Student Externships

Externships aim to give participants practical experiences in their fields of study. The goal of an externship is to provide additional insight into a specific field. Externships are completed by audiology and speech-language pathology students as part of their educational (degree) programs. Externs have not yet graduated. The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) requires a mutual agreement between the academic program and the externship facility. The externship facility is providing a clinical opportunity, not a job. Clinical education experiences for audiology students are expected to occur throughout the clinical doctorate program. Students are expected to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to work with a variety of populations and disorders in various settings.

The Clinical Fellowship and Externship are not the same. An externship is not the Clinical Fellowship (CF). During the externship, audiology and speech-language pathology students gain experience before they've graduated and before they are eligible for state licensure or ASHA certification. In addition to externships prior to graduation, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) complete a Clinical Fellowship placement after graduation and the student's progress is monitored with appropriate supervision. SLPs find their own Clinical Fellowships; the CF is a paid employment position.

Explore externship opportunities on ASHA's Career Portal. Some facilities have posted externship opportunities on our website; however, the list on our site is not comprehensive. Check with the academic program's clinic director to find out the range of student placements available through the academic program. If you are interested in an opportunity, take it to your academic program coordinator for review and approval. No evaluation of these externships has been completed, and they are not endorsed by ASHA. A student's program has the responsibility to approve any student experiences.