Communication Sciences and Disorders Graduate Degree Program

MAIN AREAS OF RESEARCH

The Ph.D. program provides relevant classroom and laboratory experiences for the scholar–researcher interest-ed in communication processes and communicative disorders. A student’s academic program will consist of course work within the department and in related areas such as psychology, linguistics, statistics, computer science, and education. Students completing the program will be prepared for careers as university professors, laboratory researchers, and senior clinicians. Individual programs can be designed for students who wish to pursue professional training/clinical certification (speech–language pathology or audiology) and the Ph.D. degree. Such students follow a modified sequence of course work, clinical training, and research experience in order to satisfy all academic and certification requirements in five to six years.

PROGRAM FUNDING

Financial assistance, sometimes available to graduate students in communication sciences and disorders, consists of scholarships, fellowships, traineeships, and project and research assistant positions. Financial assistance is very limited and varies from year to year. Students who are considering applying for financial aid should contact the department for further information.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

The program is open to individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree and who meet the minimum admission requirements of the Graduate School and the department. Students are required to provide three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a resume or a CV, and a supplemental application where you expressly note your focus area and faculty you are interested in working with. Entering MS/PhD students who do not have undergraduate majors in communicative disorders will typically be required to take prerequisite course work, which may lengthen the time require to earn a graduate degree.