Master s Degree Programs in Communication Sciences & Disorders. Section 2: Frequently Asked Questions about Clinical MS program (DE & Campus)

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1 Master s Degree Programs in Communication Sciences & Disorders Section 1: General Information Campus Program Distance Education Program Section 2: Frequently Asked Questions about Clinical MS program (DE & Campus) Section 3: Frequently Asked Questions about Pre-Requisites and Worksheets

2 Master s Degree Program in Communication Sciences & Disorders East Carolina University MS Degree in CSDI (speechlanguage pathology track) A 5-7 semester program (18 months) designed to train clinical speech-language pathologists. Coursework is face-to-face at ECU in Greenville, NC. Clinics are in the vicinity of Greenville primarily, and NC for fulltime internships. Some opportunity to go out of state, if desired. Applications are due January 15, each year for Fall enrollment (No Spring, Summer enrollments) MS Degree in CSDI (speech-language pathology track Distance Education) An 8-9 (3 year) semester program designed to train clinical speechlanguage pathologists. Course work is online and clinic is in the geographical location of the student. Applications are due January 15, each year for Fall enrollment (No Spring, Summer enrollments) MS Degree in CSDI non-clinical track A 5-8 semester master s degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders; requires a thesis for a research training component. Does not train clinical speechlanguage pathology. Applications are due January 15, each year for Fall enrollment (Spring & Summer enrollments may be possible) All programs: Minimum qualifications are 3.0 in overall GPA from earned bachelor s degree and at least 30 th percentile on each subtest: Verbal and Quantitative GRE. GRE cannot be waived for any reason. GRE scores must be less than 5 years old. All programs: Most recent applicants had a 3.79 overall GPA, a 3.9 in the major (required prerequisites), 57 th percentile on the Verbal GRE and a 62 nd percentile on the Quantitative GRE. Clinical master s degrees require a minimum of 54 credits to graduate with at least 60 to obtain NC state licensure for speech-language pathology. Thesis optional. Clinical training consists of 3 semesters of on-campus clinic, 1 part-time internship, and one full-time internship Most recent application cycle saw 190 applications with 25 accepted for program. Clinical training consists of at least 4-6 semesters of clinical internships in the geographical area of the student Most recent application cycle saw 140 applications with 15 selected for national program; 4 selected for Alaskan resident program. Minimum of 54 credits with successful completion of a required research thesis. No clinical training. Thesis work begins immediately upon enrollment. Thesis may be finished before or after course work. No applicants for past 5 years. Non-clinical track students typically pursue a PhD instead of a non-clinical master s degree. All programs require: 1. Completing the online application at 2. Submitting of all transcripts of all schools ever attended; 3. 3 letters of recommendations - at least 2 from college professors; 4. Paying application fee; 5. GRE scores above 30 th percentile. Completion of supplemental application materials (see in September for details about supplemental application and/or additional requirements). Additional information can be requested at [email protected]

3 Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Master of Science (MS) in Communication Sciences & Disorders CAMPUS PROGRAMS For a traditional, on-campus experience, the Master s degree programs in Communication Sciences & Disorders have 2 major emphases: Speech-Language Pathology (clinical) and Communication Sciences (non-clinical). The clinical program is accredited by the Council for Academic Accreditation, a semi-autonomous body, of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The Speech-Language Pathology master s degree program is designed to be a clinical degree in which the student accrues clinical clock hours to earn eligibility for the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA. The Communication Sciences master s degree program is non-clinical master s degree designed for the individual who wishes to pursue a science based degree. Admission Requirements A background of undergraduate courses in speech and hearing sciences is essential. For those students who do not have an undergraduate degree in the field, specific undergraduate courses must be taken prior to formally beginning the MS degree sequence. The graduate program in speech-language pathology or communication sciences requires completed coursework in the following areas at the undergraduate level for admission: Phonetics Anatomy of Speech and Hearing Neural Processes for Speech and Language Language Development Introduction to Audiology Introduction to Aural Rehabilitation Acquisition and Development of Articulation and Phonology Speech Science A graduate or undergraduate statistics course. At least 6 credits in Biological/Physical Sciences (preferably physics) At least 6 credits in Social/Behavioral Sciences Application to the program is initiated with the Graduate School at East Carolina University. The deadline for a completed application (including receipt of GRE scores and transcripts from all schools attended is January 15 each year. The Department requires transcripts of all college

