Admission Requirements

The Master of Arts degree program in Speech-Language Pathology 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.

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.  
• 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.
• 25 hours of guided observations completed by start of program (August 1)

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 either an undergraduate degree with a major in communication disorders (with all required prerequisites below completed) or complete a set of prerequisite courses 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 Speech Language Hearing Sciences (or Communication Sciences and Disorders) you will be considered a “leveling” student, meaning that you need to take prerequisite courses before entering the graduate program. 

Students entering the MA program in speech-language pathology must complete required prerequisite coursework prior to entering the SLP graduate program. Our program requires that all prerequisite coursework for both ASHA and CSD requirements must be completed within the last 10 years, with the exception of courses in Speech-Language Development and Phonetics, which must be completed within the last 5 years. Students applying to our graduate program who do not meet these timelines will need to retake the relevant prerequisite courses. We will work individually with students, based on their transcripts and experiences, to determine which courses need to be taken.

The chart below lists the prerequisite content needed as well as the courses offered at the University of Cincinnati that fulfill these requirements. 

Upon acceptance into our program, we will review your prerequisites in detail. Please note that you must earn a B- or better in communication sciences & disorders coursework. If you do have a grade lower than a B- we expect you to retake the course prior to starting your graduate program. Verification of courses in CSDCAS does not confirm that a course meets our required criteria.

        *Please visit ASHA Prerequisites 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.  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.

The Required 25 Hours Guided Clinical Observation portion of ASHA Standard V-C of the 2020 Standards and Implementation procedures MUST be completed prior to any direct contact with clients/patients. During most undergraduate studies or prerequisite coursework, students will take a course that addresses clinical methods and allows them to accrue 25 guided clinical observation hours. Students who have been accepted to the graduate program but have not yet earned the required guided observation hours should contact UC’s graduate program immediately to inquire about opportunities to earn the required hours prior to the start of the graduate program. The guided observation hours must be within the ASHA Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology and must be under the supervision of a qualified SLP clinician who holds current state licensure, ASHA certification designated by CCC-SLP and has earned a minimum of 2 hours of professional development/continuing education in the area of clinical instruction/supervision. During the observations, there should be communication between the SLP and observer, rather than passive experiences where the student merely views live sessions and/or videos without direct feedback/input. Guided clinical observation discussions/reflections may occur concurrently between student and SLP during the student’s observation or afterwards through review and approval of the student’s written reflections or through an oral debriefing conversation. Guided observation hours must be completed no more than 5 years prior to the start of the graduate program, and the SLP must meet the above-described licensure and certification requirements and 2020 standards for any observations completed in 2020 and later. A record form needs to be completed and maintained for all 25 guided clinical observation hours, which must include: date, population (adult/pediatric), type (evaluation/treatment), site, SLP state license number & ASHA number (state/ASHA), supervisor signature, guided discussion completed (yes/no), and number of minutes observed.

Students are required to complete and obtain documentation of 25 guided observation hours by August 1. Students will be instructed after August 1^st on how to submit documentation of guided observation hours. For students who earned an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Hearing Sciences at the University of Cincinnati, your observation and clinical hours have already been verified by the department.  If entering UC’s MA SLP program(s) from an outside university, documentation will be accepted via a record form which includes the aforementioned details or through a signed document by an administrator/director of the program on university letterhead, which signifies the required 25 guided clinical observation hours have been met. If you have not completed the required guided observation hours, we suggest you complete them at Simucase (there is a charge): because this website follows the ASHA 2020 standards.

Please visit the ASHA Certification Standards webpage for more details.