Admission Requirements

We welcome your interest in the graduate program in speech-language pathology here at SUNY Cortland. Be advised that acceptance to communication disorders and sciences master’s programs is very competitive, with more eligible applicants than can be accommodated. Meeting the requirements listed below does not guarantee admission to SUNY Cortland’s program.

Required Materials

1. Completed online Graduate School Application. Review of applications begins Feb. 1. Prospective international students can learn more about important requirements.
   
   
2. Forward all official transcripts from higher education institutions attended directly to the Graduate Admissions Office. Note: Candidates for admission must present evidence of a bachelor’s degree conferred in the major prior to the start of their academic program.
   
   
3. A statement of 250 words or less demonstrating commitment to and interest in the profession of speech-language pathology. The applicant should demonstrate an ability to write clearly and well.
   
   
4. A résumé must be submitted online with the application.
   
   
5. A minimum of three recommendation forms and letters, two academic letters, with a minimum of one from a Communication Disorders and Sciences professor. The recommendation form is available in the online application.
   
   

Admissions Criteria

1. Minimum 3.0 or higher grade point average both in the major and cumulatively. The 3.0 undergraduate grade point average criterion is the minimal acceptable grade point average but does not guarantee admission into our degree program.
   
   
2. Must be in the process of earning or have earned an undergraduate B.S. or B.A.
   
   
3. Must have completed content in the following areas: Normal Language Development; Phonetics; Speech Science/Anatomy and Physiology; Audiology; Articulation and Language Disorders; Diagnostics or Clinical Methods; Biological Science; Physical Science (Chemistry or Physics); Psychology course related to lifespan development; and Statistics.
   
   
4. Must have completed Liberal Arts coursework in the following areas:

• Artistic Expression/Humanities (3 credit hours)
• Communication (3 credit hours)
• Information Retrieval (0-3 credit hours)
• Concepts in History/Social Science (3 credit hours)
• Language other than English (6 credit hours)
• Scientific Processes (3 credit hours)
• Mathematical Processes (3 credit hours)
• Literature, Analysis and Written Expression (6 credit hours)

5. Additional coursework related to teacher certification in New York state (courses or equivalents) is required prior to graduation:

• Health 110: Personal and Community Health
• Psychology 332: Educational Psychology
• Education 496/596: Organization of Speech/Language/Hearing programs in the schools

Once the Graduate Admissions Office receives all of the required documents, your application will be forwarded to the Communication Disorders and Sciences Department. The Department Graduate Admissions Committee consisting of a minimum of five department representatives, will evaluate each application.

Students who have coursework deficits in Admissions Criteria areas 4 (liberal arts requirements) and 5 (teacher education requirements) may receive a provisional acceptance to the program with the understanding that fulfilling the requirements of the Master's Degree means completion of the additional coursework prior to graduation.

Accreditation Information

The Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders education program in speech-language pathology has been placed on probation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. A program on probation is not currently in full compliance with the accreditation standards. Programs on probation remain accredited but must demonstrate compliance with the standards within one year.

For more information, please see the CAA Report:

https://apps.asha.org/eweb/ashadynamicpage.aspx?site=ashacms&webcode=caalisting&caacat=recent

See our decision letter linked from the CAA site here.

Our only area of noncompliance was found in what CAA terms on-time completion. We as a department stood by our students. When they did not meet the required academic knowledge or clinical skill benchmarks for completion, we did not dismiss them from the program; instead, we delayed their graduation date and supported them through that delay with additional guidance and training so that they could fully complete their studies. As the students were delayed and did not meet the published timeline, our program was cited.

We believe in our program and in the quality of our student clinicians and are on the pathway toward full compliance. We continually evaluate the quality of our program and are actively engaging with the CAA to ensure that we meet this goal.