4 coursework, letters of recommendation and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Under the new scoring system of the GRE instituted August 1, 2011, score minimums have not yet been determined. The ECU Graduate School requires a score in the 30 th percentile for admission to ECU. The Department of CSDI is recommending applicants strive for a score above the 50 th percentile. CSDI will not accept anyone who scores less than 30 th percentile on either Verbal or Quantitative subtests. Required Courses See the accompanying pages for an outline of the curriculum in the major area of speechlanguage pathology (clinical degree). The student will be required to complete both part-time and full-time clinical internships in addition to traditional classroom and online instruction. Both face-to-face and online coursework is present in the degree; there are additional tuition charges in the semesters when online courses are required. Typically, the student will graduate with a minimum of 400 clinical clock hours of experience (25 of the total clock hours are observation hours, obtained prior to first semester as a graduate student). The communication sciences (nonclinical degree) curriculum has fewer class requirements; however, completion of a thesis is required for this program of study. Please see the ECU graduate catalog for further information and contact the Director of Master s Education directly at [email protected] if you are interested in the non-clinical track. Financial Aid Various types of financial aid are available through the Office of Financial Aid at East Carolina University ( ). Limited graduate assistantships may be available through the CSDI Department. An assistantship application must be submitted to the Director of Master s Education after you are accepted to ECU. Additional Information If you wish additional information, please contact: Kathleen T. Cox, Director of Master s Education Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders College of Allied Health Sciences East Carolina University Health Sciences Building Greenville, NC (fax) [email protected]

5 Sample Curriculum in Speech-Language Pathology at East Carolina University Fall- 1 st Year Credit Hours CSDI 6100 Language Disorders 3 CSDI 6104 Voice Disorders 3 CSDI 6108 Articulation Disorders 3 CSDI 6121 Speech Science 3 CSDI 6226 Clinic 2 CSDI 6320 Clinical Methods in Speech-Language Pathology I 1 15 Spring- 1 st Year CSDI 6101 Language and Learning Disabilities 3 CSDI 6117 Augmentative and Alternative Communication 3 OR CSDI 6111 Infant/Toddler Communication 3 CSDI 6110 Brain/Language/Aphasia 3 CSDI 6114 Dysphagia & Neuromotor Functions 3 CSDI 6226 Clinic 3 CSDI 6321 Clinical Methods in Speech-Language Pathology II 1 15 Summer CSDI 6103 Research Design 3 CSDI 6200 Multicultural Issues in Communication 3 CSDI 6226 Clinic 2 OR CSDI 6992 Part-time Internship 2 8 Fall- 2 nd Year CSDI 6109 Motor Speech Disorders 3 CSDI 6112 Cranio-Facial Disorders & Alaryngeal Rehabilitation 3 CSDI 6113 Linguistic/Cognitive Impairments 3 CSDI 6106 Stuttering 3 CSDI 6901 Professional Issues in SLP 1 CSDI 6226 Clinic 2 OR CSDI 6992 Part-time Internship 2 15 Spring- 2 nd Year CSDI 6993 Full-time Internship 9 Students electing the thesis option will have additional coursework such as CSDI 7000 for 1, 2, or 3 credits in multiple semesters, and CSDI 7000 for 3-6 credits in the final semester.

6 Master s Degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders via Distance Education Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at East Carolina University offers a fulltime master s degree through a distance education program. It is a three year program. Students must: Have a Bachelor s degree in speech-language pathology or related field Take prerequisite courses if the Bachelor s degree is in a related field (prior to applying) Live at least 50 miles away from Greenville, NC Have a 3.0 or greater GPA for the undergraduate degree Have a 3.2 or greater GPA for the prerequisite or major coursework Have GRE scores greater than the 30 th percentile minimum (each subtest: Verbal and Quantitative) and preferably greater than 50 th percentile individually and scores must be no more than 5 years old, even if the student already has a Master s degree. o With the new GRE Scoring System effective August 1, 2011, scores are no longer in the style. Minimum scores have not yet been determined. A percentile rank of 30% is the minimum required for entrance into the Graduate School at ECU; the Department of CSDI is recommending a percentile rank over the 50% range. GRE score is only one aspect of a graduate admission decision. Devote at least 2 days per week to accrue clinical clock hours throughout the second and third years of the program (cannot work full time after 2 semesters). Have high speed internet at home or access to it Have all application materials into the graduate school by January 15 prior to the Fall semester of admission Attend a mandatory on-campus orientation, once accepted into the program Important Note: Admission of applicants residing outside the State of North Carolina to an online degree, certificate program or individual online course offered by East Carolina University, is dependent on ECU s ability to secure authorization from the applicant s state of residence, if such authorization is required. Due to recent changes in higher education regulations, ECU will no longer be able to offer online programs or courses for students residing in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Maryland. ECU will work with state authorities to allow students in these states who are currently enrolled in an ECU online or certificate program to complete their degree. For questions specific to the state authorization process, call 252/ or [email protected]

7 The Distance Education master s degree in speech-language pathology completed coursework in the following areas at the undergraduate level for admission: Phonetics Anatomy of Speech and Hearing Neural Processes for Speech and Language Language Development Introduction to Audiology Introduction to Aural Rehabilitation Acquisition and Development of Articulation and Phonology Speech Science A graduate or undergraduate statistics course At least 6 credits in Biological/Physical Sciences (preferably physics) At least 6 credits in Social/Behavioral Sciences

