Admission Requirements

The Master of Arts degree program in Communication Sciences and Disorders is designed to provide in-depth knowledge and skills in the areas required for a career in speech-language pathology. This program of study provides students with the knowledge to pursue a satisfying and rewarding career in health care, medicine, research, or education.

• Please review the following information carefully. You can reach us with questions at UCCSDGradApp@uc.edu

Applicants must meet the following admission requirements:

• Bachelor's degree. For students who enroll in the program, an official transcript with Bachelor's degree posted must be received by the CSD department prior to the beginning of the first semester. 
• 3.0 minimum overall undergraduate grade point average. 
• Complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
  • The GRE is required. Due to COVID-19, ETS offers at home testing options   
• A minimum score of 100 IBT on the TOEFL for students whose native language is not English. 
• A grade of "B-" or better is required in communication sciences and disorders courses (see courses below with an *).
• Due to COVID-19, we will accept prerequisite coursework with grade of PASS (or equivalent). We encourage students to have grades of B- or higher reported instead of PASS.

A "B-" or better is also strongly recommended for all ASHA required courses. Students entering the professional preparation program in speech-language pathology must have a well-rounded undergraduate degree with a major in communication disorders or complete a set of prerequisite courses related to science and human communication prior to beginning the graduate program. The table below shows the minimum required courses. All of the content areas below must be completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program.  If an offer of admission is made, the Department of CSD reserves the right to rescind the offer if all prerequisites are not completed as directed.  Once admitted, failure to complete prerequisites may prolong your program, increase the total cost of your degree, and possibly delay graduation.

Students who do not meet the admission requirements stated above may be admitted on a provisional basis. These students must maintain a 3.0 average during each of their first two semesters of study to be admitted to full status and to be eligible for financial aid if available.

If you currently have or will have an undergraduate degree other than in Communication Sciences and Disorders, you will be considered a “leveling” student, meaning that you need to take prerequisite courses before entering the Graduate Program. 

The following chart lists the requirements you must meet prior to entering the graduate program. Column 1 provides the general requirement or names a specific course. You are likely to have fulfilled some of these requirements as part of your undergraduate program. If not, column 2 provides a suggested University of Cincinnati course that would fulfill it. Other classes may be substituted, particularly for the general biology, physical sciences or social/behavior sciences classes. Column 4 contains courses that may be taken through the internet.

Student's admitted to the MA SLP campus program at the University of Cincinnati are required to submit verification of 25 guided observation hours by July 1^st.  Effective 1/1/2020, guided observation hours are required by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association and the Council For Clinical Competence (CFCC). In addition, ASHA has mandated that clinical educators who are providing and approving the guided hours must complete 2 hours of continuing education in supervision and have current ASHA certification prior to approving observation hours. Likewise, if you earned clinical hours for direct service provision at your undergraduate institution, you will also need documentation of these hours. If you earned your undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati, your observation and clinical hours have already been verified by the department.

Instructions for submission of documentation will be included in admission offer letters. Please visit the ASHA Certification Standards webpage for more details. 

Students entering the MA program in speech-language pathology must complete required prerequisite content in the areas listed on the table below prior to enrollment. These courses can be taken at any university that offers them. The courses offered at the University of Cincinnati are listed on the table.

• Online courses are not offered every semester at U.C. Check Onestop Course Planning Guide.
• The first 4 courses are ASHA prerequisites. Courses taken in Communication Sciences and Disorders departments will not satisfy these requirements.
  • Please visit ASHA’s Prerequisite webpage for more details on these requirements.

* Communication sciences and disorders prerequisites that require a "B-" or better and must be completed prior to entering the program.

** Communication sciences and disorders prerequisite that requires a "B-" or better and may be completed during the graduate program.

The prerequisite courses can be taken at any time during or following your undergraduate degree program. The prerequisites must be completed before starting the graduate program fall semester (we do not allow master’s students to begin the graduate program other than fall semester). Students cannot take the prerequisites concurrently with the graduate program courses. However, students may apply for admission into the graduate program while taking the prerequisite courses. Because admission to the graduate program is competitive, successful completion of the prerequisite courses does not guarantee admission into the graduate program. Grades for the prerequisite courses are just one part of the complete application file.

Register for the prerequisite classes online at OneStop. Information about course offerings, fees, registration dates, and answers to frequently asked questions can also be found on the Onestop website.  Contact Dr. Carney Sotto at sottocd@ucmail.uc.edu with questions regarding prerequisite course work and/or registration. Until such time as you are accepted into the graduate program, you will be taking classes through the OneStop Student Service Center.

Prior to registration, complete a Basic Data Form . Please allow 3 business days for processing. The university Office of the Registrar will contact you by email with registration credentials.

Students must register for at least one class before the first day of the semester to avoid a Late Registration Fee. Payments are due within 7 days of registration. Late Payment fees accumulate after that 7 days.