Practicing Speech Pathology

What are the steps required to become licensed to practice speech pathology/speech language pathology?

Overview

Important: This page offers a general overview of the credentialing process. Because requirements are subject to change, it is your responsibility to consult your provincial/state regulatory body for the most current information. While we update this content annually, please verify all details directly with the appropriate authorities to ensure you are compliant with local practice standards. OzTREKK is not responsible for your credentialing process.​

 

The profession of speech pathology is regulated across Canada, with the exception of Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. To become licensed to practice as a speech pathologist, you must meet the requirements of the provincial regulatory body where you wish to practice.

Australian by degrees often differ from Canadian degrees in coursework and clinical hours. For example, it’s not common for Australian speech pathology degrees to contain exposure in audiology, which is a requirement in Canada.

The OzTREKK-represented speech pathology programs can sometimes provide Canadians the opportunity to take on additional coursework and clinical hours to meet requirements provincial requirements, although it’s not guaranteed. It’s the student’s responsibility to contact their provincial regulatory body to ensure they understand the requirements and process to become licensed when they return, and to track their hours during the program to ensure they meet the number required for certification.

Practicing in Canada

Below are the basic steps to gain your certificate of registration in Canada. Licensing requirements and processes are unique to each province, so contact your provincial regulator for specific details. 

 

Step #1 – Understand Regulatory Board Requirements
Before you decide to study internationally, visit your provincial regulator website (specifically the section for internationally trained applicants) and get familiar with their requirements and processes. Pay close attention to their coursework and clinical hour requirements.

Many regulators base their classroom and clinical requirements on the “Academic Equivalency Framework” (AEF) which is a set of minimum requirements for entry-to-practice developed by a coalition of Canadian audiology and speech-language pathology regulators.

As an example, Ontario’s regulatory board (CASLPO) links to the AEF on their Academic Requirements page. All other regulatory boards will offer a similar breakdown.

It will also be helpful to understand what additional steps, if any, you can take if you do not meet provincial requirements. Some provinces allow conditional certificates of registration or a bridging program.

Step #2 – Track Your Hours While Completing Your Degree
Coursework and clinical hours are not tracked by the university. We recommend contacting your provincial regulatory body for the paperwork required to record your hours. Someone from your university, like your program coordinator, can help you track and complete this paperwork. 

Once you start your degree, advise your faculty of where you plan to become licensed and what requirements you are looking to meet. Although a program’s standard curriculum may not directly match the requirements you’re looking to meet, your faculty may be able to arrange extra coursework or clinical hours (at your time/expense) to get you what you need.

Some universities will allow you to take extra clinical hours or enroll in additional credits (at your expense) to meet requirements (coursework and/or direct contact). Talk with your program coordinator to see what options might be available to you.

Step #3 – Apply and Have Credentials Assessed by Regulator
Once you’ve graduated and returned to Canada, one of the first steps is the licensing process is to start your application through your provincial regulatory body to have your credentials assessed.

Regulatory bodies do not pre-approve or pre-accredit international speech pathology degrees. Instead, you’ll go through a credentialing process to determine whether your studies are equivalent to a Canadian speech pathology degree. This involves submitting relevant paperwork such as transcripts, proof of hours, etc. and having the regulating body complete an assessment.

If an applicant does not meet credentialing requirements, some provinces offer a competency program or conditional registration to make up for missing requirements.

Step #4 – Pass Your Competency Exam
Once you meet your regulatory body’s credentialing requirements, you’ll be permitted and required to take a competency examination.

Many (but not all) provinces use the Canadian Entry to Practice Exam (CETP). This exam is managed by Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC). Passing an exam ensures you meet competency standards and is one of the last steps in becoming licensed and receiving your certificate of registration.

Unregulated Territories
If you intend to practice in an unregulated territory, you should contact the corresponding professional association to learn the process for application. Applicants planning to practice in an unregulated jurisdiction are not required to write the CETP exam but may wish to do so if they plan to move to a regulated jurisdiction in the future.

 

Provincial Regulators

Practicing in USA

The profession of speech pathology is regulated at the state and territory level across the United States. To become licensed, you must meet the requirements of the state/territorial regulatory body where you wish to practice.

Becoming licensed generally involves the following steps:

 

Step #1 – Professional Certification Through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Certification through the AHSA is not the same as state licensure. Obtaining a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) through the ASHA is voluntary but generally sought after. It offers evidence of meeting high quality standards as recognized by several international speech pathology associations.

