Communication Disorders Graduate Clinical Practicum

Requirements

On-Campus Clinical Practicum 

You are required to complete three semesters of on-campus clinical practicum before beginning externship placements:  

• Enroll in CD603 Advanced Communication Disorders Clinical Practicum each semester of your first year, including summer.  

• 1 credit hour: Clinical seminars covering professional and clinical issues 
• 2 credits: 2-3 direct client assignments per semester 
• Diagnostic/screening activities: Typically 3–4 assignments per semester  

Excellence in Clinical Documentation & Conduct 

Students must:  

• Prepare weekly lesson plans and clinical notes 
• Document diagnostic impressions, recommendations, treatment plans 
• Communicate professionally with clients, families and supervisors 
• Abide by ethical and professional standards throughout practice  

Why Practicum Matters

• Clinical practicum is more than a graduation requirement—it's career training in action.  
• Build confidence working with clients. Practicum gives you valuable exposure to diverse communication disorders across the lifespan, so you're ready for real job responsibilities.  
• Apply classroom learning to clinical problems. You'll analyze assessments, develop treatment plans, and adapt strategies just like practicing clinicians.  
• Develop professional habits employers expect like clear documentation, ethical practice, effective communication, and teamwork.
• Work with expert supervisors. Clinical educators licensed in Missouri and certified by ASHA support you at every step so you grow with confidence.  

The Center for Speech and Hearing

Located on the main campus of Southeast Missouri State University, the Center for Speech and Hearing provides comprehensive diagnostic and intervention services for all ages. 

The Center for Speech and Hearing is a collaborative and supportive experiential learning environment for students studying speech-language pathology, providing accessible, high-quality and evidence-based care to individuals with communication disorders throughout the greater southeast Missouri region. The Center strives to foster students' ability to integrate evidence-based practice and technological advancements with compassionate and ethical client-driven care, and be a leader in clinical education by implementing innovative and dynamic practices. 

What Happens Next? 

Graduate majors in communication disorders are required to complete two off-campus externships during the second year of the graduate program. In order to be eligible for an externship placement, the student must have maintained a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 and have completed a minimum of 100 clinical clock hours at the graduate level.  

Once you've completed your on-campus practicum and met eligibility requirements, including GPA and clinical hours, you’ll move into off-campus externships to further broaden your experience in real clinical settings to strengthen your professional readiness. 

The externship coordinator strives to match externship experiences with the student's interests, experience and professional goals. A meeting regarding initial externship placements, as well as an orientation to the externship experience, is provided toward the end of the 2nd semester of graduate study. Questions regarding externship may be directed to the Externship Coordinator. 

Externship Placement Sites 

Communication disorders at SEMO offers students access to an exceptional network of externship sites across a large, multi-state service region. Placements include public schools, pediatric and early childhood centers, rehabilitation facilities, outpatient clinics, and major medical centers, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with clients across the lifespan. This wide variety of clinical settings exposes students to a broad range of communication disorders and prepares them for success in diverse professional environments. A current list of available externship sites is provided below:

Public School Sites 

Missouri Schools: K-12 available

• Arcadia Valley
• Belleville West Jr. High
• Cape Central Blanchard Elementary 
• Cape Central Clippard Elementary
• Cape Central Franklin Elementary 
• Cape Central High School
• Cape Central Jr. High
• Cape Public Early Childhood
• Clearwater R-1 School District
• Farmington Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
• Jackson R-2 East Elementary 
• Jackson R-2 Middle School
• Kelly Elementary 
• Mount Vernon R-V School District
• Perryville School District 
• Poplar Bluff School District
• Ste. Genevieve Elementary 
• Sikeston R-6 Public Schools

Additional Pediatric Sites 

• Cape Girardeau Early Childhood Special Education Center, Cape Girardeau, MO 
• Kenny Rogers Children's Center, Sikeston, MO 
• Saint Francis Outpatient Rehab., Cape Girardeau, MO 
• Southeast Outpatient Rehab., Cape Girardeau, MO 
• Therapeutic Playtime, Arnold, MO

