Abstract:
Graduate admissions in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) has become a critical area
of study, as service delivery demands continue to increase. The purpose of this study was
to identify potential barriers to the growth of the profession by analyzing the perspectives
of undergraduate and graduate students regarding the graduate admissions process in SLP.
Additionally, the socioemotional health factors of stress and perfection among
undergraduate and graduate respondents were analyzed. This study utilized a crosssectional survey design to investigate 112 undergraduate and 75 graduate respondents’
perspectives on graduate admissions, as well as differences on dependent measures of
perceived stress and perfectionism. Results revealed significant differences on perspective
theme 1, Admissions Criteria. Undergraduate respondents agreed strongly with survey
items, whereas graduate respondents disagreed. These data suggest significant differences
between undergraduate and graduate students in their perspectives of the admissions
criteria of SLP training programs. On a dependent measure of stress, respondents’ scores
revealed significantly higher perceived stress among undergraduate respondents;
however, both groups scores fell in the range of moderate perceived stress. On a dependent measure of perfectionism, both undergraduate and graduate respondents exhibited two
distinctly different profiles of perfectionism. Undergraduate respondents were
characterized as maladaptive perfectionists, while graduate respondents were
characterized as adaptive perfectionists. Potential barriers to the growth of the profession
were identified, and various considerations for training programs were discussed to
address recruitment efforts and increase the retention of students in the profession.
