UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has earned accreditation for its speech-language pathology master of science program from the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
The CAA accredits graduate programs that prepare individuals to enter professional practice in audiology or speech-language pathology. The latest Penn State accreditation is valid from 2017 to 2025. The program has earned such accreditation from the CAA since 1996.
Accreditation by the CAA indicates that a program is committed to excellence and ongoing quality improvement so that students and the public are assured that graduates are prepared to meet the challenges they will face when entering the workforce.
Graduates of CAA accredited programs in speech-language pathology are prepared to achieve the credentials required to practice professionally.
“For more than 20 years, the department has consistently worked to meet the standards of the CAA in order to provide students with a world-class education that has been thoroughly vetted by a reputable independent council. We are proud to continue to offer an accredited speech-language pathology master’s degree program at Penn State because our students deserve nothing less,” said Diane Williams, professor and head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
The CAA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and by the U.S. Secretary of Education as the accrediting body for the accreditation and pre-accreditation of education programs leading to the first professional or clinical degree at the master's or doctoral level in audiology and speech-language pathology and for the accreditation of these programs offered via distance education, throughout the United States.
The CAA is responsible for evaluating the adequacy of an applicant program's efforts to satisfy standards. Compliance with all standards indicates that the program meets the expectations of the CAA.