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The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Graduate Program Admission Requirements

The application deadline is February 1st of each calendar year. 

Requirements for admission to the University and to the Department must be met as indicated in the University catalogue.  To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for course work leading to the baccalaureate degree, or

  •  3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for course work leading to the master’s degree,

  • Combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative subtests of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) 

  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended, and

  • Two letters of reference.

The graduate program is a limited access program.  Meeting minimum admission requirements (GPA = 3.0 or 3.5; GRE = 1000) does not guarantee admission. 

All application materials must be received by February 1st, prior to the Fall in which applicants intend to enroll, in order for an application to be reviewed for admission. To be considered complete, an application must contain all of the following 4 elements: official transcripts from all schools attended, an official report of the GRE score from the ETS (Educational Testing Service), two (2) letters of reference, and a completed FAU Graduate School application.  Copies of transcripts and GRE score reports are not acceptable. 

POLICY ON GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (LEP)
Competence in oral and written English is required for both the academic and clinical practicum aspects of the program. Applicants who were educated outside of the United States, whose primary language is not English, and/or who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate facility in the English language by the successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

The criteria for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is as follows:
  • Applicants taking the paper-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 600 with 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) and 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
  • Applicants taking the computer-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 250 with 5 on the essay rating component and 50 on the TSE.
  • Applicants taking the internet-based TOEFL exam must achieve a minimum score of 100/120 with 22/30 on the speaking section and 22/30 on the writing section.

In addition to the proficiency test, applicants may be requested to attend a meeting with faculty and staff of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. During this meeting, mastery of oral English for meeting clinical requirements will be assessed and the following questions considered:
  • Does the individual have the expected level of knowledge in normal and disordered communication?
  • Does the individual have the expected level of diagnostic and clinical case management skills?
  • If modeling is necessary, is the individual able to model the target phoneme, grammatical feature, or other aspect of speech and language that characterizes the client's particular problem?1

If indicated, a plan for improvement will be developed. The student must meet the goals of this plan before beginning clinical practicum. If the student is not able to meet, satisfactorily, the improvement plan criteria, the program will counsel the student regarding their strengths and weaknesses in standard English and how these might affect employers' perceptions or impact their ability to perform in various work settings.2 The student will be given an opportunity to continue remediation or may choose to leave the program.

1,2American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1998). Students and Professionals Who Speak English with Accents and Nonstandard Dialects: Issues and Recommendations [Technical Report]

The Graduate School Application must be submitted online.

The link for the application is: http://graduate.fau.edu/apply.htm   

If you have any questions about the graduate application, problems completing the application, questions about your application status, or residency status please contact:

Florida Atlantic University
Graduate College
777 Glades Road
Student Support Services (SU-80, Room 101)
Boca Raton, Florida 33431-0991
Phone: (561) 297-3624
Fax: (561) 297-2117
Email: graduatecollege@fau.edu
Website: www.fau.edu/graduate

The program admits students for the Fall term only.  There are no spring or summer admissions.  Students are responsible for ensuring that all of their admissions materials (official transcripts, official GRE report, 2 letters of reference, FAU Graduate School application) are received by the FAU Office of Graduate Studies and Admission by the February 1 deadline.

FAU Campuses: Boca Raton/Davie/Dania Beach/Fort Lauderdale/Jupiter/Treasure Coast