Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.Ed.)
Admission Requirements
- Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) or Communicative Sciences and Disorders (CSD) from an accredited college or university must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) and a minimum major GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale). Applicants with an overall GPA between 2.75 and 3.0 may be considered for admission if their major SLP/CSD GPA is 3.4 or higher.
- Applicants with an undergraduate degree in a different discipline may apply directly to the master’s program. In this situation, the student will be required to complete prerequisite undergraduate courses prior to beginning graduate coursework and clinical practica. The specific courses that will be needed will be determined by the graduate program director, once the student has been admitted to the program. Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale).
- Applicants with bachelor’s degrees who have completed additional certification programs (CDA/SLPA), Communication Disorders post-baccalaureate coursework, or additional degrees, consisting of 18 credit hours or more, may be considered for admission.
- Applicants with an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 may be considered for admission if their additional certification/coursework GPA is 3.4 or higher.
- For ASHA Certification and New York State Teacher Certification, the following courses listed below are also required. If these courses were not completed at the undergraduate level, students will need to complete them during their graduate program: 3 credits in a biological science, 3 credits in chemistry or physics, 3 credits in statistics, 3 credits in the social and behavioral sciences, SLP 401 Aural Rehabilitation SPF 202 Child Development and Education, SPF 503 Educational Psychology, EXE 500 Individuals with Special Needs, SLP 424 Speech-Language Pathology Programs in Schools.
Application Procedures
The Speech-Language Pathology Department currently participates in the Communication and Sciences Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). Applicants must apply online using the CSDCAS application.
All applicants should review the Admission to a Graduate Program section in this catalog and the SLP How to Apply page: https://speech.buffalostate.edu/how-apply-0
Application Deadline
Applicants must apply by January 15 for fall admission. No applications are accepted for summer or spring admission. CSDCAS applications must be verified by the application deadline. Applications can only be verified once all payments and transcripts have been received. To ensure your application is verified on time, it is recommended that you complete your application at least two weeks before the deadline.
Two letters of recommendation that attest to the applicant’s potential as a graduate student. For students with an undergraduate major in speech-language pathology or communication sciences and disorders, both letters must come from faculty in the major who teach a graded course. For students from other majors, both letters must come from faculty who teach a graded course in their specific major. A writing sample. You may be contacted for a personal interview and/or asked to upload a short video statement.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses (38 credit hours) 1 | ||
| SLP 501 | CLINICAL METHODS | 2 |
| SLP 511 | NEURAL PROCESSES OF COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| SLP 516 | DIAGNOSTIC PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES | 2 |
| SLP 518 | EXTENDED APPLICATIONS IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS | 1 |
| SLP 541 | LANGUAGE DISORDERS: BIRTH TO AGE 5 | 3 |
| SLP 580 | RESEARCH METHODS IN SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY | 2 |
| SLP 605 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN CLINICAL INTERACTIONS: FAMILIES AND CULTURE | 2 |
| SLP 606 | FLUENCY DISORDERS | 3 |
| SLP 607 | DYSPHAGIA ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN | 2 |
| SLP 608 | NEUROMOTOR SPEECH DISORDERS ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN | 3 |
| SLP 609 | DISORDERS OF VOICE AND RESONANCE | 3 |
| SLP 610 | EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF PHONOLOGICAL DISORDERS | 3 |
| SLP 621 | AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| SLP 622 | LANGUAGE DISORDERS OF SCHOOL-AGED INDIVIDUALS | 3 |
| SLP 623 | ACQUIRED LANGUAGE DISORDERS | 3 |
| Practicum (19 credit hours) 1 | ||
| SLP 505 | GRADUATE PRACTICUM IN AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING | 6 |
| SLP 515 | CLINICAL PRACTICUM | 7 |
| SLP 611 | EXTERNSHIP IN COMMUNICATION DISORDERS | 3-12 |
| Required Capstone Options: 1 | ||
| SLP 690 | MASTER'S PROJECT | 3 |
| or SLP 625 | ADVANCED TOPICS AND ISSUES IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS | |
or | ||
| SLP 695 | MASTER'S THESIS | 3-6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 60 | |
- 1
Selected under advisement.
Students will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the biological, neurological, acoustic, psychological, developmental, and linguistic and cultural bases of basic human communication and swallowing processes.
- Demonstrate knowledge of etiologies, characteristics, and linguistic and cultural correlates of communication and swallowing disorders.
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate information pertaining to normal and abnormal human development across the life span.
- Conduct selected screening, prevention and formal and informal evaluation procedures.
- Interpret, integrate and synthesize all information to arrive at a diagnosis and conveys said information cogently in written format.