A speech therapist course is a program of study that prepares individuals to work as speech therapists, also known as speech-language pathologists. These professionals help individuals with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. Speech therapy courses typically include coursework in anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms, normal and disordered communication development, assessment and treatment of speech and language disorders, and professional issues and ethics. The coursework is usually combined with supervised clinical practicums to provide students with hands-on experience working with clients. To become a speech therapist, one must complete a master’s degree in speech-language pathology, pass a national examination, and obtain a state license.