New graduate school rankings spotlight SDSU health professions, education

San Diego State University’s master’s degree program in speech-language pathology rose to its highest position ever, No. 11, in new rankings of graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report. This year’s rankings also place the College of Education and the School of Nursing master’s program in their best placements ever as well, both in the nation’s top 50.

Top-Tier Rankings in Health Fields

Released late Monday night, the Best Graduate School rankings placed SDSU’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program (RCP) at No. 7, the audiology doctoral program at No. 23 — its highest placement to date — and the public health program at No. 27. SDSU has four additional top 50 rankings in health fields:

• No. 23: Audiology doctorate, offered in association with the University of California San Diego, up from No. 30 last year.
• No. 27: Public health program, up from No. 29 last year.
• No. 50: Highly competitive nursing master’s program, up from No. 55 last year.
• No. 50: Physical therapy, up from No. 53 last year.
• No. 45: College of Education, up from No. 48 last year and 10 spots better than its ranking in 2021.

Excellence in Speech-Language Pathology

The five-semester M.A. program in speech-language pathology at SDSU began more than 80 years ago and is designed to train its graduates to work in any setting, including public schools, hospitals and private practices. It is among only a few programs of its kind with a bilingual (English and Spanish) concentration and a certificate in the subject, first offered in 1984. "We continue to be a leader in training speech-language pathologists, particularly in ensuring all of our students have a strong grounding in working with people from various cultures and language backgrounds,” said Ignatius Nip, director of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences.

The No. 11 ranking is up from No. 12 last year and No. 25 in 2020. Nip added that "almost all of our students opt to gain experience in conducting research about helping people with communication disorders, which serves them well in interpreting and applying new research findings to clinical practice."

Program Mission and Professional Training

The School of SLHS engages with students, colleagues, and community members to develop and implement inclusive, research-based practices in speech, language, and hearing sciences. We believe that communication is a human right and strive to ensure that our work is grounded in evidence and centered on the people we serve. In order to provide students with “real world” professional experiences, the School maintains contractual relationships with community clinics, hospitals, agencies and educational institutions.

Accreditation and Structure

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at San Diego State University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The program is 5 semesters (two academic years and the intervening summer) and is offered as a residential (in-person) program only. Undergraduate and/or post-baccalaureate preparation in speech, language, and hearing sciences is required in order to be eligible for admission to the M.A. program.