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MI · SLP licensure
Everything it takes to get your speech-language pathology license in Michigan — the licensing board and application steps, the required Praxis 5331 exam and its 162 passing score, the Clinical Fellowship, fees, and renewal rules.
Required Praxis test
Praxis 5331 — Speech-Language Pathology
Passing score
162 (out of 200)
Format
132 multiple-choice questions · 150 minutes · computer-based
Registration
Register through ETS · $146 test fee · offered year-round
Every US state — including Michigan — accepts the Praxis 5331 at the ASHA-set 162 cut score for SLP licensure. There is no separate state-specific SLP Praxis exam.
Licensing board
Michigan's board operates under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). A limited license is available during the Clinical Fellowship; the 162 Praxis 5331 minimum is required for full licensure, and school SLPs work with the Michigan Department of Education for a School Speech and Language Impaired (SSLI) approval.
Authoritative reference: ASHA state-by-state advocacy page for Michigan →
The Michigan SLP market
Michigan's SLP market centers on metro Detroit and Grand Rapids, with strong school employment statewide and a rehabilitation sector anchored by large health systems. Licensure runs through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), and school-based SLPs work under a Michigan Department of Education approval as a Speech and Language Impaired teacher of record.
BLS OES, Michigan statewide (approximate range)
Passing score note: Michigan requires the ASHA-aligned 162 passing score on Praxis 5331. No separate Michigan exam exists.
The LARA license is required for clinical practice statewide. Public school employment additionally requires Michigan Department of Education approval in Speech and Language Impairment, and districts also frequently route hires through their Intermediate School District, which coordinates special education services across a county or region.
The ISD structure matters practically: many school SLP positions in Michigan are ISD positions serving multiple districts, so the hiring entity may not be the district where you work day to day. Ask which entity holds your contract, who supervises you, and how caseload is distributed across buildings.
Michigan issues a limited license that permits supervised practice while you complete the Clinical Fellowship. The fellowship follows ASHA's national requirements of 1,260 hours over at least 36 weeks with structured mentoring, after which you convert to the full license.
Detroit-area and Grand Rapids health systems host substantial medical fellowships, including inpatient rehab and acute care. School fellows should verify that the assigned mentor holds a current CCC-SLP, which is not automatic in ISD staffing models where supervision is shared.
Schools remain the largest single employer, and Michigan's ISD model means caseloads are often defined by disability category coverage across several buildings. Outside schools, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient neuro clinics are the strongest medical niches, with sizable stroke and traumatic brain injury populations.
Skilled nursing and home health demand is steady in both peninsulas, and rural Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are persistent shortage areas where telepractice has become a normal delivery model rather than an exception.
The LARA license renews on a set cycle with continuing education, including a required implicit bias training component that applies to Michigan health professionals. Education-side approvals renew separately with district-tracked professional development.
Take the implicit bias requirement seriously at first renewal — it is a distinct training obligation, not something a general clinical CEU will satisfy, and it is a common reason first-cycle renewals get flagged.
A partial list of larger CAA-accredited programs. All programs listed prepare graduates to sit for Praxis 5331.
What Praxis score does Michigan require?
162 on Praxis 5331, matching the ASHA national standard.
What is an ISD position in Michigan?
Intermediate School Districts coordinate special education across a county or region and employ many school SLPs directly, assigning them to serve several local districts.
Can I do my Clinical Fellowship in Michigan before full licensure?
Yes. Michigan's limited license authorizes supervised practice during the fellowship and converts to a full license on completion.
Does Michigan have a continuing education requirement beyond standard CEUs?
Yes. Michigan health professionals must complete implicit bias training as part of licensure and renewal, in addition to standard continuing education.
Earn a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology
Complete a graduate program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) — the near-universal requirement across US jurisdictions.
Pass the Praxis 5331 with a score of 162 or higher
The Speech-Language Pathology Praxis (5331) is the single national exam accepted by all state boards. 162 is the ASHA-set passing score and every state uses that same cut score.
Complete a Clinical Fellowship (CF)
A 36-week (9-month full-time equivalent) mentored clinical experience under a licensed CCC-SLP. Some states use their own name for it (California calls it the RPE) but the requirement is functionally equivalent.
Submit fingerprints and a background check
Standard across all state boards. Processing typically takes 2–6 weeks and must be completed before the license is issued.
Apply to the state licensing board
Send your Praxis score (ETS score report), transcripts, CF verification, and background clearance to the state board. Some states also require a jurisprudence exam on state SLP practice law.