MA Program in Communicative Disorders with an Emphasis in Speech-Language Pathology
Students who have completed (or will complete by the following Fall) an undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders or the equivalent (i.e., prerequisite courses) are eligible to apply to the MA Program. Students whose undergraduate degrees are in fields other than communication disorders and who have not completed the prerequisite coursework should apply to the Master’s Preparatory Certificate Program (see above).
The MA program in Communicative Disorders with an emphasis in Speech-Language Pathology requires the completion of a minimum of 59 semester units of graduate coursework and clinical practicum. Additionally, most students choose to simultaneously pursue the Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential, which may add 3 additional semester units to the program.
Admission Requirements
The Department of Communication Disorders will only admit full-time students to the Master’s program. Students who have completed (or will complete by the following Fall) an undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders or the equivalent (i.e., prerequisite courses) are eligible to apply to the Master’s program.
Requirements for admission to the MA program in Speech-Language Pathology include the following:
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree in communicative disorders or equivalent (i.e. completion of the Master’s Preparatory Certificate Program or equivalent coursework at another University)
- A minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in undergraduate coursework
- A minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate or prerequisite speech-language pathology and audiology coursework
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Admission is contingent upon submitting documentation of clinical observation hours approximately one month before the program begins. Please see the FAQs section for more information.
Achievement of the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission to the MA program. Admission to the MA program in Speech-Language Pathology is a competitive process whereby all applicants are evaluated by a committee composed of faculty.
Prospective students are admitted, placed on a waiting list, or denied admission based on an evaluation of their grade point average in COMD coursework, grade point average in undergraduate coursework, GRE (waived for the Fall 2024 admission cycle) scores, letters of recommendation, letter of professional goals and intent, and an on-campus interview if selected for an interview.
How to Apply
Admission to the MA Program in Communicative Disorders takes place once a year (Fall admission only). Students wishing to apply to the MA Program must complete two separate applications. You must complete both applications concurrently.
1. University Application through Cal State Apply
An online application to the University must be submitted by the stated deadline via Cal State Apply (see Office of Admissions and Recruitment). All students, including current Cal State LA undergraduate and Certificate students, must submit the university application via Cal State Apply. For questions regarding the university application, please contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at (323) 343-3901.
Tips
- In your profile, be sure to select “Graduate” as your Degree Goal.
- Please do not submit your letter of intent and GRE scores through Cal State Apply. You will submit those documents with your department application using CSDCAS. Letter of intent (aka “Statement of Purpose”), type “N/A” in the textbox so that the system marks this item as complete. Please note, if you are applying to other CSUs, be aware that they may have different requirements for the Statement of Purpose. GRE scores: Go to the Academic History section, go to “Standardized Tests”, and click on “I Am Not Adding Any Standardized Tests”. NOTE: International students may have to submit other test scores. Please contact Admissions for more details.
- You do not have to manually enter your coursework into the Cal State Apply application. Therefore, under the Academic History section, go to “Transcript Entry”, and click “I Am Not Adding Any College Transcripts”. It will state you opted not to add any college transcripts, which is the correct thing to do.
- Official Hard Copy Transcripts: After you submit your online application, you will receive an email from Admissions with instructions on how to submit your transcripts.
Cal State Apply Fall 2024 Deadlines
Application opens: October 1, 2023
Application deadline: January 15, 2024
2. Department Application through CSDCAS
A separate online application must be submitted via CSDCAS (Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service). CSDCAS is administered by an independent third-party provider and is not associated with Cal State LA. It is a fee-based service that enables applicants to apply to multiple institutions.
The CSDCAS application is available at https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/ and requires:
- A letter of professional goals and intent
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts
- GRE scores (use Designated Institution [DI] Code 1747) Waived for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle
CSDCAS Fall 2024 Deadlines
Application opens: October 1, 2023
Application deadline: January 15, 2024
FAQs
Can I be a part-time student in the Master’s program?
No, you must be a full-time student.
Are classes offered online or in a more traditional, face-to-face setting?
All of the courses in the Master’s program are offered face-to-face.
What is the cost of this program?
The tuition and fee amount per semester for graduate students during the 2023/2024 academic year is $4,123.11 for students taking 6.1 units or more. Therefore, since this program is a full-time program that lasts two years (including summers), the tuition and fee cost would be approximately $21,128 ($4,123 x 4 semesters plus summer fees). However, a tuition increase has been approved, so please go to Student Financial Services for the most recent listing of Tuition and fees for Graduate programs.
Do you hold any information sessions or open houses?
A virtual information session will be scheduled in October. Please email us at ComD@calstatela.edu for more information.
How do I know if I have taken enough prerequisites to apply to the program?
Detailed transcript analysis occurs during the admissions process and cannot be done on a case-by-case basis before the application deadline. However, if you graduated with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders or completed a prerequisite or leveling program, you most likely have enough prerequisites to apply to our Master’s program. Missing one or two prerequisites will not make you ineligible to apply.
In terms of the ASHA Basic Sciences prerequisites, if you are unsure if a particular course meets these requirements, please send an email to ComD@calstatela.edu including the course title and catalog description.
Do I have to complete my clinical observation hours before applying to the program?
Not exactly. ASHA requires a minimum of 25 clinical observation hours prior to the start of clinical practicum. Therefore you have some time between the application deadline (January) and the time you begin the master’s program (August) to finish your clinical observation hours. You do not have to submit proof of clinical observation hours with your application.
When do I submit documentation of my clinical observation hours?
If you are admitted to the program, you will be asked to submit your clinical observation hours approximately one month before the program begins. At that time, we expect to see that admitted students have completed at least 20 of the 25 hours required by ASHA.
I am having issues using the Cal State Apply website, who can I contact?
If you have any technical problems with Cal State Apply, please visit Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center
Is there a prompt and/ or page limit for the letter of intent?
There is no prompt or page limit. Students are welcomed to choose the most relevant information to include and while there is no page limit, we recommend that the letter be no longer than three pages.
Must I enter all of the courses I have taken into CSDCAS and Cal State Apply?
You must enter all of your coursework into CSDCAS but not into Cal State Apply. Only enter coursework into Cal State Apply if you are currently enrolled in classes or planning to take classes before you begin this program.
Do I have to submit transcripts to both CSDCAS and Cal State Apply?
Yes.
Do I send Cal State Apply transcripts to Admissions?
After submitting your Cal State Apply application online, Admissions will contact you by email regarding your transcripts. Please be on the lookout for that email and follow their instructions.
I am a Cal State LA student; must I send Cal State LA transcripts as well?
For CSDCAS, yes you must submit Cal State LA transcripts. Please follow the instructions on CSDCAS.
For Cal State Apply, you will not be asked to submit Cal State LA transcripts.
How many students are accepted each year?
Each annual cohort consists of 24 students.
What is your acceptance rate?
Based on the historical number of applicants about the number of students we admit, our acceptance rate is less than 10%.
GPA
- What is a competitive GPA? The GPAs of those recently admitted ranged from 3.63 to 4.0.
- What GPA is used in your admission decisions? The GPA that has the most weight is the GPA based on courses in Communication Sciences and Disorders.
If selected for an interview, do I have to attend in person, or is there a remote option?
All interviews will be conducted in person.
What is the percentage of graduating MA students who go to work in schools and hospitals?
Approximately 50% of graduates end up working in schools, and 50% in hospitals.
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