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PROGRAM OF STUDY FOR THE
MASTER OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS (M.C.D.) DEGREE

The Master of Communication Disorders degree program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). This accreditation means that the master's degree program has met or exceeded the rigorous standards set by the CAA. The CAA will continuously monitor the program to ensure that these standards are maintained.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for admission to the M.C.D. degree program, applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the specific program requirements. However, meeting minimum requirements for admission to graduate study does not necessarily ensure acceptance into the M.C.D. program. The Communication Disorders (CD) program admits students on a competitive space-available basis.

In order to complete the admission process for the Communication Disorders program, the applicant must submit the following:

1. Submit a letter that requests acceptance into the program and states your goals and interests.
2. Arrange for delivery of a Readiness Rating Form to the department via website submission.
3. Submit an official transcript from each institution that you have attended. To be considered, applicants must possess an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher or a GPA of 3.25 (on a 4.00 scale) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.
4. Submit evidence of a score of 790 or higher on the combined verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5. Submit a current resume by Feb 15th annually.

All the above information should be sent to the Graduate School Office.

Applications for admission will be considered by the Communication Disorders Admissions and Credits Committee the week following the application deadline. To be eligible for consideration all applicants must have a complete application file and must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate School.

Applicants With Undergraduate Degrees in Majors Other Than Speech-Language Pathology. Applicants with undergraduate degrees in an area other than communication disorders will be considered for admission only after having completed a minimum of 15 semester hours of the 28 credit hours of undergraduate deficiencies specified by the CD program. Applicants must identify the specific year for which they are applying. Such applicants will be considered for admission only after indicating in writing that they understand admission for the targeted year is contingent on their provision of evidence (in the form of official grade slips or an official transcript) of having successfully completed all but one of the core specified deficiency courses.

Such evidence must be received prior to the first day of classes for the targeted year. In the event documentation is not provided by that time, the admission decision will be considered null and void. The applicant may, however, re-apply for admission for a subsequent year.

Deadline for Receiving Applications

Applications for the next admission period will be due on Feb 15 prior to the next admission period. The admission period will be the first summer term of summer school for that year.

THE M.C.D. DEGREE

The Master of Communication Disorders degree is offered for the purpose of educating individuals to a high level of competence in the management of speech, hearing, and language disorders. This program provides graduates with the necessary academic and clinical practice requirements for ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP), licensure to practice speech-language pathology in the State of Arkansas, and the Speech Pathology Certificate issued by the Arkansas Department of Education. Programs will be individually designed to prepare initial entry candidates as well as those with prior training and experience.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The Master of Communication Disorders degree consists of a minimum of 49 semester hours beyond the Bachelor's degree including credit for clinical practice. Clinical practice consists of supervised, direct clinical experience approved and supervised by the faculty. Each candidate and the adviser will plan and design a program of study to ensure that professional requirements will be met. Deficiencies in undergraduate preparation may be assigned as prerequisites. The successful student is expected to have demonstrated expertise and in-depth knowledge of the normal communication processes, development, and disorders thereof; evaluation procedures to assess the bases of such disorders; and clinical techniques that have been shown to improve or eradicate them. In addition, competency must be demonstrated in the related areas of human anatomy and physiology, psychological dynamics, and research.

GENERAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• CD 5751, Clinical Practice I
• CD 6053, Research in Communication Disorders
• CD 6153, Voice Disorders
• CD 6243, Motor Speech Disorders
• CD 6303, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• CD 6353, Language Intervention for At-Risk Infants and Toddlers
• CD 6363, Language and Learning Disorders
• CD 6503, Intervention in Communication Disorders
• CD 6513, Advanced Aural Rehabilitation
• CD 6603, Diagnosis in Communication Disorders
• CD 6653, Contemporary Issues and Practices in Communication Disorders
• CD 6713, Swallowing Disorders
• CD 6743, Neurogenic Language and Associated Cognitive Disorders
• CD 6761, Clinical Practice II
• CD 6773, Clinical Practice III
• CD 6787, Clinical Practice IV
• CD 6001 Instrumentation in CD

Students who select the thesis option may substitute six semester hours of Thesis for CD 6513, Advanced Aural Rehabilitation and CD 6653, Contemporary Issues and Practices in Communication Disorders.

Minimum hours required for this program: 49

All candidates for the M.C.D. degree must take the appropriate PRAXIS II Examination required for licensure in Arkansas and for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). A copy of the scores must be sent to the Communication Disorders Program Director, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Arkansas State University, P.O. Box 910, State University, AR 72467-0910.