The data shown below was gathered from state licensing boards or other regulatory organizations in charge of overseeing the speech-language pathology professions. Every year, the information is evaluated. Please be aware that laws, rules, and policies are subject to change at any time, so you should always contact your state for the most recent details.

Eligibility for licensure

Completion of the academic prerequisites of a PhD program or a master’s degree with a focus on speech-language pathology.
● A minimum of sixty (60) semester hours, at least thirty-six (36) of which must be achieved in graduate-level courses, must be completed by applicants who were enrolled in an approved program before January 5, 2005.
● Applicants who began a program after January 5, 2005, must complete a minimum of 75 semester hours, with at least 36 of those hours having been acquired at the graduate level.
● 300 clock hours under supervision, at least 200 of which must be in the field of speech-language pathology.
Nine (9) months of professional employment experience
The Praxis exam must have been passed no more than three (3) years before the application deadline.
An official transcript(s) must be delivered directly from the institution to the Board office and must state if a master’s or doctoral degree was awarded. Verification of the number of hours of supervised clinical practice must also be provided on the transcript if you did not complete a program that was approved by the Council for Higher Education.
The Board must acquire proof proving that any education earned outside of the United States or Canada was completed at a facility equal to one that is accredited in the United States before it will evaluate it.

Examination

The Board hereby designates the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Series Examination as the required test for licensure.
Anyone who wants to take the licensing exam to become a certified speech-language pathologist must apply directly to the Educational Testing Service, Praxis Series, Princeton, New Jersey.
For the purpose of obtaining a license, a passing score on the licensing exam is necessary. Such a score had to be acquired no more than three years prior to the application date.

Licensure by Endorsement

The following applicants will be endorsed by the Board as qualified for licensure:

● Hold a valid license or certificate to practice the profession for which the application is made in another state, if the criteria for issuance of such license were substantially equivalent to, or more stringent than, the licensure criteria in Florida at the time the license was issued, or
● Hold a current Board certification or a valid certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Temporary License

All applicants for a license in speech-language pathology who do not have a minimum of 9 months of supervised professional employment experience and a passing score on the national examination must obtain a provisional license.
Provisional licenses are valid for 24 months or until a permanent license is obtained.

Continuing Education

As a condition for renewing a license or certificate, the board may prescribe continuing education, not to exceed 60 hours biennially in each area of licensure or certification, by rule.

References

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Tag: SLP Florida Licensing Requirements

SLP Licensing Requirements in Florida