The program’s mission aligns with the institutional and school missions to prepare students using a cross-disciplinary collaborative approach for evidence-based clinical services to improve the lives of those who reside in New Jersey and beyond.

The Speech-Language Pathology program at Rutgers University has three major program goals:

Program Goal 1: Excellence in academic education and clinical preparation. The academic and clinical curriculum is based on state-of-the-art scientific information and clinical procedures.

Objectives:

1. Infuse the curriculum with content regarding multiculturally diverse populations, particularly dialectal and bilingual/multilingual influences on speech, language, and communication skills.
2. Ensure the curriculum contains information regarding interprofessional education and that students have opportunities for interprofessional practice in the clinical setting.
3. Incorporate contemporary principles of clinical practice in the assessment and management of speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders within a medical setting.
4. Prepare students for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association certification, professional New Jersey state licensure, and the New Jersey Department of Education speech-language specialist certification.

Program Goal 2: Excellence in Faculty and Student Scholarship. Academic and clinical faculty are dedicated to professional scholarship and increasing student participation in scholarship.

Objectives:

1. Produce faculty scholarship to promote the national ranking of the program.
2. Actively engage students in clinically relevant research and problem-solving.
3. Foster student scholarship through implementation of EBP in clinical and professional venues.

Program Goal 3: Expand community visibility and clinical opportunities. The SLP Program at Rutgers University is committed to addressing the clinical needs in speech, language, communication, and swallowing in the Newark, NJ community and beyond.

Objectives:

1. Offer affordable, accessible, and quality clinical services to the Newark community and beyond.
2. Provide continuing education opportunities to practicing clinicians.
3. Engage community members in program development and educational strategies.

Strategic Goal 1. SOUND ACADEMIC AND CLINICAL TRAINING
Goal: Recruit, mentor, and retain high-quality academic and clinical faculty to provide students with cutting-edge didactic and clinical
education.

Strategic Goal 2. MEETING THE COMPLEX SERVICE NEEDS OF GROWING DIVERSE POPULATIONS
Goal: Create a clinical-academic education program that will provide students with clinical experience and academic coursework related to
services for ethno-socially diverse populations across the lifespans in interprofessional contexts.

Strategic Goal 3: DEVELOPING A DIVERSE PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE FOR A DIVERSE SOCIETY
Goal: Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-quality student body who meet or exceed the admission requirements from a variety of socio-ethnic backgrounds.

Strategic Goal 4: ASSESSMENT FOR COMPLIANCE, EXCELLENCE, AND INNOVATION
Goal: Review and revise the MSSLP Program’s Strategic Plan.

Strategic Goal 1. SOUND ACADEMIC AND CLINICAL TRAINING
Goal: Recruit, mentor, and retain high-quality academic and clinical faculty to provide students with cutting-edge didactic and clinical education.

The MS-SLP Program has 6 full-time faculty and 6 adjunct faculty who provide high-quality academic and clinical education to our students.

Our full-time faculty include:

• Dr. Jose Centeno, named an ASHA Fellow in 2024
• Dr. Michelle Chang, who published a study on Korean-speaking children with dysarthria in JSLHR in 2024
• Dr. Celeste Domsch, current Editor-in-Chief of Group 4 Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups
• Stephanie Hubbell, Recipient of the Rutgers SHP Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023
• Kelly Ann Peña, President of the ASHA Hispanic Caucus
• Dr. Kristen Victorino, recipient of the NJSHA Distinguished Professional Service Award in 2024

Our adjunct faculty include:

• Kira Medina-Tiencken, Bilingual CE and Private Practice Owner
• Giovanni Paul, Bilingual CE and SLP at Bruce Street School for the Deaf
• Ry Pilchman, Recipient of the ASHA Distinguished Early Career Professional in 2022; Published book chapters on transgender-affirming voice and communication
• Nicole Raia; Senior Audiologist at University Hospital; Member of the ASHA Government Affairs and Public Policy Board
• Nicole Surizon, Experienced CE and SLP at Children’s Specialized Hospital
• Jenn Valdez, Experienced CE and SLP at Children’s Specialized Hospital

Strategic Goal 2. MEETING THE COMPLEX SERVICE NEEDS OF GROWING DIVERSE POPULATIONS
Goal: Create a clinical-academic education program that will provide students with clinical experience and academic coursework related to services for ethno-socially diverse populations across the lifespans in interprofessional contexts.

