How Many Hours Do You Need for an SLP Clinical Fellowship?
If you've just passed your Praxis and finished your graduate clinical hours, the Clinical Fellowship (CF) is the last major step before you earn your Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP). One of the first questions every clinical fellow asks is simple: how many hours do I actually need?
This guide breaks down the ASHA hours requirement for the SLP Clinical Fellowship, how weeks factor in, and what counts toward your total.
The short answer
ASHA requires a minimum of 1,260 hours of mentored clinical experience, completed over a minimum of 36 weeks of full-time work. "Full-time" is generally defined as 35 or more hours per week.
If you work part-time, the fellowship simply takes longer — you still need the same 1,260 hours, but the calendar stretches out. Part-time work below a minimum weekly threshold may not count, so confirm your schedule qualifies before you start.
Hours vs. weeks: you need both
A common misunderstanding is that hitting 1,260 hours quickly lets you finish early. It doesn't. The CF has two independent minimums:
- 1,260 total clinical hours, and
- 36 weeks of experience.
You must satisfy both. Working 60-hour weeks won't let you finish in 21 weeks — the 36-week floor still applies.
What counts toward your hours
At least 80% of your work hours must be spent in direct clinical contact — assessment, diagnosis, treatment, counseling, and related activities with patients or clients. The remaining time can include activities like documentation, planning, and professional meetings.
Hours spent on duties unrelated to clinical practice generally do not count toward the 1,260.
How to track it without losing your mind
Because hours, weeks, and the direct-contact percentage all have to line up, most fellows end up keeping a running log. A spreadsheet works, but it's easy to lose track of the 80% rule and your weeks-worked count at the same time.
This is exactly what CFTrack was built for — log your weekly hours and watch your countable totals, weeks worked, and compliance indicators update automatically.
Verify before you rely on it
ASHA's requirements are detailed and can change. Always confirm the current hours, weeks, and direct-contact rules against the official ASHA standards for the Clinical Fellowship before making decisions about your fellowship.