Hospitals 

• Baptist Health-Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
• Kindred Hospital St. Louis South, St. Louis, MO
• Mercy Health, Paducah, KY
• Mercy Hospital Jefferson, Festus, MO
• Mercy Hospital Southeast, Cape Girardeau, MO 
• Missouri Delta Medical Center, Sikeston, MO 
• PARC Rehab, Poplar Bluff, MO
• Pike County Memorial Hospital (PCHM), Louisiana, MO
• Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, Poplar Bluff, MO
• Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau, MO 
• Springfield Memorial Hospital, Springfield, IL
• SSM Health Day Institute, Arnold, MO
• SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Mount Vernon, IL
• SSM Health St. Clare Hospital, St. Louis County, MO
• SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital, Lake St. Louis, MO
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

Rehabilitation Facilities 

• Chateau Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, MO 
• Elite Therapy & Wellness, Cape Girardeau, MO
• EmpowerMe Wellness, Brentwood, MO
• Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, MO
• NeuroRestoratve, Paducah, KY
• Saint Francis Medical Center
• Southbrook Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Facilities, Farmington, MO
• Sensory Solutions, Murrary, KY
• The Lutheran Home, Cape Girardeau, MO 
• VA Tampa Health Care, Tampa, FL

Curriculum Pattern Effective Summer 2026

Note: There are two program timelines: graduation in Spring Year 2 or Summer Year 3. Both graduates walked at the Spring year 2 graduation. Spring graduates receive their diplomas in May, while summer graduates receive their diplomas in August of the year the program is completed.

For course descriptions, refer to the catalog.

Summer, Year 1

**Students who did not complete a course in Audiological Rehabilitation in their undergraduate program must take CD525 (3) in Summer Year 1, 2, or 3.

Fall, Year 1

Spring, Year 1

Summer, Year 2

*Students who complete the study-abroad clinical practicum course, CD570, in their first year may qualify for an exemption from CD603 in the summer of year 2.

Fall, Year 2

*Externship 1 may be completed in the fall (spring graduate) or spring of year 2 (summer graduate). Students who hold graduate assistantship positions must choose the Spring/Summer externship option. 

**Students who did not complete a course in speech and hearing science in their undergraduate program will need to take CD399 

***Pending approval of course pattern changes, semester total will change from 10 to 9 credit hours, and program total will change from 58 to 57 credit hours.

Spring, Year 2 

 **GR698: Comprehensive Examination (0 credits): Must be taken semester of graduation. The written comprehensive is an examination over the degree program.
Students must enroll in GR 698 during the final semester. If not enrolled in regular coursework a minimum enrollment fee must be paid.

**GR699: Master's Oral Examination (0 Credits): The oral examination will be conducted for students writing a thesis or internship paper. Students must enroll in GR 699 during the final semester. If not enrolled in regular coursework or thesis, a
minimum enrollment fee must be paid.

Summer, Year 3

Total Minimum Credit Hours: 42 credit hours (academic) + 15 credit hours (clinical practicum) = 57*

*pending approval of course changes, program total will change to 57 from 58

Students who have already earned a bachelor's degree in a major other than communication disorders can participate in the Graduate Leveling Program to ensure that they are well-prepared for the rigor of graduate study in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. 

Leveling students can choose whether to complete their courses in-person or asynchronously online.

A typical leveling program consists of 28 credit hours over two semesters:

Foundational courses (25 credit hours):

• CD211 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech Mechanism* (3) 
• CD225 Phonetics (3)
• CD230 Introduction to Communication Disorders (3)
• CD340 Normal Language Development (3)
• CD395 Introduction to the Hearing Mechanism and Audiological Assessment* (3)
• CD399 Speech and Hearing Science (3)
• CD406 Introduction to Clinical Practice (4)
• CD480 Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology for Speech and Hearing (3)

Disorders course (3 credit hours, choose one): 

• CD408 Language and Fluency Disorders (3)
• CD484 Introduction to Neurogenic Disorders) (3)

*CD211 and CD395 have a biology pre-requisite of BS103 or BS113 (or biological science equivalent)

Students should meet with a department advisor to develop a personalized leveling program. Additional courses may be required for students pursuing graduate study if not yet completed: statistics, physical/chemical science, biological science, or social science/psychology.

A sample leveling curriculum is presented below:

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

Total Credit Hours: 28 

Ready to get started?

Apply as an undergraduate student and select the Main Campus, Non-degree seeking as the program option. For further questions, please contact our graduate leveling program advisor, Dr. Susan Fulton, at sfulton@semo.edu