Communicative Disorders (MS)

Master of Science in Communicative Disorders 
Unit: School of Medicine (GM)
Department: Communicative Disorders
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): CMDSMS

Program Information

Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Louisville is a well-established program that provides challenging academic coursework and clinical experience to master's degree candidates. Communicative Disorders is a Division within the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders in the School of Medicine. The graduate program offers a unique opportunity to pursue a Master of Science degree to students with and without undergraduate degrees in speech-language pathology. The program includes two options or phases: the Preparatory Phase or the Core Phase.

Preparatory Phase

Applications from students without a background in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Preparatory Phase of the program. The Preparatory Phase is a full-time, seven-semester sequence, beginning each year in the Fall Semester.

Core Phase

Applications from students who currently hold a bachelors' degree in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Core Phase of the program. The Core Phase is a full-time, five-semester sequence beginning each year in the Fall Semester.

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) accredits the program. Graduating students will be eligible to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence by ASHA if all requirements are fulfilled.

The program has cooperative arrangements with more than thirty schools, agencies, hospitals, and practice groups in the Kentuckiana region.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Master of Science degree in speech language pathology must complete at least 55 credit hours at the graduate level, exclusive of credits related to the completion of an (optional) master's thesis and courses required to complete ASHA certification requirements.

Please refer to the section on Academic Standing in this catalog entitled "Academic Probation" concerning dismissal/retention in the program.

Pass/Fail Option

In general, students in the program may not choose the pass/fail option. Certain courses may be offered with this option at the discretion of the faculty.

Comprehensive Exams

Students will complete an eight-hour written comprehensive examination (across two days) during their last semester of study. The completion and defense of a thesis/research project is encouraged but optional. The aforementioned written comprehensive exam is not required for thesis/research project students (outside of the defense of their research).

The comprehensive examinations/defense must be completed at least five weeks prior to the completion of the student's graduate program. The student is responsible for becoming familiar with the consequences of failure on the written or oral examinations. This information is available in the student academic policy manual.

Clinical Practicum

The American Speech Language Hearing Association requires a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum in speech pathology to be eligible for certification. Twenty clock hours must be in the student's minor area and 325 of the 400 hours must be at the graduate level. All students must have had 25 hours of observation. If they were obtained at the undergraduate level, they are not repeated.

Certain prerequisites and standards apply to the clinical practicum component of the program, including minimum coursework requirements, mandatory readings, observations, case report formats, and grading criteria. This information is available in the program office and it is the student's responsibility to become acquainted with these requirements prior to enrolling in clinical practicum.

Falling below a 3.0 GPA in practicum for two consecutive semesters may result in dismissal from the program. Practicum assignments are made at the faculty's discretion. All practicum work done outside of the main program must be given prior approval by the clinical director.

Admission Requirements

The application deadline for the fall semester is always the preceding February 1st.

The Preparatory Phase and the Core Phase share the following admission criteria and application process, including the application form.

Admission Criteria

• Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Successful applicants have a combined GRE range score of 290-300 for both the Verbal and Quantitative sections using the new GRE conversion tables beginning November 1, 2011 (as outlined by the Council of Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology)
• IELTS Exam (if necessary) The Graduate Council supported and approved a minimum of 6.5 on the IELTS, International English Language Testing System, as way for graduate applicants to demonstrate English proficiency
• Three supportive letters of recommendation from two academic sources and one personal source. Please use the online recommendation form when completing the application for graduate admission supplied by the Graduate Sschool, you can follow this link louisville.edu/graduate/apply
• A formal interview may be required of some applicants

Student, faculty, and staff in the program are treated in a nondiscriminatory manner without regard race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, or political affiliation. The institution and program comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and executive orders pertaining thereto.

Prerequisite Coursework

Applicants should also consult general graduate admissions and graduation requirements in the University of Louisville Graduate Catalog for further information.

Average Admissions Information

We are frequently asked about the credentials of students who have been admitted to our program. The class beginning Fall 2017 were admitted with the following credentials:

Core Students: MEAN GPA: 3.76 | MEAN GRE Score: 297 | MEAN QUANTITATIVE Score: 147 | MEAN VERBAL Score: 151 | MEAN WRITING Score: 3.86 

Prep Students: MEAN GPA: 3.66 | MEAN GRE Score: 306 | MEAN QUANTITATIVE Score: 148 | MEAN VERBAL Score: 152 | MEAN WRITING Score: 3.92

Tuition Information

For more information on tuition at the University of Louisville: louisville.edu/finance/bursar/tuition

How to Apply

The Preparatory Phase and the Core Phase use the same application form. Applications of students with Bachelor's degrees in speech-language pathology will automatically be considered for admission to the Core Phase of the program. Applications for students without Bachelor's degrees in speech-language pathology will be considered for admission to the Preparatory Phase of the program.

Students apply to the program using the University of Louisville, Graduate School, Graduate Admissions: louisville.edu/graduate/apply.

Program Requirements

The graduate program offers a unique opportunity to pursue a Master of Science degree to students with and without undergraduate degrees degree in speech-language pathology. The program includes two options or phases: phases. the Preparatory Phase or the Core Phase.

Preparatory Phase
Applications from students without a background in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Preparatory Phase of the program. The Preparatory Phase is a full-time, seven-semester sequence, beginning each year in the Fall Semester. 

Core Phase
Applications from students who currently hold a bachelors' degree in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Core Phase of the program. The Core Phase is a full-time, five-semester sequence beginning each year in the Fall Semester.

Speech Language Pathology MS Degree - Core Program

Speech Language Pathology MS Degree - Preparatory Program