Graduate Admissions Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

Your application will not be considered until the entire 2-step process is completed:

Step 1: Complete your CSDCAS application

Deadline: January 15th 11:59pm EST

Timeline: CSDCAS averages 2-4 weeks for verification of submitted applications. We strongly encourage you to submit to CSDCAS as early as possible.

You will pay $150 for the first application; if you are applying to more than one school or program, the fee is $60 for each additional application. (Note: CSDCAS application fees are paid to CSDCAS, not UMass)

CSDCAS will hold your application and won’t submit it for verification until the following criteria are met:

• Completion of personal essay/statement of purpose for each designation and any supplemental questions each school of choice might include
• All U.S. or Canadian transcripts are received
• Two out of three recommendations have been submitted
• Payment of the CSDCAS application fee

Once CSDCAS has completed their verification, they will send UMass Amherst your application electronically. submitting on or just before the deadline can result in delays in the processing of your application. If you have concerns about the timing of your CSDCAS verification, please feel free to contact the SPHHS Admissions Office directly.

To check on the status of transcripts, letters of recommendation, or any issue regarding the CSDCAS application prior to it being submitted to UMass Amherst, simply log in to a designated CSDCAS account. For problems regarding the receipt of transcripts, the submission of recommendation letters, or the application, please contact CSDCAS customer service directly at 617-612-2030 or support@csdcas.myliaison.com.

Step 2: Complete your UMass Amherst Supplemental Application

Deadline: January 24th 11:59pm EST

Timeline: You will be sent an invitation via email within 72 hours (3 business days) of CSDCAS verification. 

NOTE: You must use the personalized link sent to your email. It is not possible to initiate and complete the Supplemental Application directly through the Graduate School’s website. Creating an independent Slate account will cause issues and delays.

The Supplemental Application fee is $85. This is paid to UMass Amherst, not CSDCAS.

You will have until January 24th 11:59pm EST to submit your Supplemental Application. We strongly discourage waiting until the last minute to submit your application materials; it is possible for spaces within the program to fill up prior to the final deadline.

If you do not receive an email from us within 72 hours of CSDCAS verification, or have concerns about the timing of your submission, please contact the SPHHS Admission Office directly.

Admissions is a process shared by the University of Massachusetts Graduate School, CSDCAS, and the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must meet the minimum requirements set out by both CSDCAS and the Graduate School.

• Education: Prior to their anticipated start date, applicants must complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or complete an international degree that is equivalent. 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.
• 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
• Letters of recommendation (minimum of three)
• Résumé/CV

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

• 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

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. They 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. 

If you believe you qualify for a waiver, please submit your requests for the fee waivers via email to the Graduate Program Director, Jill Hoover, at jrhoover@umass.edu. In your request, please explain how you meet the eligibility requirements.