Speech language pathology graduate clinical hours in 2027: what changed
Under the 2027 speech language pathology certification standards, effective 1 August 2027, you still need 400 supervised clinical clock hours, at least 250 of them graduate, on-site, in-person direct contact and at least 325 earned while enrolled in graduate study. What changed: the 25 guided observation hours are optional instead of required, up to 50 hours of non-clinical care management such as note and report writing can now count, two graduate student clinicians can each count a whole shared session, and debriefing held after an observation no longer counts toward observation time.
2020 and 2027 side by side
| Rule | 2020 standards | 2027 standards |
|---|---|---|
| Total clock hours | 400 | 400 |
| Guided observation | 25 hours required | Optional, up to 25 hours |
| Direct contact | 375 hours | 250 in-person core plus up to 150 from optional activities |
| Graduate, on-site, in-person minimum | 250 hours | 250 hours |
| Telepractice | Up to 125 hours | Up to 125 hours |
| Clinical simulation | Up to 75 hours, debriefing excluded | Up to 75 hours, debriefing excluded |
| Undergraduate practicum | Up to 50 hours | Up to 50 hours, CSD and SLPA programs combined |
| Notes, reports, scoring, chart review | Not counted | Up to 50 hours as non-clinical care management |
| Two students in one session | Each counts only their own direct contact time | Up to two active graduate clinicians each count the whole session |
| Hours while enrolled in graduate study | At least 325 | At least 325 |
| Rounding | Actual time, never rounded up to 15 minutes | Actual time, never rounded up to 15 minutes |
The 2020 column describes students who began graduate study on or after 1 January 2023; the 2020 page kept some telepractice flexibility for earlier starters. The optional activities in 2027 are each counted at your graduate program's discretion, and together they supply at most 150 of the 400 hours.
Supervision and who can supervise
The supervision share is unchanged in substance: direct supervision of at least 25 percent of your contact with each person you serve, per placement, in real time. A clinical educator holds certification in the profession, has at least 9 months of full time clinical experience since certification, and has completed at least 2 hours of professional development in clinical instruction or supervision after certification and before supervising. For telepractice the educator must be available virtually or in person, and asynchronous supervision of simulation needs debriefing equal to at least 25 percent of each case's clock hours.
Which standards apply to you
The standards page gives 1 August 2027 as the effective date. It does not spell out on that page which applicants fall under 2020 and which under 2027; it links a 2020 to 2027 crosswalk document. Ask your graduate program which set your hours are being verified against before you plan around care management or skip observation.
Worked example: one student under both standards
A student has 260 graduate in-person hours, 90 telepractice, 30 simulation, 20 graduate guided observation, 40 undergraduate practicum and 60 hours of note and report writing.
- Under 2027, cap each optional activity: care management counts 50 of its 60.
- The optional activities then total 90 + 30 + 20 + 40 + 50 = 230 hours, and at most 150 count.
- Counted hours: 260 + 150 = 410, which clears 400.
- Graduate enrolled hours: even if all 40 undergraduate hours are among the 150, 410 minus 40 is 370, which clears 325.
- Under 2020, the same student is 5 observation hours short of the required 25, and the 60 hours of writing count for nothing.
The practicum log has the 2027 speech language set built in: it applies each ceiling, shows hours over a ceiling as not counting, and tracks the in-person core and the enrolled minimum.
Common mistakes
- Rounding sessions up to the quarter hour. Speech language clock hours are actual minutes only.
- Counting simulation debriefing, or an observation debrief held afterwards, as clock hours.
- Counting more than 150 hours from the optional activities, or more than a single activity's ceiling.
- Counting care management that is not tied to sessions you provided yourself.
- Counting undergraduate hours toward the 325 hours required while enrolled in graduate study.
- Assuming the 2027 rules apply to you without asking your program which standards it verifies against.
Log your own hours
The log files each activity in the category it will be reported in, rounds each one up to the quarter hour, and adds up your totals per term and cumulative, privately in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Are 25 observation hours still required in 2027?
No. Under the 2027 standards guided observation is optional and up to 25 hours can count, at the discretion of your graduate program. Under the 2020 standards 25 observation hours are required.
Can report writing count toward clinical clock hours in 2027?
Yes, up to 50 hours of non-clinical care management, such as notes, reports, test scoring with interpretation, chart reviews, care conferences and programming AAC devices, when it is tied to services you provided.
Can I round my clock hours to the nearest 15 minutes?
No. Both the 2020 and the 2027 standards count only the actual time spent in sessions and say it cannot be rounded up to the nearest 15 minute interval.
When do the 2027 speech language pathology standards take effect?
The standards page gives 1 August 2027 as the effective date. Ask your graduate program which standards your hours will be verified against.
Sources
Last reviewed 26 September 2026 against:
- 2027 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, effective 1 August 2027, read 26 September 2026. Used for: Standards V-C (400 hours, the 250 hour core, Table 1.A), V-D (325 hours in graduate study) and V-E (supervision).
- 2020 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, effective 1 January 2020, read 25 September 2026. Used for: Standards V-C and V-D as they stood before 2027, for the comparison.
This guide is our own summary, not advice about your eligibility. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. Practicum Ledger is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to APPIC, ASHA, any match service, any application portal, or any other association or board.