Hearing and Speech in the Evening (HESPIE)

Mentoring and advising is an essential part of the program. Students meet with faculty and the program director to ensure that educational goals are being met.

Advising for newly admitted students is as follows:

• Fall-admitted: June to July.
• Spring-admitted:  Early November to late December.

All students are urged to consult with the Program Coordinator at HESPIE@umd.edu for guidance on academic policies and regulations, post-program opportunities, and other academic and personal support resources available on campus. Students may also review UMD Services and Resources.

HESPIE is a non-degree, postbaccalaureate program that provides the necessary coursework for graduate training in Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and in Hearing, Language, or Speech Sciences. Students pursuing these professional tracks must obtain a graduate degree in order to meet national certification requirements and most state licensure laws.

General

The 10-course, 30-credit curriculum that may be completed in as little as 15 months of continuous enrollment: fall, spring, summer, and the subsequent fall.

• The last classes would be completed just in time to apply for graduate programs in the subsequent fall semester, as most programs have December or January application deadlines.
• Credits and grades earned post to the University of Maryland transcript.

Courses

Course sections follow the same curriculum, have the same academic rigor, and follow the same academic policies as the University’s degree-seeking undergraduate program. The content for these UMD-approved courses—lectures, discussions, and labs—is identical to sections offered to degree-seeking UMD students.

Overall

• HESPIE is offered 100% online (major code 999HO).
• Instruction is provided by University of Maryland faculty and professionals in the field. Instructors are carefully screened and regularly evaluated to maintain quality.
• Uses the semester academic calendar with classes held in the fall and spring semester (16 weeks each) and Summer Session (two six-week sessions).

Online Learning 

• Using advanced audio and video technology, UMD’s online learning environment delivers dynamic and interactive content.
• Featuring convenience and flexibility, online instruction permits asynchronous or synchronous participation.
• Students attend in real time via the use of webcams and headsets with microphones. Through synchronous participation, students see slides, see and hear instructors speaking, and also ask questions.
• Lectures are video-archived. Students who are unable to attend in real time can review the session through asynchronous participation.

Upon successful completion, students will have mastered the following competencies:

• Demonstrate knowledge of basic communication processes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of speech, language, and hearing disorders and differences, including etiologies and characteristics, prevention, assessment, and intervention.