Advising and Curriculum
Mentoring and advisement is an essential part of the program. Students meet with faculty and the program director to ensure that educational goals are being met.
Advising for newly admitted students is as follows:
- Fall-admitted: June to July.
- Spring-admitted: Early November to late December.
All students are urged to consult with the Program Coordinator at HESPIE@umd.edu for guidance on academic policies and regulations, post-program opportunities, and other academic and personal support resources available on campus. Student may also review UMD Services and Resources.
HESPIE is a non-degree, post-baccalaureate program that provides the necessary coursework for graduate training in Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and in Hearing, Language, or Speech Sciences. Students pursuing these professional tracks must obtain a graduate degree in order to meet national certification requirements and most state licensure laws. These programs only accept students who have a specific set of prerequisite courses. Whereas it is not necessary to take all courses, students must apply to be part of the program cohort.
- Please note: Information on how to apply, tuition and fees, and more may be found at the top of this page in the grey box.
General
- Eight course, 24-credit, curriculum that may be completed in as little as fifteen months of continuous enrollment: fall, spring, summer, and the subsequent fall.
- Two additional (optional) courses may be taken in the subsequent spring for in-person program, online optional courses are taken in the summer.
- The last classes would be completed just in time to apply for graduate programs in the subsequent fall semester as most programs have December or January application deadlines.
- Credits and grades earned post to the University of Maryland transcript.
Courses
- Students register for two courses for a total of 6 credits every semester (fall, spring, summer, fall).
- Courses are scheduled for weekday evenings (e.g., after 5:30 p.m.) and meet one evening per week.
- Course sections follow the same curriculum, have the same academic rigor, and follow the same academic policies as the University’s degree-seeking undergraduate program. The content for these UMD-approved courses—lectures, discussions, and labs—are identical to those sections offered to degree-seeking UMD students.
- HESPIE Course sections are restricted to admitted HESPIE students.
The program offers two learning options: in-person or 100% online. The curriculum is the same for both options). Instruction is provided by University of Maryland faculty and professionals in the field. Instructors are carefully screened and regularly evaluated to maintain quality.
HESPIE-Campus: In-Person Learning
- Instructors present dynamic and interactive seminar-style instruction.
- Classes are held in UMD College Park campus classrooms, offering a focused, distraction-free learning environment.
- The program uses the semester academic calendar with classes held in the fall and spring semester (16 weeks each) and Summer Session (two 6-week sessions).
HESPIE-Online: 100% Online Learning
- Using advanced audio and video technology, UMD’s online learning environment delivers dynamic and interactive content.
- Featuring convenience and flexibility, online instruction permits asynchronous or synchronous participation.
- Students attend in real time via the use of webcams and headsets with microphones. Through synchronous participation, students see slides, see and hear instructors speaking, and also ask questions.
- Lectures are video archived. Students who are unable to attend in real time can review the session through asynchronous participation.
Upon successful completion, students will have mastered the following competencies:
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic communication processes.
- Demonstrate knowledge of speech, language, and hearing disorders and differences, including etiologies and characteristics, prevention, assessment, and intervention.