Your interest in speech-language pathology is nurtured, and your intellectual curiosity is supplemented, with hands-on experience in our nationally-recognized graduate program – now offered both at our main campus in Clayton, Missouri and our distance education (i.e., remote synchronous instruction with on-campus clinical experience) location in Kansas City, Missouri and St. Paul Minnesota. Fontbonne University’s accredited Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program prepares dynamic clinicians to work collaboratively in a wide variety of settings.

We have a 5–6 semester program for students who have an undergraduate degree in SLP and have met the prerequisite requirements (see View Program Requirements). Students who do not have an undergraduate degree in SLP or who have not completed the undergraduate prerequisite courses may have a 7-8 semester program. Leveling courses are available to complete prerequisite requirements if your undergraduate degree is in another field of study.

The graduate speech-language program is designed to prepare dynamic clinicians who work collaboratively in a wide variety of settings with a diverse population of people with communication disorders across the lifespan. 

We currently have three programs from which you may choose: 

• Our main campus in Clayton, Missouri is a traditional graduate program with an on-campus clinic and externship placements in the greater Saint Louis area. Courses are offered both in-person and in synchronous modalities
• Our satellite graduate program in Kansas City, Missouri housed on the campus of Avila University has an on-campus speech-language clinic and combines in-person and synchronous modalities for coursework. Externship placements are made in the Kansas City area
• Our distance education program offers all coursework in a synchronous modality but provides in-person clinical experiences in the on-campus clinic at St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Externship placements are made in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. Each of Fontbonne University’s programs for a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) are ASHA accredited and draw on faculty who are recognized in their area of expertise. Students may not utilize GI Bill® benefits to cover the costs of this program at the St. Paul, Minnesota location at this time. Please contact the Registrar’s Office (registraroffice@fontbonne.edu) with any questions.

Fontbonne University is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

Each location of this program requires an application through the CSDCAS WebAdmit site. You must apply through the CSDCAS WebAdmit site in order to be considered for our graduate SLP program. 

Speech-Language Pathology Days

Do you have additional questions? Would you like to meet with a faculty member or student in our program Interested in learning more about this program?

Clayton, Missouri Clinic:

• Please email Dr. Carmen Russell at crussell@fontbonne.edu to schedule a time to meet to discuss the program and tour the Clayton clinic.

Kansas City, Missouri Clinic:

• Contact Dr. Klaire Brumbaugh at kbrumbaugh@fontbonne.edu to schedule a time to view the Kansas City clinic, located on the campus of Avila University.

St. Paul, Minnesota Clinic:

• Contact Andrea Nelson at anelson@fontbonne.edu to schedule a time to view the St. Paul clinic, located on the campus of St. Catherine University.

• Students must successfully complete 55 semester hours of graduate credit.
• Each location offers an on-site speech-language and hearing clinic that offers excellent clinical opportunities for student clinicians and free services for children and adults of the community.
  • View more details about our clinics located in Clayton,  Kansas City and St. Paul.
• Nationally recognized, experienced and committed faculty
• A cohort model encourages students to support one another as they advance through the program together.
• Graduate assistantships and traineeships are available to selected students which provide a significant amount of tuition remission.
• Two specialty tracks may be available to scholars:
  • To work with children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing, OR
  • To work with adults who have neurogenic communication disorders.
• Format: This is a full-time program. Students participate in classes in the evenings and clinical practicum during the daytime.

Students gain real-world experience through a variety of clinical practicum opportunities while under the mentorship of experienced working professionals. Fontbonne has more than 100 agreements with excellent facilities.

Some St. Louis area examples include:

Some Kansas City area examples include:

The current U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists speech-language pathology as having a “faster than average” growth in employment rate of 19% (2012-2022).

The Master of Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology (residential, distance education, and satellite modalities) at Fontbonne University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. 

The graduate SLP program at Fontbonne is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation which is the body that establishes standards for graduate programs in speech-language pathology. In order to graduate from an accredited program, students must achieve academic and clinical experiences that meet the standards provided by the CAA. Completion of these requirements will allow students to seek state licensure and ASHA certification.