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MN · SLP licensure
Everything it takes to get your speech-language pathology license in Minnesota — 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 Minnesota — 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
Minnesota licenses SLPs through the Department of Health rather than a stand-alone board and issues a temporary license during the Clinical Fellowship. Praxis 5331 at 162 is required, and school-based SLPs also pursue the PELSB Speech-Language Pathology Teaching License.
Authoritative reference: ASHA state-by-state advocacy page for Minnesota →
The Minnesota SLP market
Minnesota licenses Speech-Language Pathologists through the Minnesota Department of Health, which oversees the state's SLP and audiology credentialing. Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to a large concentration of health systems and school districts that hire SLPs steadily, and the Minnesota Department of Education issues a separate license for school-based practice. Praxis 5331 at the ASHA-aligned 162 cut score is the exam every Minnesota applicant must pass.
BLS OES, Minnesota statewide (approximate range)
Passing score note: Minnesota accepts the ASHA-set 162 passing score on Praxis 5331; there is no Minnesota-specific exam or alternate cut score.
The Minnesota Department of Health issues the clinical SLP license required for hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and private practice. Applicants submit verification of a CAA-accredited graduate degree, supervised clinical hours, and Praxis 5331 scores directly to MDH.
SLPs working in Minnesota public schools also need a license from the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), which reviews the same academic and clinical requirements but issues its own credential. Many Minnesota graduate programs build PELSB-eligible coursework directly into their curricula so school-bound students don't need extra classes.
New graduates apply for a provisional Minnesota license to begin the Clinical Fellowship under a licensed CCC-SLP supervisor. The provisional license covers the standard nine-month, full-time-equivalent CF period recognized by ASHA.
After completing the CF and filing the CF-2 documentation, MDH converts the provisional license to a full license. Minnesota's Mayo Clinic system in Rochester and the large Twin Cities hospital networks are common CF placement sites for candidates pursuing medical specializations.
Minneapolis-St. Paul school districts, along with Rochester Public Schools near Mayo Clinic, employ large numbers of school-based SLPs, and Minnesota's strong early-intervention infrastructure supports SLPs working with birth-to-three populations statewide. Rural and northern Minnesota districts, including areas around Duluth, frequently have unfilled openings.
On the medical side, Mayo Clinic, Fairview Health Services, Allina Health, and HealthPartners are major employers for hospital-based and outpatient SLPs, with strong demand in voice, dysphagia, and neurorehabilitation. Private pediatric clinics in the Twin Cities suburbs also hire steadily.
Minnesota SLP licenses renew every two years through the Department of Health, with continuing education requirements tracked in hours of approved coursework or ASHA CEUs. MDH audits a portion of renewals each cycle, so SLPs should retain certificates of completion.
School-based SLPs holding a PELSB license follow that board's separate renewal and continuing-education timeline, which is tied to Minnesota's educator relicensure cycle. SLPs working in both school and clinical settings need to track two distinct renewal deadlines.
A partial list of larger CAA-accredited programs. All programs listed prepare graduates to sit for Praxis 5331.
What Praxis score do I need to become an SLP in Minnesota?
Minnesota requires the standard ASHA-set 162 passing score on Praxis 5331, with no state-specific modification.
Do I need a separate license to work in a Minnesota school?
Yes — school-based SLPs need a license from the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board in addition to the Minnesota Department of Health clinical license.
How does the Minnesota Clinical Fellowship license work?
New graduates apply for a provisional license to complete the nine-month CF under a licensed supervisor, then submit CF-2 paperwork to MDH to receive a full, unrestricted license.
Is there strong SLP demand outside the Twin Cities?
Yes — rural and northern Minnesota districts around Duluth and greater Minnesota frequently report unfilled school-based SLP openings, alongside steady demand at regional hospital systems like Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
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.