Maryland Speech Therapy Degrees and Education
If you are planning on becoming a successful speech therapist in the state of Maryland you will, quite plainly, need to possess at least a master's degree. How you go about this, however, can vary significantly from person to person, depending upon your own state of life, your finances, and many other equally important factors. Here, we have outlined a variety of ways in which you may begin and then continue your education. It is up to you to find the educational path that is right for you and then to commit yourself to it and to follow it wholeheartedly, for that is the only way you will meet with success in this demanding field.
The Associate's Degree: Since every speech therapist working in the state of Maryland will require a master's degree, every speech therapist will, of course, require a bachelor's degree to start. However, not every student is equipped to dedicated himself or herself to a full on four year traditional bachelor's degree program. As such, obtaining an associate's degree, which generally takes two years or less, is a fine option for many aspiring speech therapists. Associate's degrees, which are typically obtained from a community college, are much cheaper than traditional bachelor's degrees. Also, they tend to offer more classes and programs that cater to working or adult students with family or other pressing obligations. Best of all, associate's degree programs are designed so that the credits are meant to be transferrable. This makes it easy to transfer and then continue your work at a four year college or university.
The Bachelor's Degree: Whether you transfer credits in from an associate's degree program as described above or obtain your bachelor's degree in one fell swoop, this is arguably the most important step of your educational path. The bachelor's degree can make or break your entire education and sets the tone for where you will be able to attend graduate school and whether or not you will be able to obtain licensure in the state. Make sure that the institution from which you gain your bachelor's degree is fully accredited and that if offers information and advice on graduate school, internships, and other important opportunities and advancements in the field.
The Master's Degree: For many— one could even say most— working speech therapists the master's degree is the final level of "official" education they will obtain. Master's degree programs are notorious for being difficult to get into and even more difficult to complete. As such, you will need to spend a great deal of time researching accredited master's degree programs and applying to them. Most will require you to take the graduate record exam (GRE) and to have at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average. Interestingly enough, however, you often do not have to have a related undergraduate degree to be accepted, so don't think you have to start all over if you're coming to the field later in life. Take care to choose the strongest master's degree program possible, as this will set the tone for your entire career as a speech therapist.
Licensure: Your final step after completing your education is to seek licensure by the state of Maryland. This is done by completing several hours of supervised experiential learning and work and by passing a national examination, an examination that many working professionals did not pass on their first try. Therefore, don't be discouraged if obtaining licensure takes you a little longer than the "average" amount of time allotted. If you keep working hard and pressing toward your goals, you can and will end up with the career of your dreams.