OREGON SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS

A license to practice as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is required by law in the state of Oregon.  The license itself is issued by the Oregon Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (website here). Below are the criteria for a general (or standard) license to practice:

1. Completion of a graduate degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited SLP program. The Pacific University College of Education’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program is fully accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Council on Academic Accreditation.
2. Completion of a Clinical Fellowship (CF) after graduating from the MS-SLP program. This typically lasts nine months  https://www.asha.org/certification/clinical-fellowship/ . The fellowship must be completed under the supervision of an ASHA certified SLP. Students arrange the CF on their own.
3. Successfully passing the national certification (Praxis) examination https://www.asha.org/certification/praxis/about-the-speech-language-pathology-praxis-exam/ . Students arrange to take this examination on their own; it is typically taken just before or during the CF.
4. Completion of a background check.

Graduates of the MS-SLP program only complete criterion 1 above. When combined with completing criterion 4, graduates are then eligible for a conditional license which allows them to practice as an SLP (with supervision) during their CF in the state of Oregon. 

Once the CF is completed and a passing score on the certification (Praxis) examination is presented, eligibility requirements will have been met for a general license to practice in Oregon.

Both the conditional and the general license allow for practice in all settings within the state of Oregon (i.e., a separate license to practice in the public schools is NOT required as is the case in many other states or territories).

Mandatory Licensure Requirements Disclosure

The United States Department of Education delivered a final rule and in compliance with Federal Regulation, 34 CFR §668.43, the Pacific University, College of Education, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) provides this disclosure related to the educational requirements for professional licensure in speech-language pathology.

The determination of meeting the educational requirements for licensure does assume that an individual successfully completes the training program and is awarded the MS-SLP degree. This determination is unrelated to state specific requirements that are outside of CSD's control.

This disclosure is only based on the published requirements from the state of Oregon and does not guarantee approval or denial of an application for licensure. This disclosure is based on the information as of the date of the publication and does not account for any changes in state law or regulation. It is strongly encouraged to contact the state’s licensing entity to review licensure requirements. 

A list of the Oregon requirements for the provisional and general license can be found on the website of the Oregon Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology found here. In combination with completion of the clinical fellowship and successfully passing the Praxis examination, the Pacific University College of Education MS-SLP program meets the minimum educational standards for a general license to practice as a speech-language pathologist in the state of Oregon. 

Graduates of the MS-SLP program may qualify for conditional and/or general license/certificate reciprocity in other states by meeting individual state licensure requirements as outlined in the table below. Note that in some states or territories, two licensing boards are listed in the table, because in those states or territories separate licenses (which may have different requirements from the general license) may be required for practice in the public schools versus practice in other settings.

Professional Licensure General Disclosure 

34 CFR § 668.43(a)(5)(v) and (c)

Pacific University provides this General Disclosure to students prior to enrollment or financial commitment. Successful completion of the MS-SLP program has been compared to the educational requirements for licensure required for practice in each state and US territory (see table below). For reference we have provided contact information to the licensing board(s) for each state or territory. 

Students are advised to determine, prior to enrollment, whether the MS-SLP program meets licensure requirements in the state or territory in which the student intends to practice by contacting the relevant licensing board directly.

Pacific University determines the state or territory in which a student applicant is located as the physical address as noted on the enrollment application. For student applicants who are members of any branch of the US Military, Pacific University determines the student’s location is their legal residence.

Students must provide formal notification to Pacific University when the student’s legal residence has changed to another state or territory and when the new state or territory is listed on the table below and is noted as Does Not Meet or Unable to Determine.

Does Pacific’s MS-SLP program meet particular state or territory licensing requirements?

¹ For purposes of completing the clinical fellowship (CF) which follows graduation and is not part of the MS-SLP program.
² Also requires successful completion of the CF after graduation, passing the certification (Praxis) examination, and possibly other non-educational requirements (e.g., background checks).
³ Additional coursework that is not normally required for Pacific’s MS-SLP may need to be completed to qualify for a school license.
⁴ While completing their CF, a “Limited” license is only required for settings that bill Medicare. In settings that do not bill Medicare, applicants would apply to the state board for an exemption to the limited license.
⁵ Pacific can’t normally guarantee that students will meet the state or territory’s required practicum hours minimum distributions. Students would need to advise Pacific in advance of their future plans to practice in that state or territory to allow faculty to ensure that the student meets those minimum distributions.
⁶ State issues general license only - requires completion of Master’s degree from ASHA accredited program and passing the certification exam (Praxis). No CF required.
⁷ Will need to take additional competency tests for school license.
⁸ No license required during CF but must register with the state or territory board during that period.
⁹ Individuals completing a CF are considered equivalent to student clinicians and no license is required.