Montana Characteristics of State Teacher Requirements

The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:

Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist

This information has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.

Audiologist

Audiologists working in any setting are required to hold an active Montana license before delivering services. This includes schools.

State licensure requires a doctoral degree in audiology from an accredited program approved by the Board.

An active temporary license to practice as an audiologist in Montana will be issued to qualified individuals engaged in clinical experience year activities (CEY-Montana, 37-15-303(1), MCA); or clinical fellowship year (CFY-ASHA) activities. An active nonrenewable license shall be issued for two years and is nonrenewable except at the discretion of the Board.

Continuing Education Requirement

Forty hours of Board-approved continuing education every odd numbered year

Speech Language Pathologist

 Speech-language pathologists working in any setting are required to hold an active Montana license before delivering services. This includes schools. Requirements of state licensure include:

1. Masters Degree in Speech Pathology or Communication Disorders which meets the current (2005) academic, supervised clinical practicum, and post classroom sponsored employment requirements.
2. Completion of Speech-Language Pathology practicum involving scope of practice with both adults and children with a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervision of which 375 hours must be in direct patient contact and 25 hours of clinical observation.
3. Completion of a 36 week Speech-Language Pathology clinical experience with a mentor.
4. Passage of the National Praxis Series exam.
5. Passage of the Board of Speech-Language and Audiology Montana Jurisprudence exam with a score of 95% or higher.
6. An active temporary permit to practice may be obtained by speech-language pathologists and/or audiologists who are in their clinical fellowship year or clinical practicum and/or who are waiting to take the national examination. The temporary permit expires 2 years after issuance.

Note:  Evidence of ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence may be submitted as proof of requirements 2 though 4.

An active temporary license to practice as a speech-language pathologist in Montana will be issued to qualified individuals engaged in clinical experience year activities (CEY-Montana, 37-15-303(1), MCA); or clinical fellowship year (CFY-ASHA) activities. An active nonrenewable license shall be issued for two years and is nonrenewable except at the discretion of the Board.

Continuing Education Requirement

Forty hours of Board-approved continuing education every odd numbered year

Emergency Certification

None

Resources

The information contained herein was collected and summarized annually. For detailed information on teacher certification requirements, contact the state department of education and visit this website: 

Montana Board of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

Questions regarding this document? Call ASHA at 800-498-2071 and ask for the State Advocacy Team.