How to Apply for a New Intern in Speech-Language Pathology License

The purpose of an intern in speech-language pathology license is to complete the necessary supervised professional experience requirements to obtain a speech-language pathology license.

Application and Fee

To apply for a new intern in speech-language pathology license, submit the online application along with the $75 application fee (includes one-year initial license).

You will have one year from the date the application was submitted to complete all licensing requirements. If you have not met all licensing requirements within the one-year period, you will be required to submit a new application and all required materials in addition to paying a new application fee.

Educational Requirements

You must hold a master’s degree or higher with a major in communicative sciences or disorders. This degree must be completed at a college or university with a program accredited by a national organization that is both approved by the Department and recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. §1001, et seq.).

Transcripts or Course Work and Clinical Experience

You must submit a copy of your transcript which shows all relevant coursework, and which shows the applicant possesses a minimum of a master's degree with a major in one of the areas of communicative sciences or disorders or the Course Work and Clinical Experience Form with your application. Electronic transcript(s) will be accepted if sent from the university’s secure site to cs.transcript@tdlr.texas.gov.

If an applicant is applying before their master’s degree is conferred, the applicant must submit an Intern in Speech-Language Pathology Course Work and Clinical Experience Form. The Intern in Speech-Language Pathology Course Work and Clinical Experience Form (PDF) must be completed by the university program director or designee, which verifies the applicant has met all academic and clinical requirements for the graduate degree.

Degrees Earned More than 10 Years Ago

If the master’s degree was earned more than 10 years ago, you must submit proof of current knowledge the practice speech-language pathology. Proof of current knowledge may include: completing 10 hours of continuing education or other courses in the last year; holding a current license in another state; or taking and passing the written examination in the last year.

Non-Accredited Colleges or Universities

If you graduated from a college or university with a program that was not accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation, a verification from ASHA must be included with your application, stating the Council for Clinical Certification has accepted the coursework and clinical experience.

Foreign Universities

If you graduated from a foreign university or your transcript is in a language other than English, you must submit an evaluation from an ASHA-approved transcript evaluation service with your application.

The evaluation must confirm that your degree is equivalent to a master’s degree or higher, with a major in a communicative sciences and disorders field.

Graduate Degree in Audiology

An applicant who possesses a graduate degree with a major in audiology and is pursuing a license in speech-language pathology may apply if TDLR has an original transcript showing completion of a master's degree with a major in audiology on file and a letter from the program director or designee of the college or university which has a program accredited by a national accrediting organization that is approved by the department and recognized by the United States Secretary of Education under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. §1001, et seq.) stating that the individual completed enough hours to establish a graduate-level major in speech-language pathology.

Supervisory Requirements

An intern in speech-language pathology must be supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist who has been approved by the department and who agrees to assume responsibility for all services provided by the intern.

Internship Supervision

An applicant for an intern in speech-language pathology license must submit an Intern Supervision Plan which is completed by the supervisor and signed by both the applicant and the supervisor. The internship cannot begin until the intern license has been issued and the intern is listed on the supervisor's license.

Internships must consist of at least 36 weeks of full-time (35 hours per week) supervised professional experience (or its part-time equivalent of supervised professional experience) totaling a minimum of 1,260 hours. Part-time work can be completed, as long as the intern works no less than five hours per week. Working more than 35 hours per week will not shorten the minimum requirement of 36 weeks.

• The internship shall primarily consist of clinical activities such as assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, screening, treatment, report writing, family/client consultation, and/or counseling related to the management process of individuals who exhibit communication disabilities
• The Internship shall be divided into three segments with no fewer than 36 clock hours of supervisory activities, including six hours per segment of direct supervision of the intern’s contact with clients and six hours per segment of indirect supervision.

Your supervisor must have at least two years of professional experience in providing direct client services, which may include an internship year (clinical fellowship) year. Your supervisor may not supervise more than a total of four interns and/or assistants at one time, and they must not be your parent or child.

Only hours earned under a Texas-licensed, approved supervisor(s) may count toward the internship requirements.

If multiple supervisors will share responsibility for the intern, each supervisor must complete and sign a separate Intern Supervision Plan.

Add, Delete, or Change Internship Supervisor

Submit a completed Report of Completed Internship Form to TDLR within 30 days of terminated supervision. Both the intern and supervisor must complete and sign this form. The Report of Completed Internship Form must be completed for each portion of the internship completed under a supervisor. If no hours were earned under a supervisor, a signed statement must be submitted to TDLR stating that no hours were earned.

If you are continuing your internship under a new supervisor, your new proposed supervisor must submit a new Intern Supervision Plan using either the online system or the Intern Supervision Plan (form). Supervisors must be approved by the department prior to supervising interns.

Examination Requirements

Applicants must provide proof of successfully completing the Texas Jurisprudence Examination when submitting an application.

Clinical Fellowship

In order to complete the required 36-week internship in Texas, an Intern in Speech-Language Pathology license is required. An intern may pursue the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Clinical Fellowship Year (ASHA CFY) simultaneously however, approval from ASHA to begin the CFY is not a license to practice in Texas.

Criminal History Evaluation

All new applicants must submit fingerprints for a national criminal history record review. Once your completed application is received by TDLR, instructions on how to schedule an appointment to be fingerprinted will be emailed to you. If you previously submitted fingerprints for a Texas speech-language pathology assistant license, you do not need to submit fingerprints again.

Having a criminal conviction does not necessarily disqualify you from licensure. Texas allows you to have your criminal history evaluated before submitting your application and non-refundable fees. Please see Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions for further information.

Upgrade to Speech-Language Pathologist

Interns in speech-language pathology are eligible to upgrade their license type to speech-language pathologist when they have met the 1,260-hour internship requirement and passed the Praxis exam.

Please see the Intern Upgrade to Speech-Language Pathologist License page for complete details on the application process.