1. (a) An individual must not practice as an intern in speech-language pathology without a current license issued by the department. An applicant for an intern in speech-language pathology license must meet the requirements under the Act and this section.

2. (b) Education. The graduate degree must be completed at a 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.). Programs in candidacy status are considered accredited.

   1. (1) An applicant must have a master's degree in the area of communicative sciences or disorders that verifies the applicant completed the following:

      1. (A) at least 36 semester credit hours must be in professional course work acceptable toward a graduate degree; and
      2. (B) at least 24 semester credit hours acceptable toward a graduate degree must be earned in the area of speech-language pathology including normal development and use of speech, language, and hearing; prevention evaluation, habilitation, and rehabilitation of speech, language, and hearing disorders; and related fields that augment the work of clinical practitioners of speech-language pathology;
   2. (2) A maximum of six academic semester credit hours associated with clinical experience and a maximum of six academic semester credit hours associated with a thesis or dissertation may be counted toward the 36 hours but not in lieu of the requirements of paragraph (1)(B).
   3. (3) A quarter hour of academic credit must be considered as two-thirds of a semester credit hour.
   4. (4) An applicant who possesses a master's degree with a major in audiology and is pursuing a license in speech-language pathology may apply if the department 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.
   5. (5) An applicant whose transcript is in a language other than English or whose degree was earned at a foreign university must submit an evaluation form from an ASHA-approved transcript evaluation service. The transcript evaluation service must determine that the applicant's degree is a master's degree or higher with a major in one of the areas of communicative sciences or disorders. The applicant must bear all expenses incurred for the evaluation.
   6. (6) An applicant who graduated from a college or university not accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation must submit verification from ASHA stating the Council for Clinical Certification accepted the course work and clinical experience. The applicant must bear all expenses incurred for the verification.

3. (c) Clinical Work. An applicant must complete at least 25 clock hours of supervised observation before completing the minimum of the following hours of supervised clinical direct client contact, which may be referred to as clinical practicum, with individuals who present a variety of communication disorders within an educational institution or in one of its cooperating programs:

   1. (1) 275 clock hours if the master's degree was earned prior to November 10, 1993; or
   2. (2) 350 clock hours if the master's degree was earned between November 10, 1993, and December 31, 2004; or
   3. (3) 400 clock hours if the master's degree was earned on or after January 1, 2005.

4. (d) In the event the course work and clinical experience set out in subsections (b) - (c), were earned more than 10 years before the date of application for the intern license, the applicant must submit proof of current knowledge of the practice of speech-language pathology. Proof of current knowledge may include:

   1. (1) completing 10 hours of continuing education or other courses in the last year;
   2. (2) holding a current license in another state; or
   3. (3) taking and passing the written examination in the last year.
5. (e) An applicant who successfully completed all education and clinical requirements under this section at a college or university accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation, but who has not had the degree officially conferred, may be licensed as an intern in order to begin the internship. Verification must be submitted in a form and manner prescribed by the department, from the program director or designee verifying the applicant has met all academic course work, clinical experience requirements, and completed a thesis or passed a comprehensive examination, if required, and is awaiting the date of next graduation for the degree to be conferred.
6. (f) A person who completed all education and clinical requirements under this section at a college or university that is not accredited by the ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation, or at a foreign college or university, may not apply until the person's master's degree has been officially conferred, as evidenced on the person's transcript.

Source Note:The provisions of this §111.40 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 4441; amended to be effective May 1, 2018, 43 TexReg 2544; amended to be effective December 1, 2025, 50 TexReg 7552.