Master’s Program Communication Sciences and Disorders

The MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders is intended for those interested in working with children and adults who have communication disorders. The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a traditional plan of study for full-time students with undergraduate degrees in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology. In addition to the traditional plan of study, three tracks in the MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders are also offered: Accelerated, Consortium and Out of Field tracks. All programs are offered face-to-face on the Orlando campus, but each has unique admission requirements and sequencing of courses based on the student's academic and professional background. Students must begin the program in the semester for which they are admitted and must follow the prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses outlined in the catalog for that track.

Each track provides academic and clinical education experiences necessary for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the Florida Department of Education, and licensure by the state of Florida. For information on how this program may prepare students for professional licensure, please visit https://healthprofessions.ucf.edu/csd/masters/.

The ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) has accredited the Master of Arts Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at UCF since 1986.

The Communication Sciences and Disorders program strives to educate students to become successful practitioners in the field of speech-language pathology. To that end, the ASHA Code of Ethics is reinforced throughout the academic curriculum. Violations of the ASHA Code of Ethics are grounds for academic sanctions or dismissal from the program.

The Traditional program is a full-time cohort program (six consecutive semesters, including two summers) for students with undergraduate degrees in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology. Students with undergraduate degrees in other majors (out of field) should apply to the Out of Field track to complete additional undergraduate prerequisite coursework.

The Accelerated (BA/BS to MA) requires full-time enrollment and enables highly qualified current UCF undergraduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders to share one semester of courses between the undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Students enroll in graduate-level courses in the final semester of their undergraduate program to satisfy the bachelor's degree requirements. If admitted to the master's program, they are allowed to use those courses toward the master's degree.

The Out of Field track is a full-time cohort program for students who do not have a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or a related field or those who have not completed the necessary discipline-specific undergraduate prerequisite classes. It requires two semesters of undergraduate courses in addition to the graduate curriculum requirements and is typically completed in eight consecutive semesters.

This program has potential ties to professional licensure or certification in the field. For more information on how this program may prepare you in that regard, please view the licensure disclosure for the Communication Sciences and Disorders MA program.

Program Prerequisites

• To be certified to practice by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), all applicants must have transcript credit, which could include course work, advanced placement, CLEP, or examination equivalency, for each of the following areas at the undergraduate level: biological sciences, physical sciences, social/behavioral sciences, and statistics.
  • Courses must be taken outside the discipline.
  • Courses other than statistics may consist of any number of credits.
  • Statistics course must be at least 3 credit hours and may be at the undergraduate (i.e., STA 2014 Principles of Statistics OR STA 2023 Statistical Methods I) or graduate level.
  • Courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
• This program requires an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology. Applicants with undergraduate degrees in other majors (out-of-field) should apply to the Out of Field track which includes additional required credit hours.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

• Complete the following:
  • SPA6204 - Articulation/Phonological Dis (3)
  • SPA6211 - Voice and Upper Airway Disorders (3)
  • SPA6225C - Fluency Disorders (3)
  • SPA6236 - Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children (3)
  • SPA6327 - Aural Habilitation Rehab (3)
  • SPA6410 - Aphasia and Related Disorders (3)
  • SPA6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations (3)
  • SPA6541 - Assessment of Language Disorders in Children and Adolescents (3)
  • SPA6542 - Intervention of Language Disorders in Children and Adolescents (3)
  • SPA6559 - Augmentative and Alternative Communication (3)
  • SPA6565 - Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (3)
  • SPA6805 - Research in Communicative Disorders (3)
  • SPA6417 - Management of Acquired Cognitive/Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan (3)

Clinical Practice

• Complete all of the following
  • Complete the following:
    • SPA6551 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level I (1)
    • SPA6503 - Foundations of Clinical Practice Level II (1)
    • SPA6503L - Found Clinic Practice-II APP (1)
    • SPA6553L - Clinical Practice in Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Pathology (1)
    • SPA6563L - Clinical Practice and Instrumental Diagnostics in Individuals with Dysphagia (1)
    • SPA6942 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level III (1)
    • SPA6942L - Found Clinic Practice-III APP (1)
    • SPA6943 - Advanced Clinical Practice Seminar (1)
  • Earn at least 2 credits from the following types of courses: Students are required to take both SPA 6503L and SPA 6942L twice.
  • Earn at least 14 credits from the following types of courses: SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice
  • 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 at the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic and other affiliated facilities, as well as external rotations in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, community clinics, and private practices. Through these practica and external rotations, 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 external rotations vary in length and do not always coincide with the academic calendar.

Thesis/Nonthesis Option

• Complete 1 of the following
  Thesis Option
  • Complete all of the following
    • Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: SPA 6971 - Thesis
    • Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: Elective course selected in consultation with Faculty advisor.
    • 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
  • Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Elective courses selected in consultation with Faculty advisor.

Comprehensive Examination and Clinical Documentation

• Please see the Graduate Program Handbook for specific information about the CSD Comprehensive Exam Requirements.

Grand Total Credits: 72

Application Requirements

Application Deadlines

Financial Information

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

Fellowship Information

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.

Equipment Fee

Students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders MA Program pay a $90 equipment fee each semester they are enrolled.

Additional Program Costs

The program requires students to pay additional fees for the required background checks, clinic uniform, and registration for the academic/clinical competencies tracking system. In addition, some courses have Material and Supply fees that are charged in the semester the course is taken.

Sample Plan of Study for the Traditional Program

The Traditional MA program requires a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses which may vary according to the semester of entry. The following is a sample plan of study.

Semester 1

• SPA 6204 - Articulation/Phonological Dis 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6404 - Language Disorders: Birth to 5 Years 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6410 - Aphasia and Related Disorders 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6417 - Management of Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6551 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level I 1 Credit Hours
• SPA 6805 - Research in Communicative Disorders 3 Credit Hours

Semester 2

• SPA 6225C - Fluency Disorders 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6403 - Language Disorders: School-Age through Adolescence 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6503 - Foundations of Clinical Practice Level II 1 Credit Hours
• SPA 6503L - Found Clinic Practice-II APP 1 Credit Hours (X 2)
• SPA 6559 - Augmentative and Alternative Communication 3 Credit Hours

Semester 3

• SPA 6327 - Aural Habilitation Rehab 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6236 - Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6553L - Clinical Practice in Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Pathology 1 Credit Hours
• SPA 6565 - Feeding and Swallowing Disorders 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6942 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level III 1 Credit Hours
• SPA 6942L - Found Clinic Practice-III APP 1 Credit Hours (X 2)

Semester 4

• SPA 6211 - Voice & Upper Airway Disorders 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations 3 Credit Hours
• SPA 6563L - Clinical Practice and Instrumental Diagnostics in Individuals with Dysphagia 1 Credit Hours
• SPA 6943 - Clinical Practice 1 Credit Hours
• SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
• Elective 3 Credit Hours*

Semester 5

• SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
• Elective 3 Credit Hours*

Semester 6

• SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
• Elective 3 Credit Hours*

*A total of 14 credit hours of SPA 6946 Clinical Practice is required. Electives are selected in consultation with the clinical and academic advisors and may be completed in the fourth, fifth and/or sixth semester depending on the clinical placement credit hours each semester.

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 external rotations provide students independent learning opportunities to attain knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors. In capstone external rotations, students bridge university classroom and clinic lessons to real-world educational and health-related settings.