I am currently a junior in high school, but I am starting my college search. I want to become a speech pathologist and I know not all schools have a communication sciences and disorders undergrad major, so I am also considering majoring in linguistics. Does anyone know if UAlbany’s linguistics program is good and would they help me get the necessary courses to get into a graduate program for speech pathology?
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You may hear negative things about the linguistics program because several years ago UAlbany decimated their foreign language program, which negatively impacted linguistics. However, the side of linguistics that you are interested in - supporting an interest in speech pathology - is an aspect of the major that probably wasn’t affected by these cuts. I will wait for people with more knowledge than I have to chime in, but wanted to let you know that if you hear negative things, you should probably dig deeper and ask why. Their reasons may not affect what you are interested in studying.
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Speech pathology is usually a masters level degree, and not hard to find. Linguistics is an uncommon major, tougher to find. I would recommend a school that has both, so that you could potentially submatriculate and graduate early with both degrees.
UMass Amherst has excellent undergrad Linguistics, and has a speech pathology masters program. They give significant OOS merit aid (although it still wouldn’t bring it down to the in-state cost at a SUNY school, which are an incredible value, in state), and they accept a lot of AP courses for credit - anything with a 4 or above for sure. I would investigate their masters in speech pathology program, and see if you might submatriculate into it.
If you are a resident of NY, and plan to live and work in NY afterwards, then go to a NY school. It’s just easier not to have to deal with transferring licensure, credit for out of state internships/supervision, and the like. CUNY has decent linguistics, and I’m sure they’ve got speech pathology, so if you’re a resident of NYC, this may be the way to go.
Of the SUNY schools, Stoneybrook is the top rated in Linguistics, with Buffalo not far behind. SUNY Albany is not ranked.
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2018/linguistics
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