Graduates of Australian speech pathology programs, who have been certified by Speech Pathology Australia, fall under a Mutual Recognition Agreement, which allows for a more streamlined certification process through the ASHA.

Step #2 – Complete the Praxis Exam in Speech Pathology
The Praxis Exam in Speech Pathology is a national exam that’s required for both ASHA certification, as well as by many state licensing boards.

Step #3 – Complete a Clinical Fellowship (Required in Most States)
Most states will require you to complete several months of supervised work before you can apply for your full license to practice. Clinical fellowship hours are also required to gain ASHA certification.

Step #4 – Apply for State Speech Pathology License to Practice
Each state has their own licensing process and requirements. The ASHA – State and Territory Information offers a directory state and territory licensing information.

FAQs

Can my partner or family come to Australia with me if I get an offer? 

Many Canadians wish to fulfill their career goals after getting married, having kids, or both! We’ve had plenty of students who have taken their partner and/or children with them.

If you want to take your partner or family with you, you’ll need to add them as a secondary applicant or dependents to your student visa application. Even if you don’t plan on taking them with you, we suggest you add them to your application anyway because it can be complex, expensive, and time-consuming to add them afterwards. You’ll then need to provide additional documentation to support your claims of a relationship or your children’s dependency status.

In addition to looking after the visa, you’ll also need to ensure they’re included on your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), you have appropriate accommodation, and if you’re bringing children, you’ll need to enroll them in school.

Visit our Health Insurance page for more information.

Can my entire application be submitted through OzTREKK?

Absolutely. We manage and submit your application(s) on your behalf and communicate any updates from the universities.

Applying to an Australian or New Zealand university starts by filling out our OzTREKK application: You’ll tell us a bit about yourself, like your name, address, date of birth, education history, and what schools you want to apply to!

When you click “Submit,” the application with all your information only comes to us, so there’s no need to worry about making a mistake at this stage. We create a file for you and email you a list of documents required to complete your application(s), like passport photo page, transcripts, résumé, personal statement.

If you get an offer, we’ll help you with that part, too! Whether you want to accept or decline, we’ll help you figure out your next steps. If you accept your offer, we’ll even help you get ready to go. We’re here to be an advocate for you, and to walk you through the entire process from start to finish.

Should you have any questions along the way, just send us an email or book a chat. That’s why we’re here!

Are there any scholarships for international students?

Scholarship options in Australia are usually limited for international students as they tend to be reserved for those undertaking postgraduate research degrees; however, we can advise you where to look and whether specific programs have a history of offering scholarships.

Occasionally, scholarships are granted to high achievers—those with very high marks. In previous years, we have seen $5000- to $10,000-scholarships given to OzTREKK students.

Check out OzTREKK’s Financing page to learn more about scholarships and paying for your degree.

Do you have course outlines on file? 

Before sending us outlines, check in with your admissions team to see if we’ve already got them. We can save you a lot of time and ensure we’re submitting good outlines on your behalf. Outlines must be within 2 years of the time you took the course (as listed on your transcript).

I received a low mark on my prerequisite course. Will this impact my application? 

To meet the prerequisite subjects, you need to have been granted the credit (passed); the grade itself isn’t considered in the prerequisite assessment. If there are any exceptions, we’ll let you know.

What does “rolling admissions” mean?

Rolling admissions means the university assesses applications as they are received, AKA “first come, first served” or “first come, first offered.” As soon as they’ve met the quota and the program is filled, they usually start a waitlist and close the applications. So, for a program that has rolling admissions, the earlier you apply the better!

How does OzTREKK know if my application will be competitive?

Most Canadians applying to full-degree programs in Australia (i.e., not study abroad courses, which usually only last a semester or two) apply through OzTREKK. They’re studying medicine, dentistry, law, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, etc.

Since they’re using OzTREKK’s services, this gives us a good idea of the starting point of a competitive application each year, allowing us to help you determine which universities/programs are most likely to present you with a letter of offer!

You can get started on determining your chances by reviewing the admissions requirements on each program page. Then, visit our GPA Conversions and Eligibility pages for details and suggestions to help you get into the program of your dreams. Of course, we’re always here to help if you have questions.

What is a 5.0 GPA in Australia?

Unlike in Canada, GPAs in Australia are simple. They’re standardized, so they mean the same thing to everyone.

In Australia, a 5.0/7.0 would roughly translate to a 2.7/4.0 or approximately 70%–72%, but keep in mind all universities assess slightly differently. We leave the official calculations to the universities.

