Craniofacial Education in Accredited Graduate Speech-Language Pathology Programs: National Patterns in Coursework and...

This study provides an updated national examination of craniofacial education across accredited graduate speech-language pathology programs in the United States.

A survey was distributed to 289 accredited graduate speech-language pathology programs. Ninety-nine programs completed all or part of the survey. Publicly available curricular materials were reviewed for nonresponding programs, and brief follow-up correspondence was conducted when necessary. The final data set included 281 programs. Data were analyzed descriptively to characterize coursework structure and clinical training opportunities.

Among the 281 programs analyzed, 19.9% offered a dedicated and required craniofacial course and 11.4% offered a dedicated elective course. The majority of programs (68.7%) reported covering craniofacial content exclusively through embedded instruction. Sixty-three percent of programs reported offering clinical experiences involving individuals with craniofacial conditions, although most indicated that fewer than 25% of students engaged in these experiences.

Although craniofacial content remains present within graduate curricula, dedicated coursework and consistent clinical exposure are limited. These findings extend previous national reports and highlight continued variability in specialty preparation within graduate speech-language pathology programs. Ongoing examination of curricular structures is warranted to better understand factors influencing preparation in this specialty area.