A Community of Caring

The UMass Amherst Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences invites you to bring your compassion, empathy, and desire to profoundly change lives for the better with our graduate programs in audiology (AuD), speech language pathology (MA), or speech, language, and hearing sciences research (PhD). Gain the clinical or research skills you need to work with individuals from linguistically and culturally diverse populations across the age span. 

Personalized Attention

Learn in a committed, compassionate community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni who, like you, strive to make an impact. Dating back to the 1950s, the speech, language, and hearing sciences department at UMass Amherst has a rich history of preparing researchers and clinicians alike for rewarding, impactful careers.

Clinical Opportunities

Develop clinical skills through coursework and practicums that prepare you to work with individuals of all ages and backgrounds. You’ll have access to a variety of clinical opportunities, including through the department’s own on-campus clinic, the Center for Language, Speech, and Hearing.

Graduate Degrees Worth the Investment

As New England’s only publicly-funded school of public health, we offer superb value. Students go on to work in education and health care systems, including public schools, early intervention centers, hospitals, rehab centers, or private practices — or earn a research degree for research careers, including in academia.

Fully Accredited

The master’s (MA) in speech-language pathology and the doctor of audiology (AuD) at UMass Amherst are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). This means you’re graduating from a program that’s met the academic and clinical practicum requirements for national certification as a speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP) or audiologist (CCC-A).

"The School of Public Health and Health Sciences has given me a supportive network of interprofessional colleagues as well as resources for professional development specifically tailored to my career path."

— Erin Lally, ’19 ’21 MA, speech-language pathology

"UMass Amherst is a great place to study audiology because the faculty are very supportive. Any kind of audiology, whether it be hearing aid work, cochlear implant work, or even vestibular work, there’s placement that the department can help facilitate."

— Gabrielle Merchant, ’18 AuD

• 97.9% post-graduation employment rate
• 4 distinct programs: MA SLP, AuD, PhD, Graduate Certificate
• No GRE scores required
• Finish your master’s degree in 2 years
• Apply by Jan. 1 for fall admissions (MA, AuD and PhD); Oct. 1 for spring (PhD)

Make a Difference for Children and Adults

When you earn your graduate degree at UMass Amherst, you’ll meet the requirements for national certification as a speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP) or audiologist (CCC-A). You’ll be prepared to continue your studies for research careers or to help children with language delays and autism spectrum disorders, adults with Parkinson’s disease or stroke recovery, and people of all ages with hearing loss.

Why UMass SPHHS?

• Accreditation: Fully accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
• Rising research powerhouse: Over the past decade, faculty research productivity has increased by 120 percent with funding from the NIH, NSF, US DOE, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and more.
• Hands-on training with nationally recognized academics: Our low student-to-faculty ratio provides students with individual contact and hands-on training with leading scientific experts partnering with the CDC, NIH, and the WHO.
• Vibrant and engaging community: Situated in the heart of western Massachusetts on the slopes of the Berkshires, UMass offers residents year-round outdoor recreation activities and a vibrant art scene in a community that values diversity, multiculturalism, and a commitment to sustainability.
• LGBTQ friendly: The university's LGBTQ and women's centers were among the first established in the nation, and Campus Pride rates UMass Amherst as one of the best campuses in the country for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.
• Great value: As New England’s only publicly funded school of public health, SPHHS provides great value compared to our private institution peers.

To learn more about graduate programs in speech, language, and hearing sciences at UMass, connect with the graduate program director now.