Diverse Populations

• Addressed explicitly in SPLP 5110: Foundations of Ethnoracial-Social Diversity and Public Health for SLP Practice, which prepares students for additional diversity content and clinical experiences in all subsequent coursework and clinical practica
• Treated in our pro bono RU-SLP Clinic, where we see clients speaking a wide variety of languages, coming from diverse backgrounds, and who access our Transportation Fund to travel to services
• Treated in our externship sites, including Bruce Street School for the Deaf, St. Joseph School for the Blind, Children’s Specialized Hospital, University Hospital, and the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, among many others
• Ongoing faculty research projects related to diverse populations, including Dr. Centeno’s work with bilingual people with aphasia, Dr. Victorin’s REACH grant with the Newark Board of Education schools, and Dr. Chang’s work with Korean-speaking children

Interprofessional Experiences

• Three IPE events yearly with Rutgers Health
• Participants include students from New Jersey Medical School, School of Dental Medicine, DPT, OTD, Nursing, Pharmacy, Clinical Lab Sciences, Social Work, and the Physician Assistant program
• Scenarios include a CVA patient, a veteran with complex health needs, and a Hospice case
• Students complete Team STEPPS in interdisciplinary groups
• IPP opportunities in the RU-SLP Clinic
• Translation and Interpretation collaboration with Rutgers Newark
• Social Work internships
• OTD Capstone projects
• Summer Head Injury Clinic, where MS-SLP students co-treat with DPT and OTD students

Strategic Goal 3: DEVELOPING A DIVERSE PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE FOR A DIVERSE SOCIETY
Goal: Recruit, mentor, and retain a high-quality student body who meet or exceed the admission requirements from a variety of socio-ethnic backgrounds.

• First cohort of 17 graduated in May 2023
• Second cohort of 21 graduated in May 2024
• 100% on-time graduation rate to date
• Our NBASLH group won University Affiliate of the Year in 2024
• Our students have been/are bilingual in Albanian, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Tagalog
• Our students come from the LGBTQ+ community and participate in the SHP student organization Prideful Futures in Healthcare, with Stephanie Hubbell as the Faculty Advisor
• Our students have presented at ASHA, NBASLH, NSJHA, and Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey conferences
• Our students have been selected for the ASHA Minority Student Leadership Program
• Our students and graduates hold undergraduate degrees from a wide variety of institutions
  • The College of New Jersey, CUNY—Staten Island, Florida State, Georgetown, Indiana University, Iona, Ithaca, James Madison, Kean, LaSalle, Montclair State, NYU, Old Dominion, Penn State, Rutgers, Stockton, SUNY—New Paltz, Temple, Towson, St. John’s, University of Colorado—Boulder, University of Delaware, University of Maryland, University of Mississippi, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rhode Island, Western Washington University, and William Paterson

Strategic Goal 4: ASSESSMENT FOR COMPLIANCE, EXCELLENCE, AND INNOVATION
Goal: Review and revise the MSSLP Program’s Strategic Plan.

• MS-SLP faculty hold retreats annually, when the Strategic Plan is reviewed and revised as needed
• Data are regularly collected from multiple sources, including course evaluations, first-year student surveys, graduate surveys, exit interviews, Advisory Board input, clinic clients and caregivers etc, and analyzed by MS-SLP faculty for ongoing program improvement

Our target class size is 18 to 25 students.

The MS-SLP program is a full-time, in-person program. During their first year, students are expected to be on-campus Mon-Fri. During the second year, students are at externship sites with an online evening class once per week.

All academic classes and clinical work in the first year take place in the Stanley Bergen building at 65 Bergen Street in Newark. The RU-SLP Clinic and all faculty offices are on the 7th floor.

Students treat therapy clients under supervision in our clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays, and complete assessments in small teams on Fridays. Academic classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clinical and academic activities occur during regular working hours.

In the MS-SLP program, we have chapters of both the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the National Black Association for Speech, Language, and Hearing.

The School of Health Professions offers opportunities to get involved in interdisciplinary student organizations that include Multi IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Actions), Prideful Future of Healthcare, and the Student Government Association.

Many of our students do work during the program, but not in full-time Monday-Friday positions. The MS-SLP program offers work-study positions including Clinic Assistant, Tech Assistant, and Research Assistant roles. Applications for those open in the summer for admitted students.

Students who work off-campus jobs do so in the evenings or on weekends in roles that have included child- or elder-care, tutoring, coaching, retail, restaurants and so on.

We offer BCR in Spanish and Korean. Students who are interested in BCR will complete proficiency testing with our faculty in their desired language early in the first semester. Once they are accepted into the BCR, they will be assigned bilingual clients in our clinic as appropriate during their first year.

In the second year, they will complete one external practicum in a bilingual site. When they graduate, their transcripts will include a special notation to indicate completion of the BCR.

Graduate students who commute by car will need a Rutgers parking permit for the lots around the Bergen building. If students are coming to campus by public transit, Rutgers runs free shuttle buses from both Newark Penn and Newark Broad Street stations.

There is also a NJ Transit bus stop just outside our building. Graduate student housing is available at 180 West Market Street.

Our students complete externships in a wide variety of sites, including hospitals, rehab centers, public schools, specialized schools, and private practices throughout New Jersey. We have also had students complete externships in NYC. We are continually developing new sites for students and are always open to new partnerships.

Please reach out to our Director of Clinical Education Stephanie Hubbell if you have questions regarding externships.

Our graduates have completed Clinical Fellowships in medical, educational, and private practice settings in New Jersey and New York, as well as other states. Our graduates are eligible to apply for state licensure and for the New Jersey Speech-Language Specialist Certification and the New York TSSLD.