Communication Sciences & Disorders (Archived 2016-17 Graduate Catalog)

Chair: Lynne Hewitt
Graduate Coordinator: Kimberly Traver
200 Health & Human Services
Phone: 419-372-2515
Communication Sciences and Disorders Program Website

Degrees Offered

M.S.
Ph.D.

Program Offered

M.S. in Communication Disorders with specialization in speech-language pathology.
Ph.D. in Communication Disorders

Accreditation

The M.S. program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and meets the academic requirements of the Association's Certificate of Clinical Competence as well as the requirements of licensure from the State of Ohio. Students may optionally pursue additional licensure required to work in Ohio public schools.

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

Admission to the M.S. program requires the successful completion of the following courses, or their equivalents.  A minimum of 4 completed prerequisite classes must be completed and those grades included on your transcript and verified by CSDCAS to be considered for admission.  If you are enrolled in the 4 prerequisite courses in the fall semester please contact the graduate coordinator for instructions.  Pre-requisite courses include:
    · Introduction to Communication Disorders
    · Phonetics
    · Speech & Language Acquisition & Development
    · Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Mechanism
    · Acoustics for Speech & Hearing
    · At least 1 course in any specific speech-language disorders topic, e.g.
            o   Phonological Assessment & Intervention
            o   Language Assessment & Intervention
                ·  NOTE: Both are strongly recommended, if offered at your university.
    · Diagnostic Audiology
    · Clinical Methods in Communication DisordersDescriptions of these courses can be found in the University's Undergraduate Catalog.

If you have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than communication sciences and disorders, you can take classes to allow you to apply to our master’s program. The prerequisite courses listed above must be completed before you can begin the master’s program.  You must also have taken at least one course in biology, psychology, physical science (either chemistry or physics), and a course in statistics. Any of these courses that you took during your bachelor’s education count towards this requirement.

The Graduate Coordinator will review the records of all applicants to determine whether prerequisites have been completed. Applications from students with substantial deficits in required prerequisites cannot be considered until the necessary courses have been completed or are shown to be in progress. All accepted students must document completion of 25 hours of supervised clinical observation prior to enrollment.

Admission Procedure

Applicants seeking admission to the graduate program in CDIS should follow the instructions outlined on the webpage. Please note that we use the CSDCAS centralized application system for all M.S. applicants.

M.S. Program:

There are 3 steps to follow.

• Apply through CSDCAS per instructions available at URL above.
  
• Apply to the BGSU Graduate College
• Submit the “Undergraduate Preparation Checklist”
  

Detailed instructions can be found online

M.S. to Ph.D. Bridge Program:

• Apply through CSDCAS
• Apply to the BGSU Graduate College
• Submit the “Undergraduate Preparation Checklist”
• A GPA of 3.5 or better in the major is required
• Submit a personal statement
• Submit a curriculum vitae
• Submit evidence of research experience and writing ability
• A personal interview may be requested
  Detailed instructions can be found online

Ph.D. Program:  

• Apply to the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders by submitting the following:
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Personal letter of application
  • Copy of GRE scores
  • Recommended supplemental materials
  • A personal interview may be requested
    • Apply to the BGSU Graduate College

Detailed instructions can be found online.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science
Students may pursue the M.S. degree under one of two plans:
Plan I: Candidates must complete a minimum of 52 semester hours of graduate Speech-Language Pathology course work, including at least three credit hours of thesis research. Prior to pursuing a thesis topic, a CDIS student must attain a 3.0 GPA in CDIS courses, as well as demonstrate adequate clinical performance.
Plan II: Candidates must complete a minimum of 51 semester hours of graduate course work.

In both Plan I and Plan II, details of expected course sequences in CDIS may be obtained from the CDIS Graduate Coordinator and are found in the department's Master's Degree Handbook.

Successful completing of the M.S. degree also requires 400 clock hours of clinical practicum in speech-language pathology.

The final examination for students under both plans is the national examination in Speech-Language Pathology (PRAXIS). This test is administered by the NTE and usually taken during a student's last semester of study (during their final externship). Students who present a thesis also undergo an oral final defense, in addition to the PRAXIS.

Doctor of Philosophy
The doctoral program requires a minimum of 60 semester hours beyond the master's degree or 90 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, including dissertation credit; successful completion of a written and oral preliminary examination related to the student's program of study; and completion of a statistical sequence. Students must write a dissertation that is an appropriate culmination of their program of study and pass a final oral examination over the dissertation. The doctoral program emphasizes a student-centered approach to doctoral education.  Students participate in research throughout their program and are closely supervised in their research and teaching experiences.  The curriculum is individually designed to meet students’ educational needs and professional goals.

Doctoral Bridge Program
For highly qualified applicants, the option exists to pursue a clinical master’s concurrently while preparing to continue into the doctoral program. Contact the Graduate Coordinator for further information about this program.

Graduate Courses
Please access graduate courses online using our Catalog. Graduate courses offered by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders use the prefix: CDIS.

A typical Master’s Program Sequence of Classes may be found on the website.