Academic Coordinator: Yvette D. Hyter, PhD
Room 4475, (SLHS), CHHS Bldg.

The Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology, which is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), provides academic and practicum experiences central to the development of clinical competence in the evaluation and treatment of language, speech, and hearing disorders.  Students completing the degree program are generally expected to meet the standards for certification of clinical competence by ASHA.  The master’s degree program consists of a minimum of fifty credit hours.  Supervised clinical practice is required during every term of full-time registration and includes at least two assignments to off-campus practicum sites, in addition to evaluation and therapy responsibilities in the Charles Van Riper Language, Speech and Hearing Clinic.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted once per year in the Fall on an annual basis. Application requires submission of the following to both the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) at https://portal.csdcas.org/, and Western Michigan University’s Graduate College at https://wmich.edu/apply/graduate/. The application deadline for the WMU application is January 15. Be advised that it can sometimes take CSDCAS up to two weeks to verify application materials; therefore, it is recommended that students submit materials at least two weeks before 15 January.  Contact CSDCAS directly with any questions pertaining to their portal. The process of reviewing applications is extensive, and it may take several weeks before applicants hear a response.  Not every applicant who meets minimum admission requirements can be admitted; the department reserves discretion in admission of the most highly qualified applicants  Specific admission requirements are outlined below:

1. A grade point average of at least 3.00 in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate study.
2. Completion of an undergraduate major, or equivalent undergraduate course sequence, in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.  The student who has not completed these requirements as an undergraduate will need to do so before enrolling in departmental graduate courses.
   1. Undergraduate preparation must include courses that provide information on basic human communication processes.  There should be at least one course in phonetics, one course in speech and language development, and one course in the science of speech and hearing.
   2. Undergraduate preparation must also include coursework that provides basic information on speech, language, and hearing disorders.
3. Completion of course work or transcript credit is required in each of the following areas: (a) biological science, (b) statistics, (c) physical sciences (physics or chemistry); and (d) behavioral sciences.  The student who has not completed this course work as an undergraduate will need to do so as a graduate student in order to meet ASHA standards for clinical certification.
4. A grade point average of at least 3.00 in all undergraduate speech pathology and audiology course work.
5. Submission of scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination.
6. Submission of scores on the TOEFL.
7. Evidence of personal and professional qualifications considered necessary for successful professional practice, as reflected in the following documents:
   1. Three letters of recommendation from individuals able to comment on the applicant’s academic and practicum achievements and potential for successful graduate work.
   2. Statement of purpose for seeking graduate degree.