Prospective Student  

 

Thank you for your interest in the graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) at NAU; this program leads to a Master of Science in Clinical Speech-Language Pathology. Our program tracks are Full-Time Regular, Full-Time Leveler and Summers-Only.  Applicants to this program must have a bachelor's degree completed in any area prior to entering.

Please refer to our CSD web page to network through program and admission information, last year’s admission statistics, peruse our various programs of study, become familiar with our program requirements, including undergraduate prerequisite courses, and access other important links, such as our CSD Graduate Student Handbook. Please read all links on the Program Overview > Admissions page for detailed information about our admission application process. Please keep in mind that admission to all of our program tracks is through a competitive process.

Program tracks

Refer to our CSD Program Overview to help choose the track best for you.

  • The Full-Time Regular trackentails a rigorous load of coursework during the fall, spring and summer semesters for two full consecutive years.
  • The Full-TimeLeveler trackcomprises a rigorous load of coursework during the fall, spring and summer semesters for two full consecutive years, plus an additional fall semester. 
  • The Summers-Only trackis designed specifically for individuals who are already working in the speech-language pathology field; specific requirements for eligibility apply.  This track comprises a rigorous load of coursework during three consecutive summers on the Flagstaff Mountain Campus, online course work during the intervening academic years, two clinical practica at your work site, and one non-school/medical site in the fourth summer.   The CSD Summers-Only classes in Flagstaff usually begin the first or second week in June and run for 8 to 8-1/2 consecutive weeks.
  • The master’s degree in Clinical Speech-Language Pathology is NOT offered as an online program.

Admission

Application for Admission is accomplished in two separate stages: application to the NAU Graduate College and application through the Central Application System (CSDCAS).  For complete application information and deadlines, refer to our CSD Admissions web page. You may apply to the CSD Full-Time Regular or the Full-Time Leveler track (but not to the Summers-Only track) during the semester in which your undergraduate degree is being completed. However, your degree must be posted prior to beginning any CSD coursework.

Admission statistics

Use information on our CSD Admissions web page to see the GPA and GRE rankings of students recently admitted into our program.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

ALL applicants are required to have ETS (Educational Testing Services) submit directly to NAU your official GRE scores which are no more than five years old.  CSD does not specify minimum GRE scores but uses values from all three sections of the general GRE to rank applicants. We recommend that you prepare thoroughly for the exam and do as well as you can. You may take the GRE multiple times.  Subtest scores below the twentieth percentile are not competitive.

GPA

Applicants generally should have an undergraduate GPA of not less than 3.0 to be competitive in our application process.  If your overall GPA is below the statistical average of the overall GPA for individuals previously invited to our program (refer to the statistics link above), you may want to take, or re-take, some or all of the undergraduate course prerequisites. If you choose to include in your personal essay the unofficial GPA score for just your undergraduate prerequisite courses, that information will be reviewed and taken into consideration.

Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses

Undergraduate Foundational Requirements

Applicants must complete foundational courses in four areas from outside of the Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) discipline prior to entering the program. These foundational course titles, along with the grade you earned, must be listed on your NAU application.

Prerequisite “leveling” courses

Applicants must also complete seven undergraduate prerequisite courses from the speech-language pathology discipline. 

  • If you are applying to the Summers-Only track, you must have prerequisite grades posted on your transcript prior to applying to our program.  
  • For the Full-Time Regular track, you must complete the leveling courses prior to entering our program, i.e., the final prerequisite courses may still be in the “In Progress” stage at the time of your application.
  • If you are accepted into our Leveler track, the appropriate prerequisite courses will be added to your CSD graduate program of study.
  • If some, but not all, of the Discipline prerequisites have been met, the student's Leveler track program of study would be adjusted so that the remaining Discipline deficiencies are built into their graduate program of study.

It is the expectation that these courses are all passed with grades of “B” or better in order to be competitive.  We offer an exception to only one of our prerequisite courses. If you are unable to take Neurological Foundations of Speech-Language and Hearing or its equivalent before applying, we can incorporate that course into your NAU graduate program of study.

The NAU Graduate College admission application will ask you to list the courses and the grades you earned that meet these requirements. Do your best to equate which courses on your transcript meet the requirements. The courses you list should include the same key words as those in the descriptive titles of our prerequisite courses. For example, a CSD course that might be equivalent to Neurological Foundations should have the term “neuro” in the title.  Do not list the same course twice. The CSD Admissions Committee will assess equivalency only after receiving your complete program application materials.  You may then be requested to submit a class syllabus or a course description from your institution’s online academic catalog. 

You may take the prerequisite courses or their equivalents through any accredited institution. At NAU, the catalog prefix for prerequisite leveling courses is “SST”.  The SST undergraduate leveling courses are NOT offered through the CSD master’s program and we cannot answer questions about those classes or help you enroll into those classes.  For details about the undergraduate leveling classes at NAU, please refer to the following contact information:

Web: SLPA Certificate
Contact: Brianna Heisey
Ph: 1 800 426 8315, ask for Brianna Heisey
Email: Brianna.heisey@nau.edu

Registering for Leveling Courses at NAU

 Refer to the Registrar’s web page for calendars and course schedules by semester. For course availability, select the LOUIE link in mid-page and go to Class Search/Browse Catalog; select a semester from the drop down menu and press “GO”.  Call 928-523-0291 for advising to take an NAU undergraduate SST course.  You may apply for admission to NAU as either a degree-seeking or a non-degree-seeking student at either the undergraduate or graduate level.  Note: “non-degree-seeking” status may limit your financial aid opportunities and how many classes you can take each semester; refer to the admissions office or your financial aid officer for specific restrictions related to a non-degree-seeking status.                         

Tuition and fees

For current tuition and fees, go to Student and Departmental Account Services.  Refer to the CSD Graduate Student Handbook and search under Student and Departmental Account Services for additional details.

Campus visits

Potential students are encouraged to visit the NAU campus and our department; schedule an appointment through the NAU Graduate College. 

Refer to the NAU home page for additional NAU information.

Careers in speech-language pathology

To explore the careers, professions and various studies, market trends, and regions that are looking for qualified Speech-Language Pathology service providers, please visit the  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website.

Speech-language Pathology Assistant (SLPA)

Some people choose to become licensed SLPA’s (or their state’s equivalent), intending to apply to our CSD master’s program at a later time.  If you are seeking a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Certificate, you may take those classes through any accredited institution. Be sure to include all seven of our prerequisite courses as part of your SLPA certificate program.  Refer to the undergraduate Health Sciences web site for information about the online SLPA Certificate Program at NAU. If you have questions, call 1 800 426 8315 and ask for Brianna Heisey, or email Brianna.heisey@nau.edu.

If you plan to be employed as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in Arizona, the SLPA license is issued by the Arizona Department of Health Services.  Direct ALL questions about the SLPA application and about receiving an Arizona SLPA license to that State department.