Description

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers two options leading to the Master of Arts degree, both intended for those interested in working with children and adults who have communication disorders.

The Traditional and Consortium options provide academic and clinical education experiences necessary for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Florida Department of Education, and licensure by the State of Florida. The Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has accredited the Master of Arts Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders since 1986.

The first option, the Traditional Track, is a two-year, full-time program (i. e., seven consecutive semesters, including two summers), for students with undergraduate degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. For students with undergraduate degrees in other majors, the program requires additional prerequisite course work. Out-of-field applicants should consult with a departmental advisor prior to applying for admission, to determine the best course for seeking entrance into the program.

The second option, the Consortium Track, is a five-year, “summers mainly” program, including five consecutive summers of full-time enrollment and occasional enrollment during fall or spring semesters. This track is designed specifically for students with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology who work in participating Central Florida public school districts and have been providing speech and language services for at least one year prior to application.

Students enrolled in either the Traditional or Consortium tracks must follow a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses.

The College of Education also offers the Communication Sciences and Disorders track in an Ed.S. and Ph.D. in Education. For more information, please click here.

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Communicative Disorders Consortium Track

Admission

For information on general graduate admission requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online and submit all requested materials by the established departmental deadlines.

All applicants must provide:

• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. For information and instructions about international transcript evaluations, please see the Transcripts and Evaluations page on the UCF Graduate Studies website.
• An official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score achieved within the last five years.
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two from former professors for the Traditional Track and at least one from the district school administrator or program specialist of the Speech-Language Program for the Consorium Track.
• A letter of intent describing educational background, professional experiences, interest in the field, and career goals.
• A background check completed through www.CertifiedBackground.com.
• A minimum TOEFL score of 560 on the paper-based test, 220 on the computerized test, or 80 on the internet-based test for applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for applicants whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution.

Additional Notes on Admission

Admission to the program is competitive, based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past performance, recommendations, background check, and the match between the applicant’s stated career goals and the Department’s graduate program mission. Minimum requirements for admission to UCF are a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited university with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the last sixty attempted semester hours, or, a competitive score on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination. Meeting these minimum standards, however, does not guarantee admission to the program. Refer to the Admission and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog for more information about admissions standards.

The Department admits qualified in-field applicants, with an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and out-of-field applicants, with undergraduate degrees in other majors. Out-of-field students require an additional 36 to 42 credit hours of prerequisite course work that may be completed in approximately two to three semesters.

Application Due Dates

All students applying for fellowships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.

U.S. Applicants

NOTE:
The Summer 2007 application deadline for this program has been extended to April 1.
The Fall 2007 application deadline for this program has been extended to March 15.

Program(s)	Fall Priority	Fall	Spring	Summer
Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders	Jan 15	Feb 1	Oct 1	Feb 1
Communicative Disorders Consortium Track				Feb 1
Note:Consortium Program applications are considered for Summer semesters only.

 

International Applicants

Program(s)	Fall Priority	Fall	Spring	Summer
Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders	Jan 15	Jan 15	Jul 1	Nov 1
Communicative Disorders Consortium Track				Nov 1
Note:Consortium Program applications are considered for Summer semesters only.

 

International Transfer Applicants

Program(s)	Fall Priority	Fall	Spring	Summer
Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders	Jan 15	Feb 1	Sep 1	Dec 15
Communicative Disorders Consortium Track				Dec 15
Note:Consortium Program applications are considered for Summer semesters only.

Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Both the Traditional and the Consortium tracks consist of a minimum of 72 semester hours, including 35 credit hours of core academic courses, 9 credit hours of electives, and 28 credit hours of clinical practice.

Prerequisites

• To be certified to practice by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), all students must have undergraduate transcript credit, which could include course work, advanced placement, CLEP, or examination equivalency, for each of the following ares: biological sciences, physical sciences, social/behavior sciences, and mathematics or statistics. Courses may consist of any number of credits and must be taken outside the discipline.
• All students must complete at least 3 credit hours in statistics with a grade of "C-" or better. Undergraduate course work in statistics is a prerequisite to SPA 6805 Research in Communication Disorders.

All students must complete SPA 4478/5473 Multicultural Aspects of Communication Disorders and Differences or a comparable course.

Out-of-field students must complete the following undergraduate prerequisite courses or their equivalents:

• DEP 2004 Developmental Psychology (3 credit hours)
• LIN 3716 Language Development: Birth Through 8 Years (3 credit hours)
• LIN 4711/4711L Language Analysis and Lab (4 credit hours)
• SPA 3101 Physiological Bases of Speech and Hearing (3 credit hours)
• SPA 3104 Neural Bases of Communication (3 credit hours)
• SPA 3112/3112L Basic Phonetics and Lab (4 credit hours)
• SPA 3011/3011L Speech Science I: Production and Lab (4 credit hours)
• SPA 3123/3123L Speech Science II: Perception and Lab (4 credit hours)
• SPA 4032 Audiology (3 credit hours)
• SPA 4321 Audiologic Rehabilitation (3 credit hours)
• SPA 4550C Clinical Methods in Communication Disorders (5 credit hours)
• STA 2014C Principles of Statistics or STA 2023 Statistical Methods I (3 credit hours)

Core Academic Courses—35 Credit Hours

• SPA 5559 Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6204 Articulation/Phonological Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6211C Voice Disorders (4 credit hours)
• SPA 6225C Fluency Disorders (4 credit hours)
• SPA 6236 Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6404 Preschool Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6410 Aphasia and Related Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6413 School-Aged Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6474 Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6567 Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6805 Research in Communication Disorders (3 credit hours)

Clinical Practice—28 Credit Hours

Supervised clinical practice is an integral part of the graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders. It provides students with an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to the evaluation and management of individuals with a wide variety of communication disorders. Students complete three clinical practica and a diagnostic practicum in the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic and other affiliated facilities, as well as externships in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, community clinics, and private practices. Through these practica and externships, students obtain a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in accordance with the guidelines outlined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Clinical practica and externships vary in length and do not always coincide with the academic calendar.

