Pre-Speech Pathology at Nevada State
In This Section
So You Want To Be A Speech Language Pathologist?
If you are interested in working with youth who have speech and language impairments in a school setting, the Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology is the degree for you! This degree prepares you for licensure to work with students who have speech and language impairments between ages 3-21 in the state of Nevada.
If you are interested in working in a medical setting with those who have speech and language impairments, the Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology is the first step. After completing this degree, you will want to pursue a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology. For more information about Nevada State’s Master of Education degree in Speech-Language Pathology, please visit our website here.
At Nevada State College, students with the intention to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology degree are admitted to Nevada State as a Pre-Speech Pathology major. This major allows students to pursue courses required for their degree, while simultaneously working on all prerequisites needed to apply for the Speech Pathology Program and transition into the full degree.
This page is designed to provide you all the information you may need as you begin your undergraduate pursuit of a career in Speech Pathology. For the most up-to-date information, we already recommend speaking with the School of Education or visiting their homepage here.
There are also minors and endorsements available. For more information, please contact your Advisor or the School of Education. You can find detailed degree sheets for each of these degrees, concentrations, and minors on our Degrees & Programs page.
How Long Does It Take To Earn A Degree In Speech Pathology?
Most students can complete a Speech Pathology degree in four years if they take an average of 15 credits per semester and are admitted into the School of Education once they reach 60 credits. This degree plan may require some summer coursework or an additional semester. Which courses you choose in the Core Curriculum, and how quickly you pass the Praxis Core or CBEST exam will all determine the likelihood of being able to graduate in four years. For more information on the Praxis Core/CBEST, see “What is the Praxis Core/CBEST Exam?”
Here is a general progression of what your time here at Nevada State will look like:
Step 0: Prospective School of Education Student
See “How Do I Apply t Nevada State?”
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Step 1: Pre-Speech Pathology Student
Meet with Academic Advisor and Academic Success Coach
Take Praxis Core (or CBEST) and apply for substitute teaching license
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Step 2: Admitted to School of Education
Meet with Faculty Advisor and Academic Success Coach
Take Praxis Subject Assessment
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Step 3: Practicum Experience
16 weeks, full-time in a school
Gain hands on experience in a classroom under a licensed Speech Pathologist
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Step 4: Graduation
How Do I Apply to Nevada State?
If I Am Interested In Transferring, What’s Next?
If you are currently attending an institution other than Nevada State, we recommend meeting with our Transfer Coordinators. They can speak with you about the transfer process. Information and appointments can be found by following this link.
You can also contact the Office of Admissions at (702)992-2170 or email us at transfer@nsc.edu.
If you have transfer credits from any other institutions the only way to know how many of the credits will transfer into your degree program is to apply to Nevada State and have your official transcripts sent to us. The time frame for application processing is typically 4 – 6 weeks. This time frame starts when we have received all of your official transcripts from all of your previous schools. You can meet with a Transfer Coordinator who can outline the application process with you. Once you have been accepted into the school you will be able to sit down with a Pre-Education Advisor to review your transfer credits and your path to application to the Teacher Preparation Program. Once you have applied and requested your transcripts you are welcome to call our Admissions & Recruitment Office to determine if we have received your transcripts. (702)992-2170. To get a general idea of what courses are likely to transfer into Nevada State feel free to use our Transfer Equivalency Database. The majority of schools that we will accept credits from are listed on here. Search the school you are transferring credits from and then enter the course designation from your transcript – for example ENG 112. This will show you how that class transferred to Nevada State in the past. Using this in tandem with the attached degree sheet for your major will allow you to perform your own unofficial credit evaluation and get an idea of what coursework will be likely to transfer into the degree. If a specific course or school is not listed on the database this simply means that no one has previously attempted to transfer credits from that school or that particular course. It does not mean that Nevada State will not accept these credits. All information provided on the Transfer Equivalency Database is unofficial.
What Are The Requirements For Admission To The Speech Pathology Program?
All Pre-Speech Pathology students will need to meet the requirements below before applying for admission to the Speech Pathology Program. Once admitted, you will no longer be a “pre” major, but will be a full “Speech Pathology” major. Pre-Speech Pathology students meet with an Academic Advisor to find out when they will need to apply for program admission.
Requirements for program admission:
- Admission to Nevada State as a Pre-Speech Pathology major (see “How Do I Apply to Nevada State?”)
- Must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA (this includes all coursework taken at Nevada State and transferred to Nevada State from prior colleges)
- Must have passing scores on the Praxis Core or CBEST exam
- Apply for a substitute teaching license through the Nevada Department of Education
- A substitute teaching license requires either 60 completed college credits or completion of an Associate’s degree
What Is The Praxis Core (or CBEST) Exam?
Praxis Core, or CBEST exam is required for admission to the Speech Pathology Program.
Praxis Core measures basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. 39 of the 50 states in the U.S. use the Praxis Core exam.
The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) also measures basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. 3 out of the 50 states in the U.S. use the CBEST exam (California, Oregon, and Nevada).
Praxis Core
Registration: For more information and to register for the exam, please visit www.ets.org/praxis . ETS is currently offering At Home Testing for the Praxis Core while some testing centers may be closed; more information can be found here.
CBEST
Registration: For more information and to register for the exam, please visit here.
When Should I Take The Test?
Pre-Speech Pathology majors who have completed ENG 102, MATH 120, and the 2 Praxis Core Preparation Lab courses are encouraged to take the Praxis Core (or CBEST) exam. It’s generally recommended to complete the Praxis Core or CBEST by 60 completed credits. To meet the requirements for admission into the Speech Pathology Program, students must pass one of these exams. Please note the differences in scoring, cost, test structure, and websites under “What is the Praxis Core (Or CBEST) Exam?”
Are There Any Resources Available To Help Me Pass The Praxis Core (or CBEST) Exam?
Yes! Please visit our Praxis Resource Center here. This lists all the free resources you have access to as a Nevada State student and some online recourses. Additionally, your major likely requires EDU 163 and EDU 164. These one-credit lab classes prepare you for the Reading/Writing (EDU 163) and Math (EDU 164) components of the Praxis Core exam.
For additional information on the Praxis/CBEST, including test prep and strategy, we encourage you to contact Dr. Marcela Rodriguez-Campo. Marcela is the Academic Success Coach for the School of Education and her focus is on assisting students with these exams. Marcela can be reached by email at marcela.rodriguez-campo@nsc.edu.