Admission Requirements


You must possess a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited college or university by the time you begin the program.

Click here to begin your online application.

For Your Consideration

During the Fall 2022 application cycle, our program reviewed 112 applications for fall 2022 enrollment, with a target class size of 30.

Of those offered admission:

  • Average Overall GPA was 3.48
  • Average GPA in CSD major courses was 3.56

Begin your application

Save the Date

Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024

INTERVIEW

Check back soon! Students whose applications have been verified may be invited to interview with the MSLP program on this date. There is the possibility of a remote interview for applicants who have a scheduling conflict Feb 3, as well as for those outside of a six-hour driving distance.


Admission Information

Academic Requirements

To be considered for admittance to the Master of Speech-Language Pathology, you must meet the following requirements:

  • An overall GPA of 2.85 or higher at the time of application, as verified by CSDCAS, and at the time of enrollment in the program.
  • A GPA of 3.0 or higher in courses directly related to the study of communication sciences and disorders at the time of application and at the time of enrollment in the program.
  • GRE scores are not required for admission to St. Ambrose University's Master of Speech-Language Pathology program
  • The applicant must have demonstrated knowledge of the biological sciences, physical sciences, statistics, and the social/behavioral sciences. Acceptable biology courses include content in human anatomy and physiology or genetics. Documentation of meeting this requirement (transcripts submitted to CSDCAS)1:
    • At least one course in Biology with a grade of C or higher
    • A Physics or Chemistry course with a grade of C or higher
    • At least one course in Statistics with a grade of C or higher
    • At least one course in Social/Behavioral sciences with a grade of C or higher
  • Completion of these pre-professional courses (below) prior to enrollment in the SAU MSLP Program2:
    • Phonetics
    • Articulation and Phonological Disorders
    • Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms
    • Speech and Hearing Science
    • Language Development
    • Audiology and Aural Rehabilitation
  • Documentation of 25 hours of observation. *Applicants do not submit this at the time of application and are not required to submit it through CSDCAS. Documentation must be received before fall enrollment from applicants who receive offers of admission to our program.

1A grade of a C minus or lower, or a passing grade in a course taken pass/fail, does not count towards meeting any of these general education requirements.

2Courses listed do not need to be completed when you apply, but applicants must have a plan in place for completing them before fall enrollment in the SAU - MSLP program. The CSDCAS application provides a section for in-progress and planned coursework.

Application
  • Submit your online application.
    This application portal is generally available in August and is the only way to apply to the SAU graduate speech-language pathology program. You do not need to apply separately to St. Ambrose.
  • Three letters of recommendation, submitted electronically through CSDCAS.
  • Official transcripts, submitted through CSDCAS.
Interview Process

Once considered eligible for interviews after review of their completed files, applicants will be notified of available interview dates and invited by the MSLP Program's Admissions Committee to schedule an on-campus interview. 

A typical interview day involves participation in the following activities:

  • an interview with a group of faculty and current students and/or alumni;
  • a tour of our facility;
  • question and answer session with our Clinical Director and Program Director;
  • opportunities to talk informally with current students/alumni;
  • produce a writing sample on the day of the interview in response to a prompt provided on the day of the interview.

Interview and writing sample responses will be evaluated using rubrics established for this purpose.

Your application, interviews, and writing samples are evaluated using rubrics that were developed by the MSLP Program.

Pre-Professional Courses

Students wishing to enroll in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program should take the courses listed below (offered at St. Ambrose). Course descriptions are in the online course catalog.

MSLP 400 - Phonetics (3 credits)
Offered: May 2024, May 2026, May 2028
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

MSLP 420 - Articulation and Phonological Disorders (3 credits)
Offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2026, Fall 2028
Prerequisite: MSLP 400 Phonetics and consent of instructor.

MSLP 410 - Neurology, Anatomy, and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanisms (3 credits)
Offered: Fall 2025, Fall 2027, Fall 2029
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor

MSLP 430 - Speech and Hearing Science (3 credits)
Offered: May 2025, May 2027, May 2029
Prerequisites: consent of instructor

MSLP 450 - Language Development and Disorders
Offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2026, Spring 2028
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

MSLP 440 - Audiology and Aural Rehabilitation
Offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2027, Spring 2029
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Transfer to SAU

Students accepted into the SAU MSLP program for graduate study as a transfer from an accredited Speech-Language Pathology program at another institution of higher education will have their transcripts reviewed to determine which courses are transferable.

The student must show evidence that the course(s) taken are similar in content to the corresponding courses offered at SAU. Evidence will generally take the form of a course syllabus and notes from the course. A plan of study will then be established accordingly.

No more than 3 credits of graduate level coursework in the area of speech-language pathology will be allowed to transfer. If the graduate transfer student obtained clock hour credit for clinical practicum, those clock hours will be accepted toward the requirements for certification as long as they were obtained while attending an accredited institution of higher education and under the requirements set forth by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Contact


Elisa Huff, PhD, Program Director

Master of Speech-Language Pathology
Center for Communication and Social Development
1310 W. Pleasant St.
Davenport, IA 52804
563-333-3920
huffelisag@sau.edu

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