Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology and Non-Background Admission

CSDCAS Application Opens: July 15, 2024
CSDCAS Application Closes: December 15, 2024
On-Campus Interviews: week of January 27, 2025
Entry Month & Orientation: August 2025

The steps below outline the application process for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program. To apply, you are required to submit both an application through CSDCAS as well as the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Supplemental Form. The link to the Supplemental Form will be emailed when your application is submitted. Before starting these applications, we recommend that you complete the following checklist:

• Obtain student copies of your college transcripts to assist you in completing the coursework section for the application.
• Before you begin your application, please review the CSDSCAS help pages. 
• Request official transcripts from each institution attended using the transcript request form in CSDCAS. Complete the form, submit it to the registrar's office of each institution attended, and instruct them to enclose the form with your official sealed transcript. Transcripts must be sent to the CSDCAS Transcript Department. CSDCAS accepts official transcripts sent directly from the registrar's office only. Please send transcripts as early as possible and no less than four to six weeks before the application deadline due to the time needed by CSDCAS to verify your application.
  Send transcripts to:
  

  CSDCAS Verification Department
  PO Box 9113
  Watertown, MA 02471

• Pay the initial service fee of $100 when submitting the CSDCSAS application.
• Obtain three letters of recommendation from 1) two current or previous professors; 2) clinical supervisor or another faculty. References from family friends and shadow experiences do not meet the criteria. These letters of recommendation must be submitted through CSDCAS. The references should attest to the applicant's academic ability and potential.
• On-campus interview. Information regarding the interview will be sent via email when the application is received.

CSDCAS Customer Service Information
Available Monday through Friday, 9:00-5:00 EST
617-612-2030
csdcasinfo@csdcas.org

To be considered for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

• Possess a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology from a college or university that holds institutional accreditation
• Pre-requisite undergraduate courses from an institutionally accredited college or university (ASHA CCC eligibility requirement). All pre-requisite courses must have been completed within 10 years prior to application.
  • Biological science 
  • Physical science (must be chemistry or physics)
  • Statistics (math, psychology, health sciences)
  • Social/Behavioral Science (sociology, psychology, anthropology)
    *AP, IB, or CLEP credit will be accepted as pre-requisite courses if the courses are documented on your transcripts and have been accepted by your undergraduate College or University.
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Minimum GPA of 3.25 on the last 60 hours of coursework
• Obtain three letters of recommendation from 1) two current or previous professors; 2) a clinical supervisor or another faculty member. References from family friends and shadow experiences do not meet the criteria. These letters of recommendation must be submitted through CSDCAS. The references should attest to the applicant's academic ability and potential.
• On-campus interview. Information regarding the interview will be sent via email once the application is received.
• Undergraduate CSD or major area – no grade in a “major” area less than C
• Students who do not have a background in Communication Sciences and Disorders are encouraged to apply. The plan of study for non-background students is included below.
• International applicants, American citizens, or permanent residents who learned English as a second language must score at least 575 (paper) or 90 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 6.5 on IELTS.
• Upon acceptance, a non-refundable fee of $500 is required to secure admission into the program. The fee is applied to the first semester's tuition.

Exceptions to any admission requirements will be handled on an individual basis.

Students and applicants with disabilities who seek accommodations must make a request by contacting the Section 504/Disability Access and Accommodation Coordinator at 205-726-4078 or disability@samford.edu

Our Non-Traditional Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology is designed for students who want to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology but who do not have an undergraduate background in Communication Disorders. Like our traditional MS SLP program, our goal is to help students become highly qualified speech-language pathologists with the skills, compassion and motivation to make a difference in their communities. We do that through faith-based academic coursework and clinical experiences emphasizing evidence-based practices designed to help students reach their career goals, while emphasizing life-long learning, and high moral and ethical competencies.

If admitted to the Non-Traditional MS SLP program, your first year will include courses to prepare you for the graduate program. After being admitted, these courses will be completed in your first fall and summer semesters. The traditional graduate program will begin the following summer. The full Non-Traditional MS SLP program should be completed in 8 semesters.

