Graduate Admissions Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

The speech, language, and hearing sciences department utilizes the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) for receiving applications to the MA and AuD graduate degree programs.

Please visit the CSDCAS website for a complete list of application procedures and instructions.

Within 48 hours after your CSDCAS application is verified, you will receive an email from the UMass Amherst Graduate School with instructions for setting up a Slate account and filling out the supplemental application. There is a supplemental application fee of $85. Please note that the Admissions Committee will not receive your application until both the CSDCAS application and the UMass supplemental application have been completed and all fees are paid. 

Admissions is a process shared by the University of Massachusetts Graduate School and the speech, language, and hearing sciences program. To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must meet the requirements of the Graduate School.

Admissions Requirements

• Transcripts: Submit all transcripts showing undergraduate, graduate, and/or prerequisite coursework. Please note: we will accept applicants to our graduate programs who have "Passing" or "Satisfactory" rather than letter grades.
• Prerequisite coursework: See section below
• Letters of recommendation: Minimum of three
• Résumé/CV
• Responses to five essay prompts on CSDCAS: (200 words or less each)
  • Both short- and long-term goals are necessary to achieve growth. Tell us about a long-term goal that is unrelated to your academic and career plans, and explain some of the intermediate steps that you think will be necessary to get there.
  • All members of our department benefit from the assistance of others from time to time. With this in mind, please provide an example of when you gave or received support to work through a problem or challenging time.
  • Involvement in cultural, racial, civic, and other communities can improve your relationships with your clients and colleagues. Please describe a community contribution that you would like to make in graduate school or your early professional career. Explain what mutually beneficial outcome you see resulting from this contribution. 
  • Describe something you learned outside of the field of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and how you think it can inform your future practice as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
  • Identify one way that institutions such as health care and education are affected by racism and/or other forms of discrimination. Reflect on how you see your role in relation to these issues as a future speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
• Response to one essay prompt on the UMass Graduate School Supplemental application submitted on Slate: (600 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.)
  • At UMass Amherst, no two students are alike. Our communities and groups often define us and shape our individual worlds. Community can refer to various aspects, including shared geography, language, religion, race/ethnicity, income, ideology, ability, sexuality, gender, and more. Please choose one of your communities or groups and describe its significance. Explain how your experience in this community or group would enable you to enrich the following:
    • Your department/program/our campus
    • Your field/discipline

Please note, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are not required and will not be considered or reviewed by our admissions committee.

The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences reviews applicants holistically. We carefully evaluate each required component of the graduate application, which includes consideration of prior experiences, skills, responses to the five essay questions, résumé, and letters of recommendation, as well as prior academic coursework reported through transcripts.

Program Prerequisites

MA/SLP:

• Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms
• Phonetic Processing
• Speech and Language Development
• Introduction to Speech Science
• Introduction to Audiology
• Introduction to Aural Rehabilitation
• Speech and Language Disorders
• please note: in addition, all MA students will need:
  • 25 (twenty-five) hours of guided clinical observation under the supervision of someone who has met ASHA's minimum requirements as a clinical educator. Information can be found in Standard 5C of the 2020 Certification Standards in Speech-Language Pathology.
  • ASHA's general education distribution requirements for coursework in biological science, physical science, social science, and statistics. Information can be found here: https://www.asha.org/certification/course-content-areas-for-slp-standards/.

AuD:

• Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms
• Phonetic Processing
• Introduction to Hearing Science
• Speech and Language Development
• Introduction to Speech Science
• Introduction to Audiology
• Speech and Language Disorders

International Applicants

We encourage international applicants to apply to continue their educational journey with us!  All international applicants should visit the University of Massachusetts Graduate School’s website for international applicants for important information on:

• English language proficiency requirement
• Prerequisite degrees and international transcripts
• Estimated expenses
• Receiving the I-20

Application Deadlines

We begin accepting applications in mid-July. Prospective students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Applications for the MA or AuD programs will only be accepted for Fall admission.

Final deadline: Jan. 15  

STEM Designation

Speech, language, and hearing sciences degrees are not considered STEM designated programs.

Application Fee Waivers

As part of its initiative to increase the diversity of its graduate student body, the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences has several UMass Graduate School application fee waivers it can grant to prospective students who have faced adversity, such as societal, economic, or academic disadvantages. We will additionally consider application fee waiver requests from applicants who are first-generation students and students who have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. These waivers cover the fees associated with the Graduate School at UMass but do not cover any fees associated with CSDCAS. Please submit requests for fee waivers via email to the Graduate Program Director, Jill Hoover, at jrhoover [at] umass [dot] edu (jrhoover[at]umass[dot]edu).