8 Distance Education MS in CSDI speech-language pathology emphasis This program traditionally takes 8-9 semesters to complete. Students are enrolled in didactic courses for all semesters of the program and begin clinical internships in their geographical location during & after the third semester in the program. Students typically acquire their clinical hours in 4-6 clinical internships at a minimum of three different clinical sites. Distance Education students in the joint program with the University of Alaska do their clinical work with the University of Alaska Anchorage. These students would delete CSDI 6229 from this course schedule and would follow a 12 credit clinical schedule monitored by UAA. Sample Curriculum Fall 1 st year CSDI 6100 Language Disorders CSDI 6108 Articulation/Phonology Disorders CSDI 6320 Methods in SLP I Spring 1 st year CSDI 6101 Language & Learning Disabilities CSDI 6110 Brain, Language & Aphasia Summer 1 st year CSDI 6103 Research Design CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship Fall 2 nd year CSDI 6104 Voice Disorders CSDI 6121 Speech Science CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship Spring 2 nd year CSDI 6321 Methods in SLP II CSDI 6114 Dysphagia CSDI 6117 AAC or CSDI 6111 Infant-Toddler (electives) CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship Summer 2 nd year CSDI 6200 Multicultural Communication Disorders CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship Fall 3 rd year CSDI 6112 Craniofacial Anomalies & Alaryngeal Rehabilitation CSDI 6106 Stuttering CSDI 6109 Motor Speech Disorders CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship Spring 3 rd year CSDI 6113 Linguistic/Cognitive Disorders CSDI 6901 Professional Issues CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship Summer 3 rd year If needed CSDI 6229 DE Clinical Internship

9 Clinical Hours Requirements (DE and On-Campus) The Clinical Hours Requirements pertain to students in the speech-language pathology emphasis; it is not part of the non-clinical communication sciences emphasis. This pertains to both the On Campus and DE programs. Each graduate student in the speech-language pathology track of the Master s degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders is required to accrue clinical clock hours through clinical courses. There are slightly different requirements for the different types of students in the program: On-Campus (OC), Distance Education (DE), and Alaskan Distance Education (AKDE). Observation Hours (25 clock hour minimum) All students (campus or DE) are required to submit documentation of at least 25 clock hours observation of SLP or Audiology sessions by July 15th before the Fall semester of enrollment. Students must submit proof of these hours to the Director of Master s Education for verification and approval. Clinical Clock hours in Speech-Language Pathology (375 hour minimum) Clinical internships and on-campus clinic are used to accrue clinical clock hours. On campus students are enrolled in clinic each semester of the program (typically five semesters). On-campus students typically have 3 semesters of on-campus clinic, one part-time internship, and one full-time internship. Alterations of this schedule may occur based on the needs of the student and the clinical case load in the on-campus clinic. Alterations typically require students to add additional semesters to the program. DE students complete clinic hours through clinical internships in their geographical location. In extreme circumstances, students may be required to return to Greenville for clinical placement (e.g., deficient skills or lack of sites in geographical location is delaying program). DE students are required to obtain a minimum of 12 credits of clinic over a minimum of 4 rotations at 3 separate sites; one clinical internship must take place in the final year of the program. Typically students achieve >400 hours by completing 4-6 rotations across 4-6 semesters. The Director of Master s Education and the Director of Clinical Operations will make the final decision about when DE students will be required to come to Greenville for a clinical rotation. Alaskan DE students follow the clinical program of the University of Alaska - Anchorage. All students (campus or DE and AKDE) are required to obtain a minimum 375 clock hours of speechlanguage pathology diagnostics and/or treatment sessions during their program; 375 is a minimum and is recommended. Students may request up to 50 hours accrued at the undergraduate level be counted in their 375 total. Hours worked as a speech-language pathology assistant cannot be counted. Students must submit proof of up to 50 hours to the Director of Master s Education prior to their first semester of enrollment for verification and approval. Hour Distribution Requirements for On-Campus and in-state DE students All campus and in-state DE students are required to meet NC licensure requirements. As such, campus students are required to obtain hours in specific categories (at least 20 hrs. each of child diagnostics speech, child diagnostics language, adult diagnostics speech, adult diagnostics language; child treatment speech, child treatment language, adult treatment speech, adult treatment language; this accounts for 160 of the 375 minimum required hours). DE students that begin the

