Speech-Language Pathology Program Admissions

Students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, have completed or are in process of completing all required prerequisites, and wish to pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Pacific University may apply for admission to our graduate program. Admission is granted one time per year, for a Fall semester start. We enroll 35 graduate students each Fall. The deadline to apply for Fall 2025 is January 15, 2025. 

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Requirements for Admission to the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program

Admission to the graduate program in SLP is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum thresholds below does not guarantee admission.

1. Bachelor’s degree 
   • All students applying for admission to the graduate program must have completed a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university prior to the start of the master’s program.
2. Prerequisite Coursework
   • It is not necessary to have an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders to pursue the master’s degree. However, candidates must complete all prerequisite coursework prior to the start of the Master’s program. There are several required prerequisite courses.
   • If your undergraduate degree was in communication sciences and disorders, you have likely completed all of the required prerequisites. If your undergraduate degree was in a different field, you should apply for the post-baccalaureate program to complete the required prerequisites before you apply for graduate school. In either case, all interested applicants should view the required prerequisite coursework for admission to our graduate program and ensure that all requirements will have been completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program.
   • In addition, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requires that master’s degree candidates show transcript evidence of at least one course in each of: the biological sciences, physical sciences, social/behavioral sciences, and statistics. Each course must be a minimum of 3 credits and must be completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program.
3. Observation Hours 
   • Candidates must have completed the minimum 25 hours of clinical observation with an ASHA-certified SLP, and provide appropriate documentation, prior to the start of the Master’s program.
4. GPA Requirement
   • A minimum 3.00 GPA overall and 3.25 GPA in CSD prerequisite coursework is highly recommended for admission to our graduate program.
5. The GRE is NOT required or evaluated. 

Procedures for Applying to the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program

Once you have reviewed the requirements for admission above, you are ready to apply to our program. To apply for admission, please follow these steps:

1. Complete the online application using the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). The CSDCAS application fee is $125 for the first graduate program applied to and $50 for each additional graduate program. All information must be submitted directly to CSDCAS to complete your application. CSDCAS requires 4-6 weeks to process your information and verify your transcripts, so start early!

As part of the online CSDCAS application, you will need to submit (directly to CSDCAS):

• Official transcripts from each college or university attended. To allow ample processing time, we highly recommend you submit official transcripts to CSDCAS before December 1.
• A personal statement (instructions are included within the CSDCAS system).
• Your resume information, including relevant work and volunteer experiences, research, and other extra-curricular activities or accomplishments. Applicants are encouraged to enter all relevant information to complete their application and offer a holistic impression.
• Contact information for a minimum of three academic or professional references that will complete a letter of reference for you. Academic references that can speak to your potential in a graduate program of study are strongest. Work references that can speak to your professionalism are also acceptable.

2. Academic update online with CSDCAS. If you submitted your transcripts prior to Fall grades being posted, you will need to complete the “academic update” after December 15 to update your application with final Fall grades.
3. Verify English language proficiency with Pacific University if English is not your native language.

For assistance with the CSDCAS online application system, please check the online Frequently Asked Questions resource available from CSDCAS.

The deadline to complete the above three steps is January 15, 2025.

Next Steps in the Admissions Process

1. Application Review. As part of our holistic review process, faculty members from the School of CSD review each complete application in detail.
2. Interviews. Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in an individual interview. School of CSD faculty members interview qualified applicants together with a community partner to help us learn more about you. Community partners include regional employers, community supervisors, alumni, and/or members of the broader university community. You will also have the opportunity to learn more about Pacific University and the speech-language pathology program. Interviews are conducted in the month of February. 
3. Offers of Admission. Following the interviews, the Admissions Committee will discuss each applicant and make one of three initial offers: admission, waitlist, or denial. Applicants are notified of admission status in early March.
4. Acceptance. We ask that each applicant who is offered admission reply to us by April 15. We do not release waitlist rankings; the waitlist remains open until the first day of classes.

Information Meetings

Please join the faculty of the School of CSD online to learn more about our MS SLP program! To help us with planning, please register using the links below.

Please join faculty, staff, and students of the School of CSD online for WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WEDNESDAYS to learn more about all facets of our MS SLP program!

REGISTER NOW FOR FALL 2024 EVENTS

Cannot attend? We record all of our events and hyperlink them to the dates below, so you do not miss a thing! Please email Carmel Nicol at csd@pacificu.edu for our Google Slides for each session.

Upcoming Events (Fall 2024):

• Wednesday, October 2, 5:30 PM PT: Inclusive Teaching (CLICK FOR RECORDING)
• Wednesday, October 9, 5:30 PM PT: Clinical Program (CLICK FOR RECORDING)
• Wednesday, October 16, 5:30 PM PT: Simulation Program (CLICK FOR RECORDING).
• Wednesday, October 23, 5:30 PM PT: Financial Considerations (CLICK FOR RECORDING).
• Wednesday, October 30, 5:30 PM PT: CSDCAS Preparation Assistance
• Wednesday, December 11, 5:30PM PT: It's not too late! Last Minute CSDCAS Help

Guaranteed Grad School Admission

Pacific University undergraduate students can save a seat in the speech-language pathology program through the Pacific Priority guaranteed grad school admission program. Apply as soon as you deposit to become a Pacific undergraduate student or during your undergraduate years. Learn how.