Calvin College adds masters program in speech pathology

Calvin College's speech pathology and audiology program is expanding this fall to offer a five-year bachelor-to-master's program. The new program will enable the college to expand upon its work with adult stroke patients and begin offering clinical services for children--infants, toddlers and school-aged--with speech or language challenges.

Calvin's clinical director Jill Bates says that no other college in the Grand Rapids area offers students the opportunity to gain experience in both adult and pediatric services right on campus.

"All of us have worked a variety of places and we have a lot of experience," said Bates of the speech pathologists that teach at Calvin. "Our students are learning from master clinicians."

The new program will allow students to complete their undergraduate and master's degrees,in five, instead of the usual six years. Bates says the amount of experience Calvin students will get in their first four years (a traditional undergraduate workload), will give them a competitive advantage for their off campus placements.

"Our kids are ready, and they are going to compete with students from other schools who need a placement at St. Mary's or in area schools and medical settings," said Bates. "They are going to have a foot up in their externship placements."

And the benefits of this new program reach into the community as well. The school will offer adult and pediatric services four days per week (previously they offered stroke rehab two days/week) and will only charge patients $20 per session, which is far below the going rate for these types of services.

Bates says it is all about raising up another generation of speech pathologists who come at their profession from a Christian perspective.

"From our perspective, there are very few speech pathology programs that are intentionally Christian," said Bates. "I have seasoned Christian clinicians who can work with our students and show them how to serve."

For more information about the program, including the services available to the community, contact Jill Bates at 616-526-6715 or at jbates@calvin.edu

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Received on Thu Aug 18 07:17:00 2011