10 program in NC and move out-of-state will have the option of meeting the 160 hour distribution, if they choose or meeting the requirements for out-of-state DE students. Required Hours for Out of State DE Students All out-of-state DE students (including AKDE) must review state licensure requirements of the state in which they plan to seek licensure; it is the student s obligation to ensure they meet all state licensure requirements including those related to clock hours before they apply for a state license. Clinical Clock hours in Audiology/Screenings (2 hour minimum above & beyond the 400 hour requirement) All students (campus or DE) are required to obtain a minimum 2 clock hours of hearing screenings above and beyond the 400 hour requirement during their program. To comply with NC Licensure and practice law, campus and in-state DE students must have hearing screening hours supervised by an audiologist (CCC-A). Out-of-state DE and AKDE students may have hearing screening hours supervised by an audiologist or speech-language pathologist, depending upon licensure laws in that state. It is the student s responsibility to determine if they need CCC-A or CCC-SLP supervision for their hearing screening hours if living outside of NC. Alaskan students are required to follow the policy of the University of Alaska Anchorage regarding hearing screenings. Hours of observation Minimum 25 Speech-language pathology hours (50 at undergraduate Minimum 375 level, if applicable) Audiology hearing screening hours Minimum 2 Minimum Total (Department may require additional Minimum 402 hours beyond this minimum) All hours listed above are MINIMUMS. The Department of CSDI reserves the right to require additional hours based on student performance, state licensure requirements, and ASHA certification requirements. Rev May, Approved June 2012.

11 FrequentlyAsked Questions about the Master s Degrees in Communication Sciences & Disorders (speech-language pathology clinical degree) What if I don't have an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders? If your undergraduate degree is in a field other than Communication Sciences & Disorders, you MUST have at least 18 credit hours of required undergraduate courses. The specific courses are in the Pre- Requisites Worksheet in section 3 of this packet usually it takes credit hours to accrue the content required by these course names. How do I take the pre-requisites at ECU either online or on-campus? There is detailed information in section 3 of this packet. Please review then click on Distance Education, then click on Pre-Requisites (even if you want the campus courses). Requests for pre-requisites are taken only via on March 1 st beginning at 9:00 AM EST each year. There are typically spaces for 20 online students and 10 campus students in the pre-requisite courses. Requests are taken on a first-come, first served basis of requesting students who qualify for the program (GRE & GPA minimums). NOTE: No requests received before 9:00 AM EST will be reviewed. You are welcome to to discuss the program at any time, but requests must be ed beginning at 9:00 AM EST on March 1 st. If I take the pre-requisites through ECU, am I guaranteed a spot in the master s program? No. All students in the pre-requisite program must apply specifically to the MS program(s) after they have completed most or all of the pre-requisite courses. Do I have to take the pre-requisites at ECU to apply for the MS degrees at ECU? No. We will review the course descriptions and/or syllabi from other programs to determine if the courses are acceptable. Please request and complete the Pre-Requisite FAQ document from [email protected] to obtain the form to use to request an equivalency evaluation. Do we have to have a statistics course? As of September 1, 2014, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requires statistics for people who want to apply for the CCC-SLP, the national credential of speech-language pathologists. We therefore require one three-credit statistics course prior to your admission to our MS program. This can be undergraduate or graduate statistics and can also be AP credit you earned in high school that was later accepted at a university for a statistics course and is visible on a university transcript. What other undergraduate courses do I need? Students must demonstrate at least 6 credits of Biological/Physical Sciences. We prefer that you take Biology and Physics, but other physical sciences are okay including chemistry, astronomy, etc. Also, you are required to have at least 6 credits of Social/Behavioral Sciences such as psychology & sociology courses. These too must be completed before you begin your master s degree. Do you offer any financial aid/assistance? You should contact ECU Student Financial Aid Office ( ) for information regarding financial aid. Campus students may have the opportunity to apply for graduate assistantships once they are accepted to the MS program. There are no assistantships for DE students. There are no assistantships during the pre-requisites.

