collageEvery basic interaction with friends, family, and co-workers depends on the ability to communicate effectively. Helping people overcome challenges associated with speech, language, and other communication disorders provides the framework for an amazing career.
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders combines academic learning with clinical experience to prepare you for a meaningful and rewarding career in speech-language pathology, audiology, occupational therapy, or related disciplines. Our Undergraduate Program immerses you in skills and environments that provide a solid framework for further study or a job in the field after graduation. The department’s long-time, on-campus Graduate Program is nationally ranked and has close to a 100% employment rate. Our newest online master’s program, Speech@Emerson, offers the same curriculum as our on-campus program with the flexibility of pursuing your degree without having to leave your home state.
Real-world, collaborative training opportunities abound at Emerson. For our on-campus students, this includes our on-campus Robbins Center, which provides evaluation and treatment services for children and adults with communication disorders and differences. These experiences are augmented by clinical fieldwork at any of more than 100 clinical sites in the greater Boston area. For our online Speech@Emerson students, our team of dedicated placement specialists will help you find local sites within our national partner network where you can experience hands-on training. Guided by the exceptionally committed experts on Emerson’s faculty, your training will qualify you to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of others.
The CSD Executive Committee, which administers the program, consists of:
Nydia Bou, Associate Chair
Lynn Conners, Director of Clinical Programs
Laura Glufling-Tham, Director of Clinical Education
Ruth Grossman, Chair; Graduate Program Director, Speech@Emerson Online Program
Lisa Wisman Weil, Graduate and Undergraduate Program Director, On-campus
Emerson college speech pathology requirements
To apply to Speech@Emerson, you must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, from a regionally accredited university or college. If you did not study speech-language pathology (also known as communication sciences and disorders) during your undergraduate program, the Speech@Emerson program offers foundational courses online to help you prepare for applied graduate-level study.
If you have already taken foundational coursework, also known as prerequisite courses, at another institution, these courses and your grades will be reviewed when you apply to the program. All students are required to take and pass foundational courses (with a grade of “B” or better) before enrolling in applied graduate courses.
Coursework in Statistics and Basic Sciences
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification standards for speech-language pathology require that all applicants for ASHA certification demonstrate undergraduate-level knowledge of statistics and the basic sciences. Applicants must show evidence of completion of courses in statistics and the basic sciences in order to begin their Clinical Fellowship and obtain professional certification. The program does not offer courses in statistics or the basic sciences. We strongly suggest that students complete these courses within their first year in the program. Please note the following required features of this coursework:
- These courses can be taken at any accredited institution within the United States and must appear on a transcript. Classes taken at the high school level are not eligible to meet this requirement, with the exception of advanced placement (AP) courses that appear for credit on your college/university transcript. Coursework from massive open online courses (MOOCs) is not accepted.
- These courses may be taken online and a lab component is not required.
- These courses must be worth a minimum of 3 credit hours each.
- You must earn a passing grade (C- or better) for these courses.
Possible content areas include:
- Statistics. One stand-alone statistics course. Research methodology courses in a CSD program may not fulfill this requirement.
- Biology. One biological science course, which could include the following content areas: general, cellular, molecular, neurobiology, cybernetics biology, bioscience, ecology, cytology, embryology, evolutionism, genetics, microbiology, morphology, physiology, radiobiology, or sociobiology.
- Physical Science. (Physical science must be met through chemistry or physics). Must be met through chemistry or physics only. Possible content areas for physics include: basic principles of physics for non-majors, basic principles of mechanics, sound, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and energy. Content areas for chemistry include functional groups and important biological molecules, chemical principles in human or animal physiology (i.e., organic chemistry), atomic structure, chemical bonding, radioactivity, behavior of gases and solutions, behavior of acid and bases, and hydrocarbons.
- Social or behavioral sciences. Possible content areas include: anthropology, ethnic and cultural studies, archaeology, economics, gender and sexuality studies, geography, political science, psychology, psychobiology, criminology, and cognitive science.
Applicants from the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Oregon will need to demonstrate that all basic science courses and foundational courses are complete in order to meet the 75 total credit hour requirement to satisfy the educational requirements for state licensure.
In addition to the online application, you must submit the following to apply:
Official Transcripts
Official transcripts are required from any institution where you earned a degree, took more than 12 credits, or took foundational courses. All non-US transcripts must be sent to an evaluation agency and should include a course-by-course evaluation, GPA, and degree equivalency.
All official transcripts should be submitted electronically through appsvcs@speech.emerson.edu or by mail to the following address:
Emerson College
Application Processing Center
Speech@Emerson
PO Box 30096 005-001
College Station, TX 77842
Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution. Transcripts submitted by enrolled or prospective students are considered unofficial documents, even if they are in a sealed envelope provided to you by the issuing university.
Résumé
You must submit a current résumé that includes relevant professional and volunteer experience.
Letters of Recommendation
You must submit three letters of recommendation from people best able to assess your educational and professional qualifications for academic study and clinical work as a speech-language pathologist, including your motivations, goals, and clinical potential. We recommend that you reach out to your former professors, mentors, and supervisors to obtain letters that can speak directly to your potential for success in a rigorous academic program.
Essay
You must submit an essay that answers the following prompt: The essay is an opportunity for you to demonstrate self-reflection. Discuss your personal and academic skills, focusing specifically on your strengths and areas of opportunity. Reflect on how your skills may contribute to your success as a graduate student and professional.
Interview
An interview, which will be scheduled following the submission of your online application, is required for admission and will be scheduled by your admissions counselor. The interview will be conducted over video, recorded, and included in your completed application.
Application Fee
The application fee for the program is $75, and it is nonrefundable.
Re-apply Process
If an applicant is not admitted into the Speech@Emerson program, they must wait at least one year after the term that their original application was reviewed. For example, if a prospective student’s previous application was reviewed for September 2019, the earliest term they can reapply for is September 2020. This time period gives applicants the opportunity to strengthen their application before re-applying. Please reach out to the Admissions team with any questions.
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