Learn more on our GPA Conversions page where we list the most common Canadian GPA scales to their corresponding Australian GPA grade. If you’re not sure where you land, just reach out!

Which prerequisites do I need?

Prerequisite courses vary by university and by program. We’ve listed university- and program-specific requirements on each program’s page under “Admissions Requirements.”

How do universities calculate GPA?

Calculations differ by university, but most use cumulative (all units within a program) or weighted GPA (typically last 2 or 3 years of study). See GPA Conversions for more information.

What is an “official” transcript?

An official transcript is one that is

  • emailed directly from your university to OzTREKK via an official transcript service like Parchment or MyCreds; or
  • mailed directly from your university to OzTREKK.

To process your application(s), universities require your transcripts to be certified, which we do on your behalf.

 

You don’t meet the required prerequisites

Most Australian graduate-entry speech pathology programs require a student to have completed specific undergraduate subjects.

1. Apply to programs that don’t have prerequisites
Griffith University, the University of Queensland, and Flinders University do not require prerequisite courses. Alternatively, while the University of Sydney Master of Speech Language Pathology program doesn’t have prerequisites, you’ll be asked to complete online modules to bring your knowledge up to requirement before the start of the program. Sydney will issue the student a conditional offer with these modules as part of the conditions.

2. Enroll in the missing prerequisite(s) 
Most Australian universities will let you take non-award courses during the application season to make up the prerequisites you’re missing. This means you can submit your application with your interim transcript and proof of enrollment into the prerequisite course. Before enrolling in any prerequisite course, we advise checking with either your admissions officer or with the university to make sure the course will satisfy the prerequisite.

If you haven’t completed the prerequisite course(s) by the time offers are issued, then universities may issue a conditional offer. Please note that not all universities will issue conditional offers and it may vary for each program. It’s always best to check with OzTREKK to see if your program of interest will give conditional offers.

What is the appropriate regulatory body in my province?

The profession of audiology is regulated across Canada, with the exception of Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. To become licensed, you must meet the requirements of the provincial regulatory body where you wish to practice. 

What are course outlines and how should I submit them to OzTREKK?

A course outline includes all the necessary information about a university course. It will include the course title, the year, the learning goals, the professor’s contact information, reading materials and most important, a weekly learning schedule. This will help the universities to see what you studied on a week-to-week basis and assess if you have covered the material they expect you to know. Course outlines should contain the following information:

  • Year and semester date
  • Faculty contact information
  • Course description
  • Hours of study
  • Textbook information
  • Detailed list of topics that are covered in the course; usually found in a detailed lecture schedule or list of chapter readings

Unfortunately, the universities won’t accept one-paragraph course descriptions; they require course outlines like those handed out at the beginning of the semester, which outline all topics covered within the course. If you do not have copies of these on hand, contact the faculty from which you undertook these courses, as they usually have copies on file.

These course outlines must be uploaded as PDFs to the OzTREKK student portal and labelled in the following manner:

CAPS 391 Human Anatomy I UBC F2015 (COURSE CODE)(Name of Course)(University)(Semester & Year)

When you do this, it helps us be more efficient and move your application(s) at lightning speed.

What if my transcripts / documents are not in English?

If your documents are not in English, you must provide full translation of each document, either prepared by your university or by a registered translator. You must not translate the documents yourself.

For translations, have your institution send OzTREKK your official transcript. We’ll certify it and email it to the translator of your choice, directly.

Usually, the translators wait for your payment before completing the translation and returning it to our office. Please read How Do I Send My Transcripts for more information.

Can I work as a speech pathologist when I return to Canada?

You should first contact the regulatory body of the Canadian province in which you plan to work upon graduation. It will be your responsibility throughout your studies to ensure you complete the proper requirements to practice in Canada.

You must be aware of the required speech pathology (major) and audiology (minor) clinical hours to practice in your province. Most programs OzTREKK represents with do not meet Canadian certification requirements “as is.” This means you will be required to arrange and undertake additional clinical and course hours as required to meet Canadian standards.

I don’t have all the prerequisites. Can I still apply?

Unfortunately, if you do not have the required prerequisites, you are not eligible to apply. If you are missing a course or two, you can enroll in those courses before applying and we will submit your interim transcript with your application. Otherwise, you are welcome to send in a course outline you feel covers the required content. If you’re unsure, please contact OzTREKK for details.

What is the competitive GPA for speech path programs?

Anything above a 75% cGPA is considered competitive for our speech pathology programs. If you have a cGPA of 70% or lower, we don’t recommend applying.