12 I have taken some graduate courses in the field at another university. Will you accept transfer credits toward the degree? We may accept up to 9 semester hours of graduate transfer credit from another institution(s). These courses must be in a graduate program in speech-language pathology from an accredited university. Requests for such transfer credit must be made at time of acceptance. The course syllabus and official transcripts from the transferring institution must accompany the request. The course(s) to be transferred must be in the content area of the courses required in our department. Our instructors will determine if the course content warrants approval of the transfer credit. You should the course syllabus to [email protected] the day you receive your acceptance to the Graduate School. The Distance Education program-of-study is for three years. Can I shorten it by taking more than two courses per semester? Because we offer undergraduate, Master's and PhD degrees for full time students, we must adhere to a schedule and class size that we can effectively manage. We therefore cannot make any changes in the program-of-study without those changes adversely affecting the quality, and possible accreditation of the program. Therefore, you will not be allowed to take more than what has been outlined. Further, we have found that most students are in the DE program because they are working. Our experience tells us that two to three graduate courses per semester plus a clinical internship is MORE than enough to handle, and handle well! All students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in good academic standing. We recommend that students in the DE program work only part-time in the 2 nd year and not at all in the 3 rd year due to the 2-5 day clinical internships you are required to complete. Students enrolled in the Alaskan partnership with University of Alaska at Anchorage have a different clinical program and need to consult with Ms. Ellen Brigham at UAA about the clinical portion of the program. The Alaskan program is for Alaskan residents who have been and will continue to reside in Alaska. Students from the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii are not eligible to apply through the Alaskan partnership. Is the DE program a part-time program? No. Even though you are not taking full-time credits like you did as an undergraduate (say, 15 or 12 credits per semester), you will find graduate courses much more intense and via the DE mechanism, 8 or 9 credits per semester will seem like credits. Do not enter our DE program thinking it is part-time and that you can fit it in around a full-time job for 3 full years. That is not the intent of our program. The campus program-of-study is 18 months. Does it ever take longer? There are times when a student, for many reasons, is unable to complete the program in the traditional 5 semesters. This may include clinical deficiencies, lacking clinical hours, taking time to do a research thesis, illness, personal circumstances, etc. Traditionally it is five semesters, but six or seven is also reasonable in certain situations. What are the minimum GPA requirements for the MS degree? Students with a 3.0 GPA or greater will be considered for the MS degree programs, both campus and DE. Students who have less than a 3.0 GPA overall are not reviewed. The class entering Fall, 2011 had an average GPA of 3.59; The class entering Fall, 2012 had an average GPA of We also review courses in the major of SLP whether these were taken as an undergraduate major or as non-degree pre-requisites. We do not accept any C grades in SLP courses or pre-requisites. All SLP courses must have a B or better. Students typically accepted usually have a 3.8 or higher in the major (i.e., the required pre-requisites). What are the minimum GRE requirements for the MS degree?

13 The Department of CSDI requires a 30 th percentile score on both the Quantitative and Verbal sections. This is approximately a 145 on the Quantitative and a 146 on the Verbal; however percentile ranks change yearly and we use the percentile ranks for the admissions processes, not the raw score. If the ECU Graduate School does not qualify you based on your GRE scores, we will be unable to admit you. The class entering Fall, 2011 had an average Verbal score of 148 and an average Quantitative score of 160. The class entering Fall, 2012 had an average Verbal score of 153 and an average Quantitative score of 151. It is recommended that students strive for scores that place them in at least the 50 th percentile for each subtest to maintain the most competitive credentials. The percentile ranks for the admitted students averaged 57 th percentile for Verbal and 62 nd percentile for Quantitative. We do not waive the GRE for any reason. Do you accept international applicants? International applicants are welcome to apply to the campus program which takes place in Greenville, North Carolina. We are unable to accept international applicants into the distance education program, even if residing in the United States. Do DE students have to come to Greenville, North Carolina? All students, DE or campus, are required to attend a 2-3 day orientation on-campus in Greenville, NC the first Fall semester they are enrolled. After that, DE students may be required to return to Greenville if their clinical skills are determined to be deficient and probationary clinic is required. We work diligently with clinical supervisors in the students geographical locations to prevent this from occurring. Other than orientation and graduation, most DE students never come to Greenville (but we love when they visit!) Alaskan students, as a group, are required to attend a campus orientation at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. Ms. Ellen Brigham coordinates that and informs students of specifics. Will I have online classes if I am an on-campus student? Yes, many faculty are now utilizing technology that qualifies as having online classes. Both oncampus and DE students often collaborate on projects through various software programs such as Centra, Blackboard, Twitter, Facebook and/or Yammer. Is the DE program completely online? We consider the Distance Education program a distance education program, not an online program. Your lectures are online, but there are classes that require library research, activities in the community (service learning), and observations at health care facilities for example. Some classes require group work and assist you with having cyber meetings with your classmates. You may need to speak with a faculty member and will need to make yourself available 8:00 5:00 PM Eastern to have phone conferences/meetings with classmates. This requires flexibility during your workday whatever your time zone. The DE program is NOT considered a part-time program because of its intensity. You are enrolled for full-time credit most of the time and therefore you need to be prepared to handle some aspect of graduate school nearly every day, regardless of whether you are in clinicals or not. Can I continue to work while I am in the program? On campus students, we find, are able to hold jobs that require them to work in the evenings and on weekends, primarily in the first 2 semesters. After that, we find students are quite busy and fitting in work outside of the department can be difficult. It can be done and many students do it, but it does require dedication, planning, and less procrastination. Distance Education students typically are able to work full-time in their first year of the program because they are not in clinical internships. After the first 2 semesters, DE students begin clinical

14 internships 2-5 days a week and therefore, working full-time is typically not an option. In the 3 rd year, the course work is more intense and there is more of it, plus you are in internships 2-5 days a week, and continuing to work is nearly impossible for most students. We will not agree to allow you to do clinic only in the summers, for example if you are a school teacher. There is no deviation of clinical placements except in extreme situations such as medical issues. Students in the Alaskan program will have a different pattern of employment arrangements/considerations and clinical assignments than other students; again, consult with Ms. Ellen Brigham about specifics of the clinical portion of the program for Alaskans. How do I apply? All application materials are submitted electronically including letters of recommendation. Please review to review all instructions for online application processes. You will be directed to answer essay questions in this application; there is no personal essay to submit separately. Please speak with Ellen Brigham at University of Alaska if you have questions and are an Alaskan resident. Students may also have to complete a supplemental application. Please consult in September each year to determine if a supplemental application is required. Who do I contact with questions? All questions about the MS programs can be directed to the Director of Master s Education, Dr. Kathleen T. Cox at [email protected].

