Communication Sciences and Disorders (MA)

Gain the knowledge and training to become an SLP

Through this clinical master™s degree program, students are prepared to become speech-language pathologists (SLPs) for work in early intervention, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics and private practices. SLPs work with children, adolescents and adults who experience a variety of communication and associated disorders.

In this program, you will gain knowledge and skills which are applied directly through hands-on experiences working alongside clinical faculty in the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic. Students learn from SLPs in the community through our robust internship program that includes more than 200 practicum/internship sites throughout the greater Orlando area and the state of Florida. Following completion of the master™s degree, some graduates continue on to pursue doctorate degrees.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) master™s program consists of a minimum of 72 credit hours, including 38 credit hours of core academic courses, 9 credit hours of electives, and 25 credit hours of clinical practice. Thesis students take 6 credit hours of thesis and one elective course (3 credit hours). Most students complete the program in two years.

Program Tracks

Traditional Track
The Traditional track is a two-year, full-time face-to-face program (six consecutive semesters, including two summers) for students with undergraduate degrees in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology. For students with undergraduate degrees in other majors (out-of-field), the program requires additional prerequisite coursework. Students must begin the program in the semester for which they are admitted and must enroll full-time each semester.

Consortium Track
The Consortium track is a cooperative effort between the UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Central Florida Public School Consortium to address the critical shortage of public school speech-language pathologists in the area. Participating school districts in the Central Florida Consortium are Brevard, Citrus, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia. Students must be employed in a school setting and will complete a modified course sequence across eight consecutive semesters.

Accelerated Track
The Accelerated track enables highly qualified current UCF undergraduate majors in communication sciences and disorders to achieve a master™s degree in the UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program one semester faster than in the Traditional track. This program is a BA/BS to MA program. Students are able to enroll in graduate-level courses while completing the bachelor™s degree.

Foundations Track
Students who did not major in communication sciences and disorders or a related field (œout of field) may still apply to the program but must complete the undergraduate prerequisite courses upon admission. These courses are meant to be taken upon admission to the graduate program at UCF, not before admission. These courses are specific to UCF, and other graduate programs will have different course requirements. Students must enroll in the program prior to taking the classes to ensure class credit will be applied to their degree.

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution recognized by UCF or its equivalent from a foreign institution AND a GPA of 3.0 or more (on a 4.0 maximum) in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student OR while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student (normally based on the last sixty attempted semester hours); OR, a graduate degree or professional degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or its equivalent from a foreign institution in a field related to the discipline of the program to which the student is applying.
• Students applying to doctoral programs should refer to the graduate catalog requirements for their program.
• Students applying to doctoral programs must also submit three letters of recommendation, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a written essay.
• International students must demonstrate their proficiency in the English language. International students, except those who are from countries where English is the only official language, those who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or those who have earned a degree from a country where English is the only official language or from a university at which English is the only official language of instruction, are required to submit a score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS before they can be admitted to the university. A computer-based TOEFL score of 220 or 80 on the internet-based TOEFL (or equivalent score on the paper-based test) or 6.5 on the IELTS is required unless otherwise specified by the program.
• International students applying to master’s or doctoral programs that do not require a GRE (or GMAT), except those that have earned or will earn a Masters or Doctoral degree from an accredited U.S. institution recognized by UCF, must submit a course-by-course evaluation of their official transcripts from a credential evaluation service recommended by UCF. This course-by-course evaluation must show a GPA that is equivalent to a 3.0 from an earned degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• UCF now accepts scanned copies of official transcripts as part of your application materials. You will have the ability to upload these materials during the application process. After you have been offered admission to a graduate program and prior to the beginning of the semester term, you will be required to submit your official transcripts. When obtaining official transcripts, be sure to request that the transcripts show the degrees you have earned.

• those who are from countries where English is the only official language;
• those who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university;
• those who have earned a degree from a country where English is the only official language;
• those who have earned a degree from a university at which English is the only official language of instruction; or
• those who have successfully completed UCF English Language Institute Level 8 or higher with a grade of “B” or better at UCF Global.