Emerson Advantage

The Robbins Center

The Robbins Center is the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders on-campus primary clinical training facility. Here you will learn to provide evaluation and treatment to a wide variety of clients including children, adults, and their caregivers.

Visit the Robbins Center

Clinical Placements

During clinical practice, you will have opportunities to participate in multiple clinical settings while evaluating and treating a wide variety of culturally and linguistically diverse individuals. Clinical placement settings include:

• Robbins Center
• Early intervention programs
• Public and private schools
• Private practices
• Acute care and rehabilitation hospitals

Your first clinical placement will be on-campus in the Robbins Center where you will participate in one of the specialty programs devoted to children and adults with communication disorders, such as Aphasia, developmental speech, language or learning disorders, and stuttering.

Before the end of your second year, you will take a written comprehensive examination in communication disorders (administered twice per year) or complete a thesis.

Throughout your time in the program, you’ll be compiling a portfolio reflecting the integration of your academic and clinical work.

Typical Semester Format

• 3 academic courses (3 credits each)
• 1 clinical methods course (1 credit each)
• 1 clinical practicum (1 credit each)

Research Opportunities

The program takes advantage of Emerson’s technologically enhanced classrooms and laboratories, the on-campus Robbins Speech Language and Hearing Center, as well as a wide variety of off-campus community clinical sites.

The Robbins Center is an active outpatient community clinic. Facilities include: 

• Individual and group treatment rooms for children and adults, each outfitted for digital recording for remote recording/viewing
• Student clinician preparation room
• Augmentative and alternative communication laboratory
• Voice analysis lab
• Audiological testing booth

On-campus clinical experiences are enhanced by access to iPads, clinical applications, and a wide array of the most current testing and treatment materials.

The CSD Research Suite offers you the opportunity to partner with the department’s faculty to gain research experience in our cutting-edge laboratory facilities.

Praxis Pass Rate

The Praxis examination is a national examination administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service) and is taken by our program graduates in order to qualify for ASHA certification, as well as licensure in many states.

• 99% of our students passed the examination on their first attempt*

*over the past three years

Career Outlook

Students interested in a career in Speech-Language Pathology can anticipate competitive salaries and a healthy job market.

• In 2022 US News and World Report ranked Speech Language Pathology as the 3rd best job in healthcare, with a Median salary of $80,000. 
• Employment for Speech-Language Pathologists is projected to grow 25% from 2019–2029²
• Speech-Language Pathologists can find work in a variety of fields including educational services, hospitals, nursing, and residential care facilities, physical, occupational, audiology, and speech therapy offices, and self-employment³

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Speech-Language Pathologists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm 

²Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Speech-Language Pathologists, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm 

³Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Speech-Language Pathologists,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/speech-language-pathologists.htm