• SPA 6505 Entry-Level Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6942C Intermediate Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6943C Advanced Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6553L Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Laboratory (1 credit hour)
• SPA 6946 Externship (6 credit hours)
• SPA 6946 Externship (12 credit hours)

Thesis Option—9 Credit Hours

Students who elect this option complete a thesis in Communication Sciences and Disorders for 6 credit hours that may substitute for 6 credit hours of electives. An additional 3 credit hour elective must be selected in consultation with an academic adviser.

Thesis hours cannot be counted toward graduation requirements if students fail to complete or successfully defend their thesis. For additional information, thesis students and their advisory committees should refer to the thesis requirements in the UCF Graduate Catalog.

Nonthesis Option—9 Credit Hours

Students who elect this option select three electives in consultation with an academic adviser.

Minimum Hours Required for M.A.—72 Credit Hours

Sample Plans of Study

Both the Traditional and Consortium tracks require a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses which may vary according to the semester of entry. The following are sample plans of study for both tracks.

Traditional Track

Semester 1

• SPA 6404 Preschool Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6410 Aphasia and Related Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6211C Voice Disorders (4 credit hours)
• SPA 6204 Articulation/Phonological Disorders (3 credit hours)

Semester 2

• SPA 6225C Fluency Disorders (4 credit hours)
• SPA 6413 School-Aged Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6236 Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6505 Entry-Level Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)

Semester 3

• SPA 6567 Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 5559 Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6942C Intermediate Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)

Semester 4

• SPA 6474 Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations (3 credit hours)
• Elective (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6943C Advanced Clinical Practicum (3 credit hour)

Semester 5

• SPA 6805 Research in Communication Disorders (3 credit hours)
• Elective (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6553L Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Laboratory (1 credit hour)

Semester 6

• SPA 6946 Externship (6 credit hours)
• Elective (3 credit hours)

Semester 7

• SPA 6946 Externship (12 credit hours)

Consortium Track

Year 1

Summer

• SPA 6404 Preschool Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6410 Aphasia and Related Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6211C Voice Disorders (4 credit hours)
• SPA 6204 Articulation/Phonological Disorders (3 credit hours)

Spring

• SPA 6225C Fluency Disorders (4 credit hours)

Year 2

Summer

• SPA 6413 School-Aged Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6236 Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6505 Entry-Level Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)

Year 3

Summer

• SPA 6567 Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 5559 Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6942C Intermediate Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)

Fall or Spring

• Elective (3 credit hours)

Year 4

Summer

• SPA 6474 Assessment and Management of Communication Differences and Disorders in Multicultural Populations (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6943C Advanced Clinical Practicum (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6553L Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Laboratory (1 credit hour)
• Elective (3 credit hours)

Fall

• Elective (3 credit hours)

Spring

• SPA 6946 Full-Time Externship (12 credit hours)

Year 5

Summer

• SPA 6805 Research in Communication Disorders (3 credit hours)
• SPA 6946 Part-Time Externship (6 credit hours)

Comprehensive Examination

Passing the PRAXIS Examination in Speech-Language Pathology satisfies the Comprehensive Examination requirement for completion of the Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. All degree candidates must pass the PRAXIS with a score of 600 or higher in either of the last two semesters of graduate study and must submit an official copy of their scores to the Department at least two weeks prior to the anticipated date of graduation. Students who do not pass the PRAXIS Examination after two attempts must take and pass a departmental comprehensive examination consisting of a series of multi-faceted, integrative essay questions. Students will have two opportunities to pass the alternate examination in order to be granted the Master’s degree. Failure to pass the alternate examination will result in dismissal from the Program. Students must register for at least 1 credit hour each semester until they complete all program requirements, including the comprehensive examination. Refer to the Department Graduate Manual for the PRAXIS Examination Policy.

Independent Learning

All students in the Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program engage in independent learning through inquiry, dialogue, and practice. Experiences such as client case studies, scholarly reviews, research projects, clinical practica and externships provide students independent learning opportunities to attain knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors. In capstone externships, students bridge University classroom and clinic lessons to real world educational and health-related settings.

Other Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders also offers an accelerated B.A./B.S. to M.A. program for highly qualified undergraduate majors in Communication Sciences and Disorders. For more detailed information on this program, refer to the Undergraduate Catalog.

Post-Master’s Degree Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Department offers two advanced, interdisciplinary tracks in collaboration with the College of Education, an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Both tracks specialize in school speech-language pathology, with an emphasis on language and literacy acquisition and disorders. As a part of the Ed.S degree requirements, students obtain a Florida Department of Education Reading Endorsement that prepares them to assume leadership roles in program development, implementation, and evaluation of language and literacy acquisition and disorders in schools and other settings. The Ph.D. program prepares graduates for language and literacy leadership positions as college and university faculty, research scientists, or program development and evaluation specialists in early intervention and school settings. For more detailed information, refer to the Ed.S. in Education or Ph.D. in Education sections of the Graduate Catalog.

Financial Support

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Key points about financial support:

• Students interested in financial assistance are strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for the Communication Sciences and Disorders program under "Admissions."
• Students must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance.
• To be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
• UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. University graduate fellowships are awarded based on academic merit and therefore are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
• Please note that select fellowships require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application). For university fellowship applications, see Financing Grad School.
• For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.

Contact Info

Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-4798
lrosa@mail.ucf.edu

Communicative Disorders Consortium Track

Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-4798
lrosa@mail.ucf.edu