Communication Disorders Graduate Application Process

As part of the Graduate School at Southern Connecticut State University, the Department of Communication Disorders offers a program leading to the Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

Applicants must meet the admissions requirements of the Graduate School and the Department of Communication Disorders. A cumulative undergraduate degree GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for admission to the Graduate School. In order to be considered for admission, you must have either a Bachelor's Degree in CMD or have completed both ASHA Pre-Requisite Coursework and Pre-Professional Coursework for the SCSU CMD Graduate Program outlined here. For questions about required coursework, please reach out to our undergraduate program coordinator, Dr. Kelly Mabry, at mabryk1@southernct.edu prior to submitting your application. 

Please note: In order to apply to our program you must complete an application in BOTH CSDCAS and in the SCSU Graduate Application Portal.

Fall semester - January 15
Spring semester - not offered

In order to apply to our program, you must complete applications in BOTH the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application (CSDCAS) and Southern Connecticut State University's Graduate Application PortalIt is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure ALL required documents have been received in both CSDCAS and the Graduate Application Portal by the January 15th deadline. Applications not completed by the deadline will not be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

GRE scores are NOT a requirement of the admissions process. However, standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE, or PraxisCore) must be submitted to the SCSU Graduate Application Portal in order to meet the CT State Department of Education Teacher Certification requirements.

It is important that you review BOTH of the application procedures below and visit the Graduate Admission's website for detailed document submission information.

CSDCAS Application Process

Create an account, complete application materials in CSDCAS. Please read the directions outlined in CSDCAS carefully in order to complete your application.

Submit to CSDCAS:

  • Official undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts from all colleges or universities attended
  • A resume, no more than 2 pages. See details in the CSDCAS portal.
  • A 250-300 word well-written essay. See prompt in the CSDCAS portal.
  • A brief, 2 minute video essay. See prompt in the CSDCAS portal.
  • Three letters of recommendation (LORs). Chosen recommenders should be able to speak to the applicant's potential for success as a graduate student, as a professional in the field of speech-language pathology, or both. Faculty and/or direct supervisors of work in a related field with whom you have an established relationship are good choices for appropriate recommenders. Please be advised that if you choose to submit more than three letters of recommendation, the Admission’s Committee will only review the first three LORs listed in your application.
  • Foreign transcripts from WES. (International students only). 
  • GRE scores are not required. However, standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE, or PraxisCore) must be submitted to the SCSU Graduate Application Portal to meet the CT State Department of Education Teacher Certification requirements. 

Office of Graduate Admissions Application Process

Submit the SCSU Graduate School application and fee via online submission. Once the Graduate Application is submitted, applicants will be given access to the Graduate Application Portal and will be responsible for submitting required materials to the Graduate School. Applicants MUST check the Graduate Application Portal to make sure all materials have been processed by the Graduate School. If you have any questions, please call the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Submit to the Graduate Application Portal:

  • Official undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted. Transcripts can be submitted electronically to:  graddocs@southernct.edu or mailed to the Graduate School at:  501 Crescent Street, Buley Library, Rm 444, New Haven, CT 06515
  • Standardized test scores, either ACT, SAT, GRE, or PraxisCore, must be submitted to the SCSU Graduate Application Portal to meet the Connecticut State Department of Education Teacher Certification requirement. Please use SCSU's code 3662 when submitting scores. Note: Scores currently do not have an expiration date for this requirement. 
  • Proof of English proficiency (see Graduate Catalog) and WES transcript evaluation (course-by-course) (INTERNATIONAL students only).
  • Please note, when confirming that your application is complete, if you are enrolled in a Bachelor’s Program at the time of applying, your file will indicate an outstanding requirement for proof of Bachelor’s Degree.  This is expected if you have not completed your degree. Your file will be reviewed as complete if this is your only outstanding requirement.  If you are accepted into the program, you will need to submit an official transcript showing proof of degree no later than two weeks prior to the start of the fall term.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR DOCUMENT SUBMISSION OUTLINED ON CSDCAS AND THE GRADUATE ADMISSION WEBSITE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH APPLICANT TO REVIEW CSDCAS AND THE GRADUATE APPLICATION PORTAL TO VERIFY THAT ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS ARE RECEIVED BY JANUARY 15.

