You have your degree, now what?

1. You have your degree, now what? Created by M.A.P.S. Krista Durr

2. Some options… Complete your Master’s degree at an ASHA accredited program Complete a SLPA program Take one or two years off to improve your application Find an alternative, yet related, career

3. Improve your application • Improve your GPA & GRE • Take graduate classes and earn As • Get clinical experience • In a clinic • Complete the SLPA program • Get research experience • Volunteer or as a paid Research Assistant • Get leadership experience • In a volunteer organization or a job (e.g., managerial positions)

4. Alternatives to a Career in Communication Disorders • Compiled by Leah Fabiano-Smith, Gayle DeDe, Jennifer Casteix, Cass Faux, Kathe McGrath • * Some positions require additional schooling, varies from masters to earning a certificate. • For additional information, visit career services. They can help you learn about different career options, including the schooling needed to go into different fields. (http://www.career.arizona.edu/) • Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)

5. Think about the skills you have • Child language development • Speech & language disorders that affect children and adults • Hearing science • Writing (hopefully) • Etc…

6. Court-appointed child advocate • Early childhood education* • Providers who care for more children are required to be licensed and, in a few States, have some minimal training. • Teachers must have a high school diploma and, in many cases, a combination of college education and experience. Assistants and child care workers usually need a high school diploma, but that is not always a requirement. Many States also mandate other types of training for staff members, such as on health and first aid, fire safety, and child abuse detection and prevention. • Special education* • Many colleges and universities across the United States offer programs in special education at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree levels. • All 50 States require special education teachers to be licensed. • Most States also offer alternative routes to licensing that are intended to attract people into teaching who do not fulfill traditional licensing standards. Most alternative licensure programs are open to anyone with a bachelor's degree, although some are designed for recent college graduates or professionals in other education occupations.

7. Deaf education* • ASL interpreter* • Although a bachelor's degree is often required for jobs, majoring in a language is not always necessary. Formal programs in interpreting and translation are available at colleges nationwide and through non university training programs, conferences, and courses. • Many agencies or companies use only the services of people who have worked in the field for 3-to 5-years or who have a degree in translation studies, or both. • Recreational therapy* • Therapists provide treatment services and recreation activities to help individuals reduce depression, stress, and anxiety; recover basic motor functioning and reasoning abilities; build confidence; and socialize effectively so that they can enjoy greater independence and reduce or eliminate the effects of their illness or disability. • Most entry-level positions require a bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation, or in recreation with a concentration in therapeutic recreation. A few may qualify with some combination of education, training, and work experience that would be equivalent to what is considered competent in the field. • Some States regulate recreational therapists through licensure, registration, or regulation of titles. Requirements vary by State.

8. Special Ed assistant/SLP assistant • SLPA program • PT/OT Assistant • Medical sales • There usually is no formal educational requirement for sales representatives. Some positions, which deal with scientific and technical products, require a bachelor's degree. For other jobs, applicants can be fully qualified with a high school diploma or its equivalent. Previous sales experience may be desirable. • AAC companies

9. Reading specialist* • ESL teacher* • In most States, adult education teachers need at least a bachelor's degree. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers also should have courses or training in second-language acquisition theory and linguistics. Knowledge of a second language is not necessary to teach ESOL students, but can be helpful in understanding the students' perspectives. • Classroom Aid • Kindergarten teacher* • Public school teachers must be licensed, which typically requires a bachelor's degree and the completion of an approved teacher education program; private school teachers do not have to be licensed but may still need a bachelor's degree.

10. Rehab counseling* • Rehabilitation counselors help people deal with the personal, social, and vocational effects of disabilities. They provide personal and vocational counseling, offer case management support, and arrange for medical care, vocational training, and job placement. • Education requirements vary with the occupational specialty and state licensure and certification requirements. A master's degree usually is required to be licensed or certified as a counselor. • Respiratory Therapist* • Evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. • An associate degree is required to become a respiratory therapist. Training is offered at the postsecondary level by colleges and universities, medical schools, vocational-technical institutes, and the Armed Forces. Most programs award associate or bachelor's degrees. A license is required to practice as a respiratory therapist, except in Alaska and Hawaii. Also, most employers require respiratory therapists to maintain a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification.

11. Support Coordinator/Case Manager • Habilitation: Pediatrics and Adults • Respite Care Provider • Research Assistant • Behavioral Therapist • Applied Behavior Analysis