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Communication Sciences and Disorders
Communication Sciences and Disorders The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Speech-Language Pathology. The undergraduate program focuses on the scientific study of normal and disordered communication processes. Emphasis is placed on developing background knowledge in phonetics, speech and language development, anatomy and physiology, speech science and the neurogenic bases of communication. During the senior year, students are introduced to a variety of communication disorders providing a pre- professional background for students interested in pursuing a Master of Science degree. All students participate in 25 hours of applied clinical observation. Undergraduate Programs • Communication Sciences and Disorders, BS (p. 1046) Graduate Programs The Master of Science degree program is designed to provide students with intensive coursework in the various communication disorders and with a wide variety of challenging clinical rotations both on and off campus. Research opportunities are available under the direction of the graduate faculty. Graduates are prepared to take positions in hospitals, community speech and hearing centers, private practices, schools and other related settings, and to pursue additional graduate education at the doctoral level. All graduates meet the academic and clinical requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the Oklahoma license in Speech-Language Pathology. Additionally, many students elect to earn the state teaching certificate required to practice speech-language pathology in the Oklahoma school system. The program holds national accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Prerequisites Admission to the graduate program requires a bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, or an out-of-field bachelor’s degree plus 24 hours of prerequisite coursework. Admission Requirements Applicants for admission are recommended to have a minimum grade- point average of 3.40 in the major, strong letters of recommendation from those familiar with the student's previous academic background, a minimum combined verbal and quantitative GRE score of 296, a minimum verbal GRE score of 153, and a minimum analytical writing score of 3.5. Students not meeting the above requirements may be admitted on a provisional basis. Admission is competitive, and all application materials must be received by January 15 of each calendar year for summer or fall admission. Completed applications must include: an online application, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, transcripts from all undergraduate institutions, and a personal statement indicating why the applicant desires to be a speech-language pathologist. In addition, all applicants must have completed an acoustics course and a neural anatomy and physiology course having earned a grade of “B” or better. Additional national certification requirements must be completed before enrollment in graduate coursework. Those requirements include the following: physics, biology, psychology and statistics.
International students follow the same application procedure as U.S. students with one addition. If English is not the student's native language he or she is required to score a minimum of 79 (internet-based) or 550 (paper-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a minimum of 26 (internet-based) on the speaking portion of the TOEFL (IBT) or a minimum IELTS speaking score of 8.5 to be cleared for clinical assignments. It is especially important that students have readily intelligible spoken English, as they will be conducting therapy sessions in English. Additional Graduate College Requirements: Students who score a minimum of 42 on the combined Reading and Listening portions of the TOEFL (internet based) with a minimum score of 20 in each section are not required to enroll in remedial coursework. Remedial coursework includes enrollment in ENGL 0003 Academic English for Graduate Students during the first semester. The course carries a grade of S/U and may not be used toward minimum degree requirements. Students must enroll in ENGL 0003 Academic English for Graduate Students each semester until a grade of S is earned. Students who score less than 22 on the TOEFL Writing portion must enroll in ENGL 4893 Research Writing for International Graduate Students during their first semester. ENGL 4893 Research Writing for International Graduate Students carries graduate credit and may be used toward minimum degree requirements. A minimum grade of C is required. Both ENGL 0003 Academic English for Graduate Students and ENGL 4893 Research Writing for International Graduate Students, as applicable, must be listed on the student’s Plan of Study. Alternatively, an official IELTS, academic stream, examination with a minimum overall band score of 6.5 will satisfy the English proficiency requirements for admission to a graduate program. Either examination must have been taken within the last two years. Students who have completed the IELTS-or the paper-based TOEFL have different requirements as stated by the OSU Graduate College. To ensure that graduate students are sufficiently skilled at written English, the Test of English Language Proficiency (TELP) is required for all graduate students who took the IELTS or paper-based (PBT) TOEFL test. The TELP must be taken before the student’s first semester enrollment. The International Student Services Office is available on campus to assist international students. Financial Aid All admitted students will be considered for graduate teaching assistantships and fee waiver scholarships. Graduate teaching assistants qualify for tuition waiver. Program Requirements Requirements for the master of science degree include 36 credit hours of academic courses and 15 credit hours of clinical practicum. The program typically can be completed in two academic years including one summer semester. Examinations Students enrolled in a thesis option complete a master's thesis under the direction of a member of the graduate faculty. Student enrolled in a non- thesis option complete a comprehensive examination. Faculty Ramesh Kaipa, PhD—Associate Professor and Department Head Associate Professor: Cheryl Giddens, PhD Assistant Professors: Valerie Freeman, PhD; Sabiha Parveen, PhD; Peter Richtsmeier, PhD; Yu Zhang, PhD
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