Speech-Language Pathology, M.A.

Admission to the Graduate Program

Enrollment in 500/600 level courses in speech-language pathology is restricted to students who have been accepted to the graduate program of the department as unconditionally classified students. Students wishing to be admitted must complete the following procedures:

1. Students must meet the criteria for acceptance by the University as a graduate student;
2. Every student (new or continuing) must apply directly to the university through CSU Mentor. CSU Mentor applications are processed by the university online at http://www.csumentor.edu/. Original transcripts and GRE scores must be sent directly to the university. The department will access these transcripts electronically for department evaluation. All materials to the university must be received no later than January 15th;
3. Students applying to the traditional or special cohort M.A. program, then must apply to the Department of Speech-Language Pathology for admission to the graduate program using the department application form. This form must be filed with the graduate advisor by January 15th for admission in the subsequent fall semester. The following supportive materials must be filed with the department admission application:
   1. Change of objective form available at department office (continuing CSULB students only);
   2. One-page summary of relevant work, volunteer or research experience, with name and contact information for corroborating professional.
      NOTE: Minimum Criteria 1) a GPA of 3.5 or better in the last 60 units of coursework, including Speech- Language Pathology coursework; and 2) confirmation of acceptable GPA obtained during the final senior semester.
      
      Any course deficiencies will be determined by the department graduate committee after consultation with the student and the student’s faculty advisor. Students applying to the graduate program in Speech- Language Pathology will have completed one of the two prerequisites listed in the next section prior to enrollment in graduate classes.

Prerequisites

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major in communicative disorders, speech-language pathology, speech and hearing sciences, etc., or
2. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in a discipline other than Speech-Language Pathology. The applicant must have at least 30 units of course work in speech-language pathology/communicative disorders as a matriculated student in an undergraduate program or master’s preparatory program from a university with accreditation from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) before enrollment in the graduate program.

Advancement to Candidacy

In order to be advanced to candidacy for a Master’s degree, a student must meet the following criteria:

1. enrollment in the semester or summer session in which advancement takes place;
2. satisfactory completion of C D 696 - Research Methods: Applied and Basic  (3) and three additional units;
3. satisfactory fulfillment of the CSULB Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). The GWAR must be fulfilled before the student is advanced to candidacy;
4. maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.0 in (a) all graduate work completed in Speech-Language Pathology, (b) all graduate work completed at CSULB, and (c) all graduate work transferred to meet graduation requirements with no grade below “C”;
5. filing of the student Program for the Master of Arts Degree in Speech-Language Pathology after completion of items 2‑5;
6. the Department’s standard written program of graduate courses approved by the student’s department advisor, the department graduate advisor, the department chairperson, and the College of Health and Human Services Associate Dean. (This form is known as the Advancement to  Candidacy form.)