Admissions decisions are made on a competitive basis. By April 1, letters are mailed to applicants indicating that they have been accepted, wait-listed or denied acceptance to the program. Accepted students have two weeks to reply before their admission status will be revoked. Letters of acceptance or rejection will then be mailed to wait-listed applicants.

All students accepted to the Communication Disorders Program must subsequently be formally admitted by the Office of Graduate Admissions and the School of Education upon final review of transcripts and application materials in order to finalize the admissions process.  Admitted students will meet with the Graduate Program Director at the time of program planning during the spring or summer following acceptance into the program. Accepted students begin their studies in the fall semester. 

The Department of Communication Disorders offers a limited number of graduate assistant positions on a competitive basis. Graduate assistants support the research and/or teaching needs of the Department.

Do I need to have an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders in order to apply to the Master's Program?
You must either have an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders or have completed both ASHA Pre-Requisite Coursework and Pre-Professional Coursework listed on for the SCSU CMD graduate program outlined here.  For any questions about required coursework, please reach out to our Undergraduate Coordinator, Dr. Kelly Mabry (mabryk1@southernct.edu), to create a personalized plan PRIOR to applying to our graduate program. Please note: Federal financial aid may not be awarded for undergraduate courses taken while enrolled as a graduate student. 

Do I need to submit GRE scores as part of the application process?
No, GRE scores are not required, however, submission of standardized test scores is necessary for the Connecticut State Department of Education requirements for school certification.  In order to meet this requirement for admission, standardized scores from the GRE, PRAXIS Core, ACT, or SAT must be submitted as part of the application process to the Graduate School Application.  Scores do not have an expiration date for this requirement. 

Do I need to submit the PRAXIS® Core, formerly PRAXIS® I, SAT or ACT scores?
No, however, submission of standardized test scores is necessary for the Connecticut State Department of Education requirements for Special Services Endorsement. All students complete clinical placements in a public school system, so all students must meet the University's requirements for school certification. Standardized scores from the GRE, PRAXIS Core, ACT, or SAT are acceptable. Scores do not have an expiration date for this requirement. 

Is there a minimum undergraduate GPA required in order to be considered in the admissions process?
The minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA to be considered is 3.0, however, the average cumulative GPA of the incoming class is often higher than 3.5. 

Is the Master’s Program in Speech Pathology a full time program?
The Graduate Program in the SCSU Department of Communication Disorders is a full-time program and requires students to take a minimum of 9 – 12 credits per semester to successfully complete all 63 – 66 required credits within 5 semesters. Students enrolling in our program will want to be aware of the time and effort required to successfully engage in the academic and clinical experiences. If you have any questions about this expectation, please reach out to our Graduate Program Coordinator, Dr. Barbara Cook, at cookb5@southernct.edu.  

Office of Graduate Admissions

School of Graduate and Professional Studies
501 Crescent Street
Buley Library, Rm 444
New Haven, CT 06515
Phone: (203) 392-5240
Email: gradadmissions@southernct.edu

Department of Communication Disorders

Department of Communication Disorders/Admissions Committee
Southern CT State University
501 Crescent Street
Davis Hall B-012
New Haven, CT 06515
Phone: (203) 392-5954
Fax: (203) 392-5968
Email: CommunicationDisordersGrad@southernct.edu 

Materials

CSDCAS

SCSU Grad. Application Portal

Application/fee

Yes

Yes

Official Transcripts

Yes

Yes

GRE

No

Yes*

(Code 3662, if no ACT, SAT, PraxisCore submitted)

SAT/ACT/Praxis

No

Yes*  (if no GRE)

TOEFL (if applicable)

No

Yes

Resume

Yes

No

Essay

Yes

No

Video Essay

Yes

No

Letters of Recommendation

Yes

No

*  Note: In order to meet the Department of Education requirements for Certification, one standardized score (SAT/ACT/PraxisCore or GRE) must be submitted to the Graduate School. Per the Associate Dean of the School of Education who manages this requirement, there is no expiration of the exam scores.