American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

In This Section:

State Teacher Credentialing Requirements

At the present time there are 14 states in which individuals must hold a state license in speech-language pathology to work in any setting, including schools. States with comprehensive licensure (only state licensure required) include Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, and Texas. In the remaining states, individuals must obtain a separate credential issued by each state's department of education to provide services in the public schools. In many cases, audiologists in the public schools are contract employees and do not fall under the purview of the state department of education. State licensure is then typically required for practice.

Looking for details in each state? Visit the State-By-State page, select a state and find more details on teacher requirements.

Overview of School Speech-Language Pathology Requirements for Initial Employment

Comprehensive Licensure (8 States)

  1. Delaware
  2. Hawaii
  3. Kansas
  4. Maryland
  5. Michigan 
  6. Montana
  7. New Mexico
  8. Texas

State Licensure Plus Additional Requirements (6 States)

  1. Connecticut
  2. Indiana
  3. Louisiana
  4. Massachusetts
  5. Ohio
  6. Vermont

Master's Degree Required for Teaching License (29 States + DC)

  1. Alabama
  2. Alaska
  3. Arkansas
  4. California
  5. Colorado
  6. District of Columbia
  7. Georgia
  8. Idaho
  9. Illinois
  10. Iowa
  11. Kentucky
  12. Minnesota
  13. Mississippi
  14. Missouri
  15. Nebraska
  16. New Hampshire
  17. New Jersey
  18. North Carolina
  19. North Dakota
  20. Oklahoma
  21. Rhode Island
  22. South Carolina
  23. South Dakota
  24. Tennessee
  25. Utah
  26. Virginia
  27. Washington
  28. West Virginia
  29. Wisconsin
  30. Wyoming

Provisional Teaching License with a Bachelor's Degree (3 States)

(Master's must be attained within three to five years)

  1. Florida
  2. Maine
  3. New York

Full Teaching License with a Bachelor's Degree (3 States)

  1. Arizona
  2. Oregon
  3. Nevada

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Overview of School Audiology Requirements for Initial Employment

Note: States marked with an asterisk (*) indicate states in which there are several possible routes to obtaining a department of education licensure. These states may appear in more than one category.

No Provision or Only State Licensure Required (34 States)

  1. Alabama
  2. Arizona
  3. Arkansas
  4. Connecticut
  5. Delaware
  6. Florida
  7. Georgia*
  8. Hawaii
  9. Illinois
  10. Indiana
  11. Iowa*
  12. Kansas
  13. Kentucky
  14. Maine
  15. Maryland
  16. Massachusetts
  17. Minnesota
  18. Missouri
  19. Montana
  20. New Hampshire
  21. New Jersey
  22. New Mexico
  23. New York
  24. North Carolina*
  25. North Dakota
  26. Oklahoma
  27. Oregon
  28. Pennsylvania
  29. Rhode Island
  30. South Carolina
  31. Texas
  32. Virginia
  33. West Virginia
  34. Wyoming*

State Licensure Plus Additional Requirements (3 States)

  1. Louisiana
  2. Ohio
  3. Vermont

ASHA Certification (5 States)

  1. Georgia*
  2. Michigan
  3. Nevada*
  4. North Carolina*
  5. Tennessee*

Teaching License Required (Includes Master's degree) (12 States + DC)

  1. Alaska
  2. California
  3. District of Columbia
  4. Idaho
  5. Iowa*
  6. Mississippi
  7. Nebraska
  8. North Carolina*
  9. North Dakota
  10. South Dakota
  11. Utah
  12. Washington
  13. Wisconsin

Master's Degree Only—No licensure requirement (4 States)

  1. Wyoming*
  2. Nevada*
  3. North Carolina*
  4. Tennessee*

Doctoral Degree Only - No Licensure Requirement (1 State)

  1. Colorado

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