By: Allyson DeLuna, BA, TSHA Graduate Student Representative Committee Member

When you go to college, you think your life will go according to plan—graduate, find a job, and settle into your career. However, for many people, the path is not that straightforward. I graduated with a degree in biology in 2022, and now I’m on track to earn my Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology in 2027. What changed?

During my undergraduate studies, I planned to become a physician assistant (PA). Although several friends encouraged me to explore speech-language pathology, I had limited exposure to the field and remained committed to the PA track. I managed to balance my coursework, extracurricular activities, and a job as a nanny for a child on the autism spectrum. Through this experience, I became immersed in behavior therapy by participating in caregiver training and observing in-home therapy sessions.

After graduating, I needed to find a job that allowed me to gain clinical hours for PA school applications while also supporting myself financially. This led me back to working with children on the autism spectrum, this time as a registered behavior technician (RBT). Working in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) center exposed me to a variety of disciplines, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. This was my first meaningful exposure to speech therapy. Seeing the impact that speech-language pathologists have on children’s lives sparked my interest in considering a new career path. I knew I wanted to help children build their ability to connect with others and advocate for themselves, but how could I pursue speech-language pathology without a degree in communication sciences and disorders?

This is when I discovered leveling.

Leveling is a post-baccalaureate pathway designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field but wish to pursue a graduate degree in speech-language pathology. These programs provide foundational coursework in communication sciences and serve as prerequisites for admission into most master’s programs. Although many schools offer leveling programs, they are not well-advertised and can be confusing for students without a background in this field.

Typically consisting of around 30 credit hours, leveling programs include phonetics, anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, language development, and introduction to audiology. While programs differ by university, their primary purpose is to ensure students with different degrees meet graduate school application requirements.

Some important things to note are that these courses must be completed by the time you begin a master’s program. Careful planning is essential to ensure your application timeline aligns with program completion. Along with graduate school courses, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requires coursework in the basic sciences to obtain the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). These requirements include:
• Physical Science: physics or chemistry
• Biological Science: biology, anatomy and physiology, or human genetics
• Social/Behavioral Science: psychology, sociology, or anthropology
• Statistics: a stand-alone statistics course

Before discovering leveling, the field of speech-language pathology felt just out of reach. Changing careers was scary, but I knew that it was the best decision. Pursuing a leveling program allowed me to gain essential foundational knowledge and experience while also confirming my decision before jumping into graduate school. It challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and fully commit to a new profession.

Although my path didn’t go as I had planned, it ultimately led me to a field that aligns with my interests and values. My experience as an RBT, working with children, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams helped shape my decision and prepare me for the transition to speech-language pathology.

Leveling can be considered “untraditional,” but it is not uncommon. It offers many students a practical and accessible way to bridge the gap between undergraduate studies and a graduate degree. For me, choosing to pursue leveling was the first step toward a career that I am truly passionate about.