Several Questions

[Pseudonymous101]

-What is the difference in terms of employment opportunities and/or salary between a Master's in SLP and a PhD?

-Is it difficult to obtain licensure for different states? I'd like to apply to schools in different states, namely Cali and Texas.

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[RemiJP]

-What is the difference in terms of employment opportunities and/or salary between a Master's in SLP and a PhD?

-Is it difficult to obtain licensure for different states? I'd like to apply to schools in different states, namely Cali and Texas.

In our field, obtaining a Ph.D. means that you want to conduct research and teach undergrads and grad students, typically working in a hospital/university/clinical research center. Master's level SLPs can also teach at universities as clinical supervisors in on-campus clinics. Master's level SLPs work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, or at the client's home. If you are working as a professor and conducting research, your salary will be much larger than if you are working as an SLP in a public school. ASHA has a number of documents outlining the average salary for SLPs across all work environments. My impression was that SLPs (Master's level) are paid anywhere between 30k-80k.

From what I've heard, it's not difficult to obtain a license in a new state. (Sometimes it involves taking a class that all teachers and therapists have to take on something silly like the history of the state.)

 

[Pseudonymous101]

Thank you for the response, I talked to an adviser today and she mentioned similar things about the PhD being more geared towards research and teaching. That said, I do want to have both the option of working in a clinical setting as well as the option for research with a PhD, so I'm guessing my best bet is to apply for one of those combined MS/PhD programs. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Does anyone know the best programs for the combined degree?

Also, I'm planning to get the bilingual (Eng/Spa) certification, and I was told that sometimes meant a little extra pay in clinical or school settings. Though my motivations for getting it are more than the bit of extra money, I do wonder if it's a big help when it comes to obtaining a job.

 

[RemiJP]

MS/Phd program are hard to come by, I am enrolled in one now, and I was aware of only one other when I applied (I'm sure there are at least a handful more though!). But if you are definitely interested in research and have a general area that interests you - go for it! The key for applying for an MS/PhD program is to have a specific area of interest and for that interest to match up with a professor's current line of research. MS/PhD is not the easiest route, particularly because fitting in 400 hours of clinical hours and clinical fellowship year (in order to be a certified SLP) with work in a lab is complicated.

It's most common though for people to do an MS first (completing a Master's thesis in the process), do the clinical fellowship year to be certified and then apply to a PhD program. Some people go into a doctoral program right away, others choose to work in the field for a few years to discover their research interests and gain valuable clinical experience (my guess is this is the most common route). Either way, a Master's thesis shows PhD admissions committee your passion and skill in research.

I agree, bilingual certification certainly helps you to obtain a job with a higher salary.

 

[TenaciousGirl]

Thank you for the response, I talked to an adviser today and she mentioned similar things about the PhD being more geared towards research and teaching. That said, I do want to have both the option of working in a clinical setting as well as the option for research with a PhD, so I'm guessing my best bet is to apply for one of those combined MS/PhD programs. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Does anyone know the best programs for the combined degree?

Also, I'm planning to get the bilingual (Eng/Spa) certification, and I was told that sometimes meant a little extra pay in clinical or school settings. Though my motivations for getting it are more than the bit of extra money, I do wonder if it's a big help when it comes to obtaining a job.

you can do a search on the ASHA website for combined MS/PhD programs. The only ones that come to mind are ... SDSU/UCSD, Boston University (I think) and the MIT/HARVARD joint program, which is super research based.

 

[RemiJP]

UW-Madison also has one.