COSD Class of 2018 passes national certification exam with flying colors

The Spring 2018 graduates of the Radford University Communication Sciences and Disorders (COSD) program have extended the department’s reputation for excellence.

For the fifth consecutive year, COSD graduates achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the PRAXIS II. Last year’s national average for passage of the test was 80 percent.

Successful passage of the Praxis II exam earned the 26 graduates of the Radford COSD graduate program an important milestone in the completion of their Certificates of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).

"Our faculty ensure that when students leave our program they are well-prepared to succeed in a challenging profession," said COSD Chair Diane Millar. "The COSD Class of 2018 sustains the proud heritage of Radford University-trained clinicians who work hard in the classroom and the clinic and then transfer their dedication to the field on behalf their clients."

CCC-SLP certification signifies that the Radford graduates can practice as speech language pathologists in school systems, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities and other clinical settings across the country. In addition to successfully passing the Praxis II exam, they have earned their graduate degree from Radford’s COSD program that is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology and fulfilled the required clinical experiences.

Millar also highlighted that the COSD program’s completion rates have surpassed the 90 percent level for five consecutive years.  The completion rate reflects the percentage of students who complete the rigorous graduate program in the prescribed five semesters over two academic years.

"These results demonstrate the commitment to excellence by the COSD faculty and students,” said Waldron College of Health and Human Services Dean Kenneth Cox. “We are proud of this group’s achievement of another important professional milestone and look forward to their contributions to the profession and their communities.”