Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA)

An undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology and audiology (SLPA) or a degree in communications sciences and disorders (CSD) is not required for admission to the SLP program. If it is determined that you are missing any of the required courses needed to meet licensing requirements in some states and to be recognized as eligible for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), you would be asked to complete the missing classes before graduating from the program.

Graduate students must demonstrate communication skills that will not interfere with clinical practice.  A student who is judged to have questionable skills will be referred to a faculty panel for further evaluation.  If necessary, a student will be referred for assistance. Students requiring assistance must be re-evaluated before they can enroll in clinical practica. Enrollment in clinical practica will be postponed until communication skills are judged to be sufficient.

The Speech-Language Pathology committee determines if an applicant will need to complete the pre-professional courses.

In reviewing applications, the speech-language pathology admissions committee will evaluate the submitted transcripts to determine if an applicant has successfully completed or will need to complete any pre-professional prerequisite courses. Successful completion means that the applicant earned a B-level grade or above. 

Cohort placement determines your work program – what courses you are required to take and what courses you will take each semester.  The curriculum for students without a background is typically two semesters longer than for a student who has a background in communication disorders. Applicants who apply as a student without a background cannot be changed into the cohort of students with a background without permission from the admissions coordinator and graduate program coordinator. Students who apply as a student with a background may be changed into the cohort of students without a background if they receive lower than a B-level grade in any of the six pre-professional courses that they are enrolled in.

Students with a background will be divided into two groups. One which starts their program in the summer after being accepted, and the other starting in the fall after being accepted. The group that starts in the summer will be required to complete six credits of their program before the fall semester begins. The group that starts in the summer will then embark on an accelerated program which will allow them to graduate a semester earlier than the cohort that begins in the fall.  The “summer start” groups will graduate in May of their second year and the “fall start” group will graduate in August of their second year. However, there are limited seats in the “summer start” cohort so be sure to indicate your interest in this cohort through the application process. It cannot be guaranteed that every student that requests a summer start in their application will receive it. The earlier you confirm your acceptance to Montclair the better chance you will have for securing a seat in the summer cohort.

Pre-professional:

An undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology and audiology (SLPA) or a degree in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) is not required for admission to the SLP program. However, all pre-professional courses listed below must be completed with a B-level grade or above. Note that comparable courses may be accepted. It is not always possible for the program coordinator to know if a particular course listed on your transcript meets the requirements. Therefore, if you believe that you have taken a comparable course to any of those below but the title is different, you can submit a course description and syllabus for the course so that the program coordinator can make the decision about whether to accept the previously completed course.

• Speech and Hearing Science
• Introduction to Language Development
• Phonetic Study of Speech Sounds
• Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing Systems
• Neurophysiological Bases of Communication
• Clinical Procedures in Audiology

The following also need to be completed. If it is determined you are missing any of these classes, you will be asked to complete the missing classes before your first externship in order to be eligible for national certification (CCC-SLP) and state licensure in New Jersey.

• 3 credits of biological science
• 3 credits of physical science (chemistry or physics)
• 6 credits of behavioral science 
• 3 credits of statistics

Please consult the following ASHA page for more details on prerequisite coursework needed for certification standards: https://www.asha.org/certification/course-content-areas-for-slp-standards/ 

The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.

In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific program of interest.

• Application Deadline: February 15th for Fall admission only. Please note: Upon offer of admission, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit of $200.
• Applications are submitted via the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). To apply, use the CSDCAS application and add “Montclair State University” to your selected programs. For assistance with the CSDCAS application, visit their customer service site.
• Eligibility Requirements and Essential Functions Document is a part of the online application and must be reviewed and completed.

The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA) program:

Please note that all of the items below must be received prior to 11:59 PM ET on February 15th:

• CSDCAS Application fee: CSDCAS requires a variable fee from all applicants ($133 for your first application, $53 for each subsequent application).
• One official transcript from each college attended.
• Essays/Personal Statement: Essays should address why you are interested in applying to a program in speech-language pathology, what you want to do with a degree in speech-language pathology, and experiences that have familiarized you with the what speech-language pathologists do. Essays should also address special consideration that you want the admissions committee to consider in reviewing your application.
• Letters of Recommendation: Two (2) letters of recommendation. Each recommender should attest to the applicant’s potential to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. Letters should come from faculty at institutions of higher education.
• Resume: Resume is optional.
• Undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.3 or a GPA of at least 3.0 from a prior master’s degree
• GRE Test Scores are Recommended, but not required. If you do take the GRE’s, the official GRE scores should be sent using code 2520.
  • GRE Minimums
    • Verbal GRE scores of 148
    • Quantitative GRE scores of 150
    • GRE writing score of 3.5
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.

The MA program is a full-time, residential program spread over a two-year period (6 semesters) for students with a background in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (SLP) or in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). For students without a background in SLP or CSD, the MA program is a full-time, residential program that is spread over 8 semesters. All students complete a series of clinical practica at the Montclair State University Center for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, externships at a variety of sites in the New Jersey-New York area including hospitals, public schools and rehabilitation facilities.

The requirements include a minimum of 54 semester credit hours, successful completion of

• a minimum of 33 credits in the academic core (11 classes), 15 credits of clinical classes (three clinical practicum courses and two full-time externships), and 6 credits of non-core courses;
• a minimum of 400 clinical practicum hours including 25 hours of observation and at least 350 clinical hours at the graduate level;
• a capstone project (to be completed before first externship) and comprehensive experiences (final two externships)

Course Listing:

*Students missing any prerequisites may have as many as 72 credits required to complete the degree

Projected schedule based on cohort

For more information, please visit the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA) program listing in the University Catalog.

If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869

If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA) Program Coordinator:

Program Coordinator: Dr. Michael Boyle
Email: boylemi@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-7303