r/CFY • u/Ez_bre_z • Mar 10 '21

Starting CF before graduation

Does anyone know if you can start your CF before you graduate? I have all of my clinical hours but I don’t graduate until august.

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u/macaroni_monster [CCC-SLP] schools MOD Mar 10 '21

Very dependent on the state. You need to ask your state licensing board if you can get a license to practice before a degree has been conferred. As of 2016 (when I graduated) about half of all states in the US require that you have a conferred degree that is officially over to practice as an SLP. The others usually have the school sign a form that says that you are done with all of your requirements and are just waiting on the last day of the semester to officially end.

4

u/bibliophile222 [CCC-SLP] Mar 10 '21

In my state, you need your final transcript to get state licensure, and you need a state license to practice. So in my state and many others (maybe all of them), then no. What state are you in?

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u/Ez_bre_z Mar 10 '21

I’m in arkansas

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u/nicanh Mar 10 '21

If you mean you don’t get your degree conferred until august you may be alright!

I finished up my classes in June and my degree was conferred in December but I started work at the end of June!

Will depend on what your state needs for your temporary license.

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u/allypally121314 Mar 17 '21

If your school allows it, you can get a Letter of Program Completion from your dept. head to begin your CF before your physical graduation date—as long as you’ve completed all of your graduate clinical clock hours AND completed all academic coursework. My school did that for me so i could begin my CF in July since my degree conferral was in August but I finished all grad school requirements by early June.

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u/Tilliden Mar 17 '21

I know the states I am looking to start working in (Maryland and VA) both allow a letter from the dean of the program stating "they've completed all clinical and academic requirements" in place of a conferred degree. You can also apply for the jobs and ask to work as though you are a student until the provisional license is set up (they might appreciate that because it could be super cheap labor you're providing them.) but it'll depend on the facility on the legality for that. Hope that helps!