To be considered for the Non-Traditional Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program, you will need to meet the following criteria:

• Possess a bachelor’s degree from a college or university that holds institutional accreditation
• Pre-requisite undergraduate courses from a regionally accredited college or university (ASHA CCC eligibility requirement). All pre-requisite courses must have been completed within 10 years prior to application.
  • Biological science 
  • Physical science (must be chemistry or physics) 
  • Statistics (math, psychology, health sciences) 
  • Social/Behavioral Science (sociology, psychology, anthropology)
    *AP, IB, or CLEP credit will be accepted as pre-requisite courses if the courses are documented on your transcripts and have been accepted by your undergraduate College or University.
• See the Non-Background Bridge Program Plan of Study below
• Undergraduate CSD or major area courses – no grade in a “major” area less than C
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Minimum GPA of 3.25 for the last 60 hours of coursework
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 for math and science coursework
• Obtain three letters of recommendation from 1) two current or previous professors; 2) a clinical supervisor or another faculty member. References from family friends and shadow experiences do not meet the criteria. These letters of recommendation must be submitted through CSDCAS. The references should attest to the applicant's academic ability and potential.
• On-campus interview. Information regarding the interview will be sent via email once the application is reviewed.
• International applicants, American citizens, or permanent residents who learned English as a second language must score at least 575 (paper) or 90 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 6.5 on IELTS.
• Upon acceptance, a non-refundable fee of $500 is required to secure admission into the program. The fee is applied to the first semester's tuition.

Exceptions to any admission requirements will be handled on an individual basis.

Students and applicants with disabilities who seek accommodations must make a request by contacting the Section 504/Disability Access and Accommodation Coordinator at 205-726-4078 or disability@samford.edu.

Graduate Student Admission Statistics

Reporting Period	Average GPA	Average GRE	Total # of Applications Received	Total # of Students Interviewed	Total # of Students Accepted
Graduating Class of 2025 (Admitted Summer of 2023)	3.78	295	80	63	22
Graduating Class of 2024 (Admitted Summer of 2022)	3.75	301	93	70	18
Graduating Class of 2023 (Admitted Summer of 2021)	3.78	299	136	72	22
Graduating Class of 2022 (Admitted Summer of 2020)	3.60	295	180	72	18
Graduating Class of 2021 (Admitted Summer of 2019)	3.62	296	195	72	18
Graduating Class of 2020 (Admitted Summer of 2018)	3.60	296	161	60	18
Graduating Class of 2019 (Admitted Summer of 2017)	3.48	291	159	60	20

Graduate Student Graduation Data

Reporting Period	# Completed within Expected Time Frame	# Completing Later Than Expected Time Frame	# Not Completing Program	Total # of Students	% Completed within Expected Time Frame
Fall 2023-Summer 2024	27	0	0	27	100%
Fall 2022-Summer 2023	22	0	0	22	100%
Fall 2021-Summer 2022	18	0	0	18	100%
Fall 2020-Summer 2021	17	0	0	17	100%

MS-SLP Student PRAXIS Exam Data

Reporting Period	# Taking PRAXIS Exam	# Passed PRAXIS Exam	% Passed PRAXIS Exam
Fall 2023-Summer 2024	26	26	100%
Fall 2022-Summer 2023	19	18	95%
Fall 2021-Summer 2022	19	18	95%
Fall 2020-Summer 2021	16	15	94%
Fall 2019-Summer 2020	17	17	100%

 

Students participate in a variety of experiences that help prepare them for careers in speech-language pathology. The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders maintains relationships with numerous clinical agencies in the Birmingham area and various regions of the United States.

The MS in speech-language pathology program is designed to be completed in six semesters, including summers. All courses and clinical practicum experiences will be provided to allow students to progress to an on-time graduation. However, a modified individual program of study may be developed by the program director and the student to accommodate personal circumstances (e.g., medical emergency, physical and mental well-being issues, military deployment, missionary work, academic difficulty, family crisis, financial difficulty, and so forth). The modified program of study may involve withdrawal from one or more courses, part-time study, or other accommodations, as appropriate. This will extend the program of study beyond the expected number of semesters.

• MS Speech-Language Pathology Plan of Study
• MS Speech-Language Pathology Plan of Study for Non-Background Students