Orientation (late June at the start of the program)

This three-day orientation gives students an opportunity to develop relationships with their fellow cohort members and faculty. After a student and faculty breakfast, the first two days are typically spent getting familiar with resources at Northwestern, including meeting the IT team to ensure a smooth online experience, working with the campus library to learn how to access Northwestern’s wealth of online journals, and getting an introduction to the two summer courses. Additionally, students participate in a bookclub to get them thinking like the innovative change leaders they will be. On the second night, students have dinner with the faculty and the second-year students who are on-campus for their second residency. The third day is spent in an all-day team dynamics workshop led by Gail Berger, an Assistant Professor of Instruction from the Kellogg School of Management. 

Summer Symposium (late June at the juncture between the first and second year)

The three-day summer symposium kicks off the night before with an optional dinner with the newest cohort and faculty. Then, the three-day symposium focuses on preparation for the culminating project and on-going professional development. The first two days include specialized workshops to improve presentation skills, individual career development meetings, a bookclub to discuss strategies for making the most of the culminating project, and in-depth work on the culminating project, including individual and small group meetings with mentors. Students leave campus prepared to hit the ground running on their culminating project.

Culminating Project Presentation and Graduation (at the end of March of the second year)

The final residency is a two-day on-campus experience. The first day students defend their culminating project in front of their classmates, faculty, and invited guests. Then, students and their guests attend graduation on the second day to celebrate their accomplishment of earning their Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology degree at Northwestern University.