The DePaul University Speech Language Pathology Program is one of the preeminent Speech Language Pathology programs in the country. It has already attracted top leaders in the field to implement this vision. The program is uniquely designed to transform outstanding students into dedicated, highly trained speech-language pathologists who will competently and compassionately meet the needs of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. To further the program's mission, the Bilingual English-Spanish Specialization Certificate (BESSC) attracts ​ Spanish speakers to meet the needs of that underserved population in their native language thereby enhancing the ripple effect of the impact of the program throughout our country. ​

Grounded in the Vincentian tradition and urban character of DePaul University, the Master of Science program in Speech Language Pathology prepares speech-language pathologists to meet the diverse and urgent needs of the Chicago community and beyond with a special concern for those who are most underserved and those who are most vulnerable. Our program graduates students with sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge, clinical skills, professional practice competencies, clinical reasoning, cultural fluency, and empathy for their practice. Using evidence-based and ethical practice, graduates use their knowledge and skills to foster meaningful communication for their clients and serve as leaders in the profession.

The goals of our program are...

• ... to graduate speech language pathologists with sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge, clinical skills, professional practice competencies, clinical reasoning, cultural fluency, and empathy for their practice.
• ... to instill awareness of global health and education disparities, and in the Vincentian mission, advocate for social justice, equity, and ethical policies that impact the overall services of clients and communities.
• ... to contribute to the professional practice of speech language pathology through participation in systematic inquiry and use of evidence-based practice.
• ... to create a broad range of clinical opportunities and externship experiences to develop skills in the identification, prevention, evaluation and intervention of disorders and difference in speech, language and swallowing.
• ... to contribute to the overall growth and academic excellence of DePaul University and support its Vincentian mission by establishing and implementing the Speech Language Pathology Program.

The Speech Language Pathology MS Program at DePaul University is dedicated to upholding diversity, equity and inclusion in education, clinical research, training, and service delivery. We value diversity, equity and inclusion because it is part of our history, our traditions, and our future. We realize diversity, equity and inclusion as an asset and a strength that adds to the richness of our teaching, scholarship, community engagement , and personal behavior.

We recognize institutional racism, structural racism, linguistic racism, social injustice, and the imbalances of power and privilege. We seek to serve and practice through a lens of social justice guided by the core values and human rights of fairness, respect, equality, dignity, and autonomy. The MS SLP Program commits to advancing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion by intentionally engaging in personal and professional practices that reflect DEI in our research, curricula, pedagogical practice, and classroom climate.  We strive to uphold and create policies and initiatives which prioritize issues of diversity, equity and inclusion and sustain a program that embraces all aspects of human differences, social identities, social groups which includes but is not limited to race, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, socio-economic status, language, culture, national origin, religion, age, ability, veteran status, political perspective and associational preference.

The Speech Language Pathology Program prioritizes and promotes an environment that supports its faculty, students, staff, and community ensuring that people of all backgrounds, identities, abilities, perspectives, and beliefs have an equal opportunity to belong, achieve, and contribute to their communities. As our mission calls us to explore "What Must be Done" we commit to lifelong learning, critical self-reflection, and responding to the needs for those we serve to respect the inherent dignity and identity of each human person.

The DePaul University Speech Language Pathology Program is grounded in the Vincentian tradition and urban character of DePaul University with a primary goal of serving the most vulnerable and traditionally underserved populations. Our program is poised to be a leader in the field of Speech Language Pathology using evidence-based and ethical practice to train future Speech Language Pathologists who have a particular interest in working in urban areas to address health and service delivery disparities. Our bilingual/bicultural certificate program is one of only a handful in the United States, and with Chicago being home to one of the largest number of Spanish speaking populations in the United States, will offer graduate students an exceptional opportunity to become outstanding bilingual speech-language pathologists and leaders in their communities and the profession.

This 2020-2025 Strategic Plan serves to outline the goals that the DePaul University Speech Language Pathology Program will address to accomplish our mission and vision statements that align with DePaul University’s Vincentian mission and the College of Science and Health Strategic Plan. Our Strategic Plan also meets the standards of the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for the candidacy requirements for a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology.