The department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers either a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a concentration in speech-language pathology.

 

The department’s graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

 

COSD’s graduate academic coursework and clinical education provide students the opportunity to achieve the knowledge and skills outcomes required for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). This nationally recognized professional credential is issued to individuals who present evidence of their ability to provide independent clinical services to persons who have disorders of communication. Applicants for the CCC-SLP must also complete a Clinical Fellowship Year and submit a passing score on the ASHA-approved national examination in speech-language pathology.

 

The program’s curricula also provide students the opportunity to 1) meet the requirements of the Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology for licensure in speech-language pathology and 2) meet requirements for teacher licensure offered through the Virginia Department of Education for those graduates who seek employment through the Virginia Department of Education.

 

Admission Procedures

Admissions requirements for students with an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, or Speech and Hearing Sciences

Prospective graduate students should complete procedures for graduate student admission as indicated on the webpage for the College of Graduate and Extended Studies at http://www.radford.edu/gradcollege/. COSD also requires applicants to meet the following additional specific admission requirements:

Admissions requirements for students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, or Speech and Hearing Sciences

Prospective graduate students with a degree in another field should complete procedures for graduate student admission as indicated on the webpage for the College of Graduate and Extended Studies at http://www.radford.edu/gradcollege/. COSD also requires applicants to meet the following additional specific admission requirements:

 

Students who have not earned an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders must complete the 28 credit hours of supporting coursework listed below before beginning required Graduate Core Courses. Students have two options for completing supporting courses:
  1. complete supporting courses as a non-degree seeking student before applying to the Graduate Program.

OR

  1. complete supporting courses after admission to the Graduate Program; in this case, all supporting courses will appear on the official transcript and will be calculated in the overall graduate grade point average.

Required Supporting Coursework

 

COSD 301.    Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech, Language, and                    

                    Hearing Mechanism

COSD 315.    Language Science and Technology

COSD 316.    Hearing Science

COSD 330.    Introduction to Audiology     

COSD 421.    Language Development: Birth-to-Five Years

COSD 425.    Later Language Development

COSD 438.    Phonetics

COSD 454.    Speech-Langauge Disorders: Prevention and Assesment
COSD 455.    Speech-Langauge Disorders: Intervention Methods and Application

Deadlines


The deadline for applications to the graduate program is February 1. Admission decisions are typically made by April for Fall enrollment. The sequence of graduate studies begins in the Fall semester, although students may elect to complete academic course work required for teacher certification the summer before beginning the graduate sequence of courses. Admissions are not granted for the spring or summer semesters.

 

Financial Aid

 

A majority of our current graduate students hold graduate assistantships. Students who are interested in financial aid should complete procedures described on the website of the office of Financial Aid at http://finaid.asp.radford.edu/

 

Students who wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship should indicate that preference when they complete their application. Information about graduate financial aid, including graduate assistantships, is also available on the College of Graduate and Professional Studies website at http://finaid.asp.radford.edu/grprog.html

 

COSD is also able to offer six graduate Scottish Rite fellowships on the basis of academic merit. Fellowship recipients, who must be Virginia residents, are provided the opportunity to complete a research project addressing some aspect of child language disorders. Fellows are also expected to actively seek professional employment in Virginia working with language disordered children upon completion of their graduate program.

 

Scottish Rite Summer Scholarships:  COSD also offers summer scholarships to selected students who participate in the Scottish Rite Summer Clinic, an intense practicum experience in the areas of childhood speech and language disorders.

 

The Virginia Incentive Program for Speech-Language Pathologists (VIP-SLP): The Virginia Department of Education has budgeted funds to encourage professionals working in the private sector and recent graduates to accept positions in Virginia public schools. The Virginia Incentive Program for Speech-Language Pathologists (VIP-SLP) pays up to $3,000 per year for speech-language pathologists employed full-time in a Virginia public school division and $1,500 per year for those who work part-time. Students who are interested in details about this program can click on this link:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/info_centers/superintendents_memos/2008/04_apr/inf085.html

 

Master’s Degree curriculum

 

Requirements for the Master of Science degree – 51 credit hours

 

Required Core Courses credit hours
COSD 512. Audiologic Rehabilitation.  3
COSD 601. Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders.  3
COSD 602. Language Disorders: Birth to Five Years. 3
COSD 604. Advanced Studies in Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders. 3
COSD 606. Fluency Disorders. 2
COSD 607. Language Disorders in School-Age Children and Adolescents. 3
COSD 608. Motor Speech Disorders. 3
COSD 609. Aphasia. 3
COSD 610. Pediatric and Adult Dysphagia. 3
COSD 611. Autism Spectrum Disorders.  2
COSD 615. Voice Science and Disorders. 4
COSD 616. Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  3
COSD 630. Professional Development I.  1
COSD 631. Special Clinical Topical Seminar.    2
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 12
COSD 650. Professional Development II. 1

      

Master of Science candidates are required to pass a final written comprehensive examination

 

Requirements for the Master of Arts degree – 54 credit hours

 

 

Required Core Courses credit hours
COSD 512. Audiologic Rehabilitation. 3
COSD 601. Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders.  3
COSD 602. Language Disorders: Birth to Five Years. 3
COSD 604. Advanced Studies in Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders. 3
COSD 606. Fluency Disorders.  2
COSD 607. Language Disorders in School-Age Children and Adolescents. 3
COSD 608. Motor Speech Disorders.  3
COSD 609. Aphasia.   3
COSD 610. Pediatric and Adult Dysphagia.                                            3
COSD 611. Autism Spectrum Disorders.                                                2
COSD 615. Voice Science and Disorders.                                               4
COSD 616. Augmentative and Alternative Communication.                      3
COSD 630. Professional Development I.                                                1
COSD 631. Special Clinical Topical Seminar.  2
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 9
COSD 650. Professional Development II. 1
COSD 699. Research and Thesis. 6

A thesis is a requirement for the Master of Arts degree. An oral defense of the thesis is

required during the last semester of enrollment 

 

COSD 511. Public School Methods in a Diverse Society, while not required for a graduate degree, must be taken for Virginia teacher licensure in Speech-Language Pathology. Students should also consult with their advisers regarding other licensure requirements.

 

Typical Program of study: Master of Science

 

(Program may vary depending on individual academic needs determined by advisor and progress in program)

 

Fall Semester 2009    Number of credit hours
COSD 602. Language Disorders: Birth to Five Years. 3
COSD 604. Advanced Studies in Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders. 3
COSD 609. Aphasia. 3
COSD 630. Professional Development I 1
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 2________
    12
Spring Semester 2010    
COSD 601. Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders. 3
COSD 607. Language Disorders in School-Age Children and Adolescents. 3
COSD 610. Pediatric and Adult Dysphagia.  3
COSD 616. Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  3
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 1________
    13
Summer Session 2010  
COSD 512. Audiologic Rehabilitation.  3
COSD 615. Voice Science and Disorders. 4
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 2________
      9
Fall Semester 2010  
COSD 611. Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2
COSD 608. Motor Speech Disorders. 3
COSD 631. Special Clinical Topical Seminar 1-2
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing.  1-2
COSD 650. Professional Development II. 1________
     9
Spring Semester 2011  
COSD 606. Fluency Disorders. 2
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing.  6
COSD 631. Special ClinicalTopical Seminar 0-2_______
  8-10

  

 

Typical Program of study: Master of Arts

 

(Program may vary depending on individual academic needs determined by advisor and progress in program)

 

Fall Semester 2009    Number of credit hours
COSD 602. Language Disorders: Birth to Five Years. 3
COSD 604. Advanced Studies in Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders. 3
COSD 609. Aphasia. 3
COSD 630. Professional Development I 1
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 2________
    12
Spring Semester 2010    
COSD 601. Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders. 3
COSD 607. Language Disorders in School-Age Children and Adolescents. 3
COSD 610. Pediatric and Adult Dysphagia.  3
COSD 616. Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  3
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 1________
    13
Summer Session 2010  
COSD 512. Audiologic Rehabilitation.  3
COSD 615. Voice Science and Disorders. 4
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 2________
      9
Fall Semester 2010  
COSD 611. Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2
COSD 608. Motor Speech Disorders. 3
COSD 631. Special Clinical Topical Seminar 1-2
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing.  1-2
COSD 699. Research and Thesis.    3
COSD 650. Professional Development II. 1________
     11-13
Spring Semester 2011  
COSD 606. Fluency Disorders. 2
COSD 640. Advanced Practicum in Speech-Language-Hearing. 6
COSD 699. Research and Thesis 3
COSD 631. Special Clinical Topical Seminar 0-2_______
     11-13

 

 

Clinical Practicum

 

The graduate program is designed so that students complete the number of clock hours of supervised clinical practicum required for certification. Most students actually complete more than the minimum number of hours. Typically, students complete three semesters of clinical practicum in the RU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and externships in two different semesters at two different sites. Additional clinical practicum experiences are available through community speech-language-hearing screenings and early intervention programs.

 

Clinical practicum experiences are also assigned so that students have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for certification. Students can learn more about the professions of speech-language pathology and Audiology, including requirements for professional certification, by visiting the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at http://www.asha.org/default.htm