15 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PRE-REQUISITES NECESSARY FOR ADMISSION TO THE MASTER S DEGREE IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES & DISORDERS (SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY) 1. Do I have to have a Bachelor s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology? No. If you do not have a bachelor s degree in SLP or a related field like Speech & Hearing Sciences, you may be missing 2 things: undergraduate background courses and SLP pre-requisites. 2. What are undergraduate background courses? This is the background knowledge that the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association says you need to apply for the CCC-SLP (which you do at the end of your master s degree). These are courses like Physics, Biology, Statistics, Psychology, etc. ASHA requires at least 6 credits in Physical & Biological Sciences, at least one course in Statistics, and at least 6 credits in the Social & Behavioral Sciences. You must examine your undergraduate transcript to determine if you have these credits. See the table in this packet labeled Undergraduate Background Courses. Insert your courses into that table to determine if you meet the minimums. 3. What are pre-requisite SLP courses? These are sometimes called leveling courses. These courses are required to have the background speech-language pathology knowledge necessary to be successful in a master s degree program. Every university may require different pre-requisite courses. As of 2012, ECU requires the course content of 8 pre-requisite courses listed elsewhere in this packet. These must be completed with a B or better by the time you enroll in the master s degree programs in CSDI at East Carolina University. 4. How do I complete these courses? You need to find a university or universities that offers the same content as the courses we require. You do not have to complete these courses at ECU even if you want to go to ECU for our master s degree programs. Ultimately, you will provide transcripts from schools showing completion prior to your first enrollment at ECU in the MS program in CSDI. 5. If I take them at another school, will ECU accept them? If you want to take them elsewhere, you need to complete the Course Equivalency Form in this packet and it with a scanned copy of your transcript, to [email protected]. You need to type the course descriptions for the courses you intend to take exactly as they are in the catalog of that university. We will review the course descriptions and let you know if they are equivalent to ECU s pre-requisite requirements. We may require that you provide a syllabus to us to further document the content of a course. You may have these courses reviewed PRIOR to taking them or after taking them. If you take a course and we did NOT review the course content, it may not be acceptable and you may have to repeat a course to be eligible to enroll in our MS programs. Pre-Requisite Information & Course Equivalency Forms Page 1 of 5

16 6. Can I take them from East Carolina University, Department of CSDI? If you would like to take the pre-requisites from us (online or campus) then we need a letter of intent clearly describing your goals, a GRE score less than 5 years old, and a copy of your unofficial transcript ed to [email protected] on March 1 st at 9:00 AM EST. There are no exceptions to this paperwork requirement. Requests missing transcripts or GREs will not be honored. The first 20 (for online) and 5-10 (for campus) who and meet our criteria are offered seats. Typically we have about 20 seats for the online pre-requisites and 5-10 seats in the campus pre-requisites. We typically receive 100+ requests for the pre-requisite courses. requests will not be accepted prior to March 1 st at 9:00 AM EST. requests received after March 1 will be placed on the waiting list, along with the people who did not get chosen on March 1 st. The seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals must meet our criteria to be offered a seat and seats are offered in the order in which the requests are received. Complete information is available at then click on Distance Education, then click on Pre-Requisites. NOTE: You do not officially apply to ECU as a non-degree graduate student until you are told by the Department of CSDI that you have been given a seat in our pre-requisite courses. See Item 7. We cannot refund application fees if you apply to the Graduate School too soon in the process. 7. If I am offered a seat, when will I take and finish the pre-requisites? If accepted on or after March 1 st, you will first be directed to apply online to the Graduate School as a non-degree graduate student. Do not do this step if you are not offered a seat! You will have to pay $70 and if we do not offer you a seat, you cannot get a refund. Once you are accepted officially by the university as a non-degree graduate student, then the department will enroll you in courses. Non-degree students cannot enroll themselves. There are 3 pre-requisites offered in Fall, 2 in the Spring, and 1 in the Summer. Therefore, if you apply March 1, you would take 3 courses the following Fall, 2 in Spring, and 1 in the Summer. Example: March 1, 2013 application means Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Summer This may change if we alter the schedule of when we offer classes. The March 1 st process is CSDI s internal process and it s only an and it s free. NOTE: Taking the pre-requisites through CSDI/ECU does not guarantee admission to the MS programs. 8. If I am taking the pre-requisite SLP courses, when do I apply to graduate school at East Carolina University, Department of CSDI? You cannot enroll in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders master s degree programs until all pre-requisites are completed. You can apply while you are taking them, however. If you apply for the MS program and you have not completed your pre-requisites, and you are chosen for admission, you will be admitted conditionally. This means you must meet certain conditions before you are allowed to enroll in your first semester. The conditions will include that you show proof of completion (transcripts) of all your pre-requisite courses prior to the first day of school in the semester you begin. If you do not have the pre-requisites completed with a B or better, you will not be allowed to enroll. Your admission would be deferred for one year. We do not offer Spring or Summer enrollments; if you do not enroll in the Fall you are expected, then you would be allowed to defer to the next Fall while you finish the pre-requisites. The pre-requisites must be Pre-Requisite Information & Course Equivalency Forms Page 2 of 5

