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Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

A potential applicant can enter the program in Speech-Language Pathology under one of four circumstances, they are as follows:
 

  1. As a traditional student who has been accepted into the 5-year professional program
  2. As an undergraduate transfer who has not been conferred a baccalaureate degree.
  3. As a graduate holding the baccalaureate degree with communication sciences and disorders - Post-Baccalaureate Major.
  4. As a graduate holding the baccalaureate degree in a major other than communication sciences and disorders- Post-Baccalaureate Non-Major.

 

1. Traditional Students

 

These students have graduated from high school but have not yet entered college. For these students, the Speech-Language Pathology curriculum is a 5-year program leading simultaneously to the baccalaureate and master's degrees.

Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Prospective undergraduate applicants must meet both Misericordia University's and the Speech-Language Pathology department's admissions criteria.

Misericordia University's general criteria for acceptance into an undergraduate program are:
 

  1. Evidence of the completion of 16 Carnegie Units, or evidence of a High School Equivalency Diploma.
  2. Results of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) program.
  3. A letter of recommendation from the high school principal, a guidance counselor, or a teacher.

The Speech-Language Pathology department includes additional admissions criteria. Traditional students entering the 5-year professional program must have the following criteria to be considered for acceptance into the Speech-Language Pathology department:
 

  1. Preference will be given to students who have graduated in the top 1/3 of their high school graduating class or achieved a minimum combined SAT score of 1000 or the equivalent ACT score with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
  2. The student must provide a typewritten essay of no more than 500 words indicating why the student wishes to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

 

Evidence of exposure through volunteerism or service learning related to working with children and adults is highly desirable.

For more information on the Undergraduate Program, please contact Glen Bozinski in Admissions at 570.674.6434 or gbozinsk@misericordia.edu.

Graduate Admission Requirements

Graduate study begins in what is the fourth (traditionally the senior) year and continues through to the fifth year of study. For traditional students to advance to graduate study, certain pre-requisite criteria must be met:
 

  1. Maintain an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 at all times.
  2. Receive a grade of “C-” or better in the undergraduate speech-language pathology courses.
  3. Successfully master all course objectives for all speech-language pathology courses taken prior to the senior year (first year graduate school).
    1. Students begin their speech-language pathology courses in their freshman year and will typically complete all undergraduate coursework by their junior year. Upon completion of each semester, the progress of each student in terms of which course objectives were and were not mastered during that semester will be reviewed.
    2. For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.

Once criteria (1) through (3) above are successfully met, the candidate is automatically granted permission to commence to graduate study (i.e., there is no need for the student to make a formal application to graduate school).

These students are individuals who have completed any number of college courses either at Misericordia University or another institution of higher education, and who have a major other than speech-language pathology, but would like to major in speech-language pathology.

2. Undergraduate Transfer Students

Students who transfer into the program, either from another academic unit within Misericordia University or from another institution of higher education, also will be required to meet the department's admission criteria. Students will be required to meet Misericordia University's requirements for a baccalaureate degree by taking the necessary coursework to ensure compliance with the requirements. Please refer to undergraduate admission requirements for traditional students for more details. A recommendation letter from a current professor may be substituted for a letter from a principal, guidance counselor, or teacher. Undergraduate students who are currently at Misericordia University must apply directly to the Speech-Language Pathology Department. The applications of these students should include the required documents from the admission requirements for traditional undergraduate students as well as Misericordia University transcripts.

If you would like to complete an application to the undergraduate program, contact David Pasquini in Admissions at 570.674.6450 or dpasquin@misericordia.edu.

Graduate Admission Requirements

Please refer to graduate admission requirements for traditional students.

3. Post-Baccalaureate Majors

These students have earned a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and are eligible for direct entry into the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology at Misericordia University.

Graduate Admission Requirements

These individuals are admitted directly into the graduate speech-language pathology program. Students must provide evidence of meeting certain knowledge and skills outcomes obtained during their undergraduate studies. The knowledge and skills outcomes should be documented on the Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) form used by ASHA for certification purposes. Any student who cannot provide evidence of acquiring certain knowledge and skills outcomes will be required to reconstruct their undergraduate experience so that the KASA form can be completed accurately.

If you are a student about to earn a baccalaureate degree in communication disorders or speech-language pathology, you should contact the chair of your department to inquire about documenting your undergraduate studies using the KASA form from ASHA.

As of January 1, 2005, new ASHA certification standards have taken effect. These standards may require you to take additional coursework to meet the new standards. For example, candidates for certification will be required to show evidence of having taken courses in both the biological and physical sciences. If your undergraduate transcript does not show evidence of having taken a course in the physical sciences, for example, you would be required to take a course in the physical sciences to meet the new certification requirements. Any additional courses you may have to take to meet ASHA's certification standards can be worked into your schedule (e.g., many of the basic science courses are offered during the summer).

Students who apply to the graduate program in speech-language pathology and possess a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders must meet the following departmental admissions criteria:
 

  1. A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  2. GRE scores.
  3. TOFEL scores for international students.

 

If you would like to complete an application to the graduate program, please go to the CSDCAS Centralized Application Service Web site.

4. Post-Baccalaureate Non-Majors

These students have earned a baccalaureate degree in any discipline other than communication sciences and disorders (e.g., biology, communications, education, English, linguistics).

Graduate Admission Requirements

Before the candidate can begin graduate studies, he or she must successfully complete prerequisite undergraduate courses. These courses provide the individual with the appropriate framework and background in communication sciences and disorders so that he or she will be prepared to enter graduate study. To be granted entry into graduate study, the candidate must complete prerequisite undergraduate coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5, and must have earned a grade of "C-" or better in each of the courses. For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.

Students who apply to the graduate program in speech-language pathology and possess a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology must have the following admission requirements:
 

  1. A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  2. GRE scores.
  3. TOFEL scores for international students.

 

If you would like to complete an application to the graduate program, please go to the CSDCAS Centralized Application Service Web site.

Graduate Admission Requirements

Please refer to graduate admission requirements for Post-Baccalaureate Majors.


 
Misericordia University