Communication Sciences and Disorders | Graduate Degrees | Speech-Language Pathology, M.A, On-Campus | Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Speech-Language Pathology, M.A, On-Campus
Speech-Language Pathology, M.A, On-Campus

Strategic Plan

NBASLH

Official Transcripts

We require official transcripts from every school at which you have college credit, even if you did not obtain a degree from that institution.

A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required by the UNCG Graduate School. However, successful applicants to the CSD Master’s ON-CAMPUS Program in Speech-Language Pathology typically have an overall GPA of 3.7 or higher.

GRE SCORES: NOTE CHANGES

  • GRE Scores are now optional
  • These must be current (within the past 5 years)
  • The code for UNCG is 5913

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Three letters of recommendation must be submitted with each application. At least 2 of the letters must be academic and the 3rd may be academic or professional. Three academic letters are preferred unless the professional letter can provide information that relates to success in a graduate program. The Graduate School will send link to recommenders for submitting the reference after the applicant enters appropriate contact information.

PERSONAL STATEMENT/STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The statement of purpose must be a professionally written document that is double-spaced using 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and that is a maximum of 2 pages in length. This document should acquaint the CSD Admissions Committee with the applicant’s rationale for:

  • Pursuing an advanced degree in speech-language pathology
  • Choosing the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at UNCG for this degree
  • Unique skills or experiences that will facilitate excellence in graduate study

RESUMÉ

The resumé should be 1-2 pages in length, using a 12-point font, 1-inch margins and written in a professional style. It should only include information and experiences that have occurred since completing high school. The resumé should include the following information:

  • Education
  • Employment
  • Relevant Experiences (e.g., leadership, collaboration, research experience, etc.)
  • Honors/Awards/Recognition
  • Additional Skills (e.g., second language, CPR, etc.)

COMPLETION OF CSD COURSEWORK

Students must submit a list of coursework taken to fulfill the content areas below. This list must include the name of the course, the credit hours and the semester in which the course was/will be completed. You should include classes that will be completed in the spring and summer prior to entering graduate school.

VERIFICATION OF 25 HOURS OF GUIDED OBSERVATIONS

Prior to enrolling in the Master’s ON-CAMPUS Program in Speech-Language Pathology, students must complete 25 hours of Guided Observations as per ASHA Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology guided observations certification standards. Guided Observations hours must be verified by the student’s undergraduate program.  If the Guided Observations hours are to be completed after your application is submitted, but not later than the spring or summer prior to entering the Master’s ON-CAMPUS Program in Speech-Language Pathology , your application should include specific details on how these Guided Observations hours will be obtained and verified.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

In addition to the academic skills and experiences noted above, admitted students must be able to meet all of the essential skills in the following areas developed by the Council on Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders:

 Communication – A student must possess adequate communication skills to:

  • Communicate proficiently in both oral and written English language.
  • Possess reading and writing skills sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands.
  • Perceive and demonstrate appropriate non-verbal communication for culture and context.
  • Modify communication style to meet the communication needs of clients, caregivers, and other persons served.
  • Communicate professionally and intelligibly with patients, colleagues, other healthcare professionals, and community or professional groups.
  • Communicate professionally, effectively, and legibly on patient documentation, reports, and scholarly papers required as a part of course work and professional practice.
  • Convey information accurately with relevance and cultural sensitivity.

Motor – A student must possess adequate motor skills to:

  • Sustain necessary physical activity level in required classroom and clinical activities.
  • Respond quickly to provide a safe environment for clients in emergency situations including fire, choking, etc.
  • Access transportation to clinical and academic placements.
  • Participate in classroom and clinical activities for the defined workday.
  • Efficiently manipulate testing and treatment environment and materials without violation of testing protocol and with best therapeutic practice.
  • Manipulate patient-utilized equipment (e.g. durable medical equipment to include AAC devices, hearing aids, etc.) in a safe manner.
  • Access technology for clinical management (i.e. billing, charting, therapy programs, etc.)

Intellectual / cognitive – A student must possess adequate intellectual and cognitive skills to:

  • Comprehend, retain, integrate, synthesize, infer, evaluate and apply written and verbal information sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands.
  • Identify significant findings from history, evaluation, and data to formulate a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.
  • Solve problems, reason, and make sound clinical judgments in patient assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic plan and implementation.
  • Self-evaluate, identify, and communicate limits of one’s own knowledge and skill to appropriate professional level and be able to identify and utilize resources in order to increase knowledge.
  • Utilize detailed written and verbal instruction in order to make unique and dependent decisions.

Sensory/observational – A student must possess adequate sensory skills of vision, hearing, tactile, and smell to:

  • Visually and auditorily identify normal and disordered (fluency, articulation, voice, resonance, respiration characteristics, oral and written language in the areas of semantics, pragmatics, syntax, morphology and phonology, hearing and balance disorders, swallowing cognition, social interaction related to communication).
  • Identify the need for alternative modalities of communication.
  • Visualize and identify anatomic structures.
  • Visualize and discriminate imaging findings.
  • Identify and discriminate findings on imaging studies.
  • Discriminate text, numbers, tables, and graphs associated with diagnostic instruments and tests.
  • Recognize when a client’s family does or does not understand the clinician’s written and or verbal communication.

Behavioral/ social – A student must possess adequate behavioral and social attributes to:

  • Display mature empathetic and effective professional relationships by exhibiting compassion, integrity, and concern for others.
  • Recognize and show respect for individuals with disabilities and for individuals of different ages, genders, race, religions, sexual orientation, and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
  • Conduct oneself in an ethical and legal manner, upholding the ASHA Code of Ethics and university and federal privacy policies.
  • Maintain general good physical and mental health and self-care in order not to jeopardize the health and safety of self and others in the academic and clinical setting.
  • Adapt to changing and demanding environments (which includes maintaining both professional demeanor and emotional health).
  • Manage the use of time effectively to complete professional and technical tasks within realistic time constraints.
  • Accept appropriate suggestions and constructive criticism and respond by modification of behaviors.
  • Dress appropriately and professionally