2020 California Code
Business and Professions Code - BPC
DIVISION 2 - HEALING ARTS
CHAPTER 5.3 - Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
ARTICLE 3 - Licenses
Section 2532.2.
Except as required by Section 2532.25, to be eligible for licensure by the board as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist, the applicant shall possess all of the following qualifications:
(a) Possess at least a master’s degree in speech-language pathology or audiology from an educational institution approved by the board or qualifications deemed equivalent by the board.
(b) (1) Submit evidence of the satisfactory completion of supervised clinical practice with individuals representative of a wide spectrum of ages and communication disorders. The board shall establish by regulation the required number of clock hours, not to exceed 375 clock hours, of supervised clinical practice necessary for the applicant.
(2) The clinical practice shall be under the direction of an educational institution approved by the board.
(c) Submit evidence of no less than 36 weeks of satisfactorily completed supervised professional full-time experience or 72 weeks of professional part-time experience obtained under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist or a speech-language pathologist or audiologist having qualifications deemed equivalent by the board. This experience shall be evaluated and approved by the board. The required professional experience shall follow completion of the requirements listed in subdivisions (a) and (b). Full time is defined as at least 36 weeks in a calendar year and a minimum of 30 hours per week. Part time is defined as a minimum of 72 weeks and a minimum of 15 hours per week.
(d) (1) Pass an examination or examinations approved by the board. The board shall determine the subject matter and scope of the examinations and may waive the examination upon evidence that the applicant has successfully completed an examination approved by the board. Written examinations may be supplemented by oral examinations as the board shall determine. An applicant who fails his or her examination may be reexamined at a subsequent examination upon payment of the reexamination fee required by this chapter.
(2) A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who holds a license from another state or territory of the United States or who holds equivalent qualifications as determined by the board and who has completed no less than one year of full-time continuous employment as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist within the past three years is exempt from the supervised professional experience in subdivision (c).
(e) As applied to licensure as an audiologist, this section shall apply to applicants who graduated from an approved educational institution on or before December 31, 2007.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 316, Sec. 7. (SB 1466) Effective January 1, 2015.)