17 completed with a B or better or you will not meet the conditions of acceptance and you will not be allowed to enroll. Example: A student is taking the pre-requisites in Fall, 2012, Spring 2013 and Summer He would like to enroll in Fall 2013 for the master s degree. He would therefore apply by the deadline of January 15, If admitted, he would be a conditional admission and would have to show proof of completion of the courses with a B or better by Fall 2013 or he would be denied admission. NOTE: Having all of the pre-requisite courses completed does make an applicant more competitive in the applicant pool than someone who has only 2-3 completed, for example. 9. Can I take the pre-requisites online? Our online courses are designed for distance education purposes, so you must live at least 50 miles away during the entire time you are enrolled in the pre-requisite courses to continue to take them online. This is true for the master s degree, too. You must live at least 50 miles away from Greenville to be enrolled in our distance education online master s degree. If you move closer than 50 miles, you cannot continue in the DE program and will be admitted to the campus program only if there is a seat available. There is a request process for this. 10. Why do I have to take the GRE for the pre-requisites at ECU? We only offer these pre-requisite SLP courses to individuals who are likely to be admitted to graduate school. There is huge demand for the pre-requisite courses and seats in master s degree programs. We want to make sure that we are offering these seats to individuals who are likely to be admitted to graduate school and therefore, having a GRE requirement ensures that we choose students who are most likely to be admitted to a graduate program either at ECU or elsewhere. The GRE must be less than 5 years old and this requirement is not waived for anyone even if you have a master s degree in another field. This is also true when you apply to our MS programs. We will not waive the requirement for the GRE. Pre-Requisite Information & Course Equivalency Forms Page 3 of 5

18 East Carolina University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Pre-Requisite Worksheet This form is intended for people who do not have a bachelor s degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders or Speech- Language Pathology who would like to apply to the master s degree programs in Communication Sciences & Disorders at East Carolina University. Using your undergraduate transcript, fill in courses in A.& B. to determine if you have undergraduate science courses as required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for their CCC- SLP credential. If you cannot fill in the minimums, then you would require these undergraduate courses prior to enrolling in a master s degree program. The next section lists the 6 courses ECU requires as speech-language pathology pre-requisites before enrollment in the master s degree program is allowed. These courses should be completed, preferably, prior to applying. If you are taking them during the application process, then your admission would be conditional upon successful completion of the courses with a B or better. UNDERGRADUATE BACKGROUND COURSES A. Biological/Physical Sciences (6 credits) and Statistics STATISTICS IS required!! Course Title University Term/Year S.H. Graduate B. Behavioral/Social Sciences (min. 6 s.h.) (Anthropology, Child Development and Family Relations, Gerontology, Health, Philosophy, Psychology, Rehabilitation Studies, Sociology, Social Work) SLP PRE-REQUISITES COURSES REQUIRED AT EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY Phonetics Applied phonetics using International Phonetic Alphabet and pertinent modifications. Detailed descriptions of American English speech sounds and transcription of contextual speech representing mainstream and non-mainstream dialects. Transcription abilities developed to assess and treat speech disorders Language Development Normal acquisition and development of language from birth through preschool years, components of language, cognitive and communicative prerequisites, and language learning theories Anatomy of the Speech and Respiratory Mechanism Anatomy of speech production mechanisms. Central and peripheral nervous systems, respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation Speech Science Physiology and acoustic correlates of speech production mechanism Acquisition and Development of Phonology and Articulation Emphasis on birth to five years and critical periods through the early teen years. Content areas include birth cry, babbling, cross linguistic and universal patterns of acquisition, morphophonology, metaphonology, historical and contemporary normative data issues, and interrelation of normal phonological development with other areas of language growth Introduction to Audiology Concepts related to normal hearing, causes and effects of defective hearing, and hearing testing procedures Aural Rehabilitation Habilitation, rehabilitation of the hearing impaired as related to hearing aid use, speech-reading, auditory training, and total communication. Management philosophies related to children and adults Neural Processing in Speech and Language Study of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology including current research of nervous system structures and functions important for speech and language. Critical analyses of current theories of the neurophysiology utilized in speech and language. Pre-Requisite Information & Course Equivalency Forms Page 4 of 5

