Frequently Asked Questions
The departmental deadline for applying to any of the graduate programs is January 15th. A Letter of Intent (one to two pages), official transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation, and a writing sample should be uploaded to the online application. In addition, if English is not your native language, you will need to have scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Spoken English (TSE) sent to the Department as well.
The average number of applications for the Master's program in speech-language pathology for last year was approximately 200 with around 45 students entering the program. At the PhD level there are generally six to eight applicants, and two to three students enter the program each year. The number of applications for the AuD program is around 50 while 12-15 are entered into the program each year.
The average cumulative undergraduate GPA of applicants admitted to the master’s program for last year was approximately 3.83 (on a 4.0 scale). A student’s GPA during the most recent two years of school is also considered. Both undergraduate and graduate GPAs are important in admission decisions for PhD students, both of which should be 3.5 or higher.
In addition to GPA scores, letters of recommendation, a writing sample, and one’s personal statement are considered in making admissions decisions for both MS and PhD students. Letters of recommendation preferably should be from academic individuals who can assess a candidate’s ability to be successful in graduate studies.
A limited number of scholarships and fellowships are awarded to graduate students with outstanding academic credentials. Decisions concerning such awards are made primarily on the basis of previous academic performance and scores from the Graduate Record Examination. Partial tuition scholarships are available for some second-year MS students. Individual faculty may also employ students as research assistants on grants; however, these opportunities vary from semester to semester. Tuition support and/or a monthly stipend are available to most doctoral students, in the form of scholarships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships.
Only a few Masters or AuD students admitted to the program are awarded financial aid in their first year. Once here, however, some students are able to obtain positions as assistants for faculty who have research grants. Most masters’ students can also obtain federally supported student loans (arranged through the Graduate School Financial Aid Office) to pay for their educational and living expenses. PhD students are typically admitted with 50% tuition coverage and/or a monthly stipend.
In general, only full-time, daytime students are admitted to the Masters, AuD, and PhD programs.
MS, AuD, and PhD students typically begin in Fall Semester. Under special circumstances MS or PhD students may be admitted at other times; however, starting in a semester other than Fall can complicate and/or lengthen one’s program of study. AuD students may only start in fall due to the required course sequence.
Quite a few students who do not have a background in communication sciences and disorders are admitted to the master's program each year. Approximately 25-30% of the students who begin the MS or AuD program each fall come in with backgrounds such as education, psychology, linguistics, English, a foreign language, etc. For students entering the MS or AuD program without a background in communication sciences and disorders, there are a number of prerequisite courses that must be taken before progressing into the advanced course offerings and clinical work for the Master’s degree. This generally lengthens the student’s time spent in the master’s program by approximately one academic year. Although most students entering the PhD program have an undergraduate and/or graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology/Sciences, students with backgrounds in psychology, linguistics, engineering, etc. are also admitted.
The majority of PhD students have Master’s Degrees, but it is possible to be admitted to the PhD program directly from undergraduate studies. The course of study in such instances typically entails approximately one extra year. The PhD degree is not intended for clinical training, however. Individuals wanting to become clinically-certified, should apply to the master’s program.
Students with an extensive background in Speech-Language Pathology typically require 2 years (including summers) to complete the master’s degree; students entering the master’s program with little or no specific background in the field generally require about three years of study. The AuD program requires four years of full-time study and clinical externships. Students entering the PhD program with a master’s degree typically require a minimum of three to four years to complete the PhD program.
Program Application
If you are a student who is looking to apply to clinical education programs for Communication Science & Disorders Programs, you can access the application here.