Master's Degree Career Opportunities

Speech Language Pathologists must be licensed by the state in which they work. Most states also require certification from their State Department of Education to work in public education. Many employers require the Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Students receiving their masters degrees from the UL Lafayette Department of Communicative Disorders are eligible for these credentials.

Employment opportunities exist in public schools, hospitals, medical centers, private agencies, nursing homes, and private practice. There are abundant employment opportunities within Louisiana and nationally. The US News and World Report ranks speech language pathology as #28 on its list of 100 best jobs with low unemployment rates (0.9%) and nearly 29,000 projected new jobs before 2024.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

SLPs work in many different education and health care settings with varying roles, levels of responsibility, and client populations. SLPs are employed by public and private schools, hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, long term care facilities, and private practices. In many settings, SLPs often work as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team, which may include teachers, physicians, audiologists, psychologists, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and rehabilitation counselors.

As outlined in ASHA’s market trends data, SLPs are in demand for a number of reasons including the population as a whole getting older and the emphasis on early diagnosis in very young populations.

Find out more about career opportunities and job search resources by visiting ASHA's Careers Page.