19 COURSE EQUIVALENCY FORM If you have taken undergraduate pre-requisite courses in speech-language pathology and would like to determine if they are acceptable for the ECU Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders master s degree in speech-language pathology, please complete the table below. You must type verbatim the course descriptions from your university in the appropriate boxes. Please print, scan, and then this form AND scanned copies of your unofficial transcripts from the universities to [email protected]. Only transcripts accompanied by this form will be reviewed and feedback provided to the student. Student Name: ECU Course number, name & Description CSDI 3010 Phonetics Applied phonetics using International Phonetic Alphabet and pertinent modifications. Detailed descriptions of American English speech sounds and transcription of contextual speech representing mainstream and non-mainstream dialects. Transcription abilities developed to assess and treat speech disorders. CSDI 3040 Anatomy, Physiology Anatomy, physiology, and acoustic correlates of speech production mechanisms. Central and peripheral nervous systems, respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. Your university name, Course number, Name, & Description (verbatim from the university catalog) CSDI 3045 Speech Science Physiology and acoustic correlates of speech production mechanism. CSDI 3020 Language Development Normal acquisition and development of language from birth through preschool years, components of language, cognitive and communicative prerequisites, and language learning theories CSDI 4100 Introduction to Audiology Concepts related to normal hearing, causes and effects of defective hearing, and hearing testing procedures. CSDI 4110 Aural Rehabilitation Habilitation, rehabilitation of the hearing impaired as related to hearing aid use, speech-reading, auditory training, and total communication. Management philosophies related to children and adults. CSDI 3050 Acquisition and Development of Phonology and Articulation Emphasis on birth to five years and critical periods through the early teen years. Content areas include birth cry, babbling, cross linguistic and universal patterns of acquisition, morphophonology, metaphonology, historical and contemporary normative data issues, and interrelation of normal phonological development with other areas of language growth Neural Processing in Speech and Language Study of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology including current research of nervous system structures and functions important for speech and language. Critical analyses of current theories of the neurophysiology utilized in speech and language. Pre-Requisite Information & Course Equivalency Forms Page 5 of 5

20 Instructions for Applying for the MS Degrees in Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSDI) at East Carolina University 1. Students applying for the non-clinical track should contact Dr. Kathleen Cox at before applying. 2. Students applying for the clinical tracks (Distance Ed or campus) to become a speech-language pathologist should follow these instructions. a. Gather an unofficial copy of transcripts from the colleges where you completed your BS in speechlanguage pathology (also called Communication Sciences & Disorders, Speech & Hearing Sciences, etc) or the pre-requisites if you did not major in CSDI. You will need these to complete the application. b. Send an official transcript from every college you have ever attended to the ECU Graduate School. Do not send transcripts to the Department of CSDI. The correct address is ECU Graduate School, 131 Ragsdale Hall, Greenville, NC All transcripts must be received by January 15, 2014 or your application will not be considered. Send your Fall 2013 transcript as soon as you are done with final exams. We want your fall 2012 grades in your application if you were a student. If your university wants to send them electronically, they should be sent to [email protected]. e. Complete the supplemental application at this website: c. Go to Scroll down to this graphic on the left hand-side. Read the step-by-step guide. Then apply through the online application. Send NO documents to CSDI. d. Letters of recommendation are submitted through the online application. Do not have people give you a hard copy of a letter. You will enter their name & address and they will receive an online form to complete. All recommendations must be in by January 15, 2014 or your application will not be considered. Ask people to get this done by November 15 to be safe! Check in September each year to determine is a supplemental application is required. f. There is no essay or personal statement to submit. Other than the questions to answer (which are essay like), you do not have to submit any other writing sample. You do not need to send a resume. 3. If you want to apply to the Distance Education program and the Campus program, you have to submit 2 different applications, but not 2 sets of transcripts or 2 sets of letters of recommendation. the [email protected] and explain that you are applying to two different programs in the same department and that they can use your letters & transcripts for both applications. You would need to do the supplemental application twice. Make sure you clearly answer the questions for the DE program about why you want the DE program and then for the campus program tell why you want the campus program. We must understand clearly why you are applying to both programs. Yes, you must pay $70 two times if you are applying for 2 different programs. 4. We expect to notify students by March 15, 2014; acceptances will be needed from students by April 15, We will not accept any late materials for any reason. All material must be completed by January 15, 2014 or the application will not be reviewed. 5. All incoming students (DE or campus) are required to attend an orientation in Greenville NC.