practice as a speech-language pathologist without a current license issued by the department. An applicant for a speech-language pathology license shall meet the requirements set out in the Act and this section.

(b) Education. The graduate degree shall be completed at a college or university which has a program accredited by a national accrediting organization that is approved by the department and recognized by the United States Secretary of Education under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. §1001, et seq.).

(1) Original or certified copies of the transcripts showing the conferred degree shall verify the applicant completed the following:

(A) at least thirty-six (36) semester credit hours shall be in professional course work acceptable toward a graduate degree; and

(B) at least twenty-four (24) semester credit hours acceptable toward a graduate degree shall be earned in the area of speech-language pathology, including normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing; prevention evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation of speech, language, and hearing disorders; and related fields that augment the work of clinical practitioners of speech-language pathology.

(2) A maximum of six (6) academic semester credit hours associated with clinical experience and a maximum of six (6) academic semester credit hours associated with a thesis or dissertation may be counted toward the thirty-six (36) hours but not in lieu of the requirements of paragraph (1)(B).

(3) A quarter hour of academic credit shall be considered as two-thirds of a semester credit hour.

(4) An applicant who possesses a master's degree with a major in audiology and is pursuing a license in speech-language pathology may apply if the department has an original transcript showing completion of a master's degree with a major in audiology on file and a letter from the program director or designee of the college or university stating that the individual completed enough hours to establish a graduate level major in speech-language pathology and would meet the academic and clinical experience requirements for a license as a speech-language pathologist.

(5) An applicant whose transcript is in a language other than English or whose degree was earned at a foreign university shall submit an original evaluation form from an approved transcript evaluation service. The transcript evaluation service must determine that the applicant's degree is a master's degree or higher with a major in one of the areas of communicative sciences or disorders. The applicant shall bear all expenses incurred during the procedure.

(6) An applicant who graduated from a college or university not accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation shall submit an original signed letter from ASHA stating the Council for Clinical Certification accepted the course work and clinical experience. The applicant shall bear all expenses incurred during the procedure.

(c) Clinical Work. An applicant shall complete at least twenty-five (25) clock hours of supervised observation before completing the minimum of the following hours of supervised clinical direct client contact, which may be referred to as clinical practicum, with individuals who present a variety of communication disorders within an educational institution or in one of its cooperating programs:

(1) 275 clock hours if the master's degree was earned prior to November 10, 1993; or

(2) 350 clock hours if the master's degree was earned between November 10, 1993 and December 31, 2004; or

(3) 400 clock hours if the master's degree was earned on or after January 1, 2005.

(d) Internship. An applicant must have completed an internship in which clinical work has been accomplished in speech-language pathology as set out in §111.41.

(1) An individual shall be licensed under §111.41, prior to the beginning of the internship.

(2) The supervisor of an individual who completed an internship in another state and met the requirements set out in §111.41 shall:

(A) be licensed in that other state; or

(B) hold the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology if the other state did not require licensing.

(e) Examination. An applicant shall pass the examination referenced under §111.21.

Source Note: The provisions of this §111.30 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 4441; amended to be effective May 1, 2018, 43 TexReg 2544