Admission

Thank you for your interest in attending the Graduate Program in speech–language pathology in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. You will find the information you need to apply to our graduate program on this page.

The Speech & Hearing Sciences master's program has recently expanded to two cohorts of 25 students for a total of 50 graduate students each year.  Effective Summer 2012, Cohort 1 will begin Summer term, Cohort 2 will begin Fall term. The deadline for admission for the Summer or Fall term is January 15th of the same year. The decision on cohort placement will be made after a student accepts the offer of admission to the program. The master's program takes two years to complete.

Graduate Admission Requirements

Applicants to the graduate program in speech-language pathology must meet the following specific requirements in addition to the general requirements for admission to graduate studies at Portland State University:

• Completion of a Bachelor's degree by the time of matriculation
• Undergraduate major in speech-language pathology, or equivalent pre-requisite courses by the time of matriculation
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0 

Application Procedures

*Please read the application instructions carefully*

Application to the graduate program in speech-language pathology at Portland State University is now made through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). In addition, applicants must submit a supplemental application to the Admissions Office at Portland State University. Please follow the three steps outlined below. 

To be considered for admission for Summer or Fall 2012, all parts of your application must be submitted to CSDCAS by January 15,  2012. Your reference letters must also be received by CSDCAS on or before this date.

1. Complete your application on the CSDCAS Web site by January 15, 2012.

• Click on “Apply now for the 2012-13 academic cycle” and create a new account. Please follow the instructions carefully.

• Visit the CSDCAS “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs) -- You are strongly encouraged to review the FAQs before completing your application.

• If you experience problems or have questions, please contact CSDCAS Customer Service at 617-612-2030 or at csdcasinfo@acsdcas.org

• The CSDCAS application fee is $100.00 for the first graduate program applied to and $45.00 for each additional graduate program. 

The following information must be submitted directly to CSDCAS in order to complete your application:  

 

• Official Transcripts. Send official transcripts from every U.S. Institution attended directly to CSDCAS.

• Personal Statement or Essay.  The personal statement is uploaded electronically. Please review the instructions carefully. You are limited to 5500 characters. Please pay attention to spelling and grammar. 

  • The personal statement is intended as an opportunity for you to discuss your interests in pursuing a degree in speech-language pathology. Include a discussion of your background and the academic and personal strengths you will bring to the graduate program and clinical practice.

• References. Three reference letters are required to complete your application.  It is recommended that 2 of the 3 letters be written by faculty members and/or instructors who can speak to your academic abilities and potential success as a graduate student.  Reference letters can be submitted electronically or by paper mailed directly to CSDCAS. The letters from faculty must be received by CSDCAS on January 15th; it is your responsibility to check to make sure these letters have been submitted. 

2. Send GRE and/or TOEFL Scores to Portland State University by February 1, 2012. 

GRE. GRE scores are required for every applicant. Scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. Use the Institution Code 4610 and Department Code 0620 to request scores be sent to the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at PSU.

TOEFL. Applicants are required to submit the minimum required official score on the International Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the PSU Institutional TOEFL, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

3. Complete the Portland State University Graduate School Supplemental Application 
by April 15, 2012. 

The supplemental application for students who are admitted to the PSU program; it is not required for those who do not attend PSU. The deadline for the supplemental application to PSU is April 15, 2011. Applicants who are placed on the waiting list for admission to the graduate program are strongly encouraged to submit the supplemental application to PSU.  DISREGARD the Admission Office's statement about the "departmental application" since your departmental application will be submitted through CSDCAS instead. Please send the following (this information comes directly from the Graduate School website):

• Submit a university supplemental application online or download and print the university graduate application
• Official transcripts from every U.S. Institution attended must be sent directly to the PSU Office of Admissions. NOTE: To be official, the transcript must be in its original sealed envelope from the issuing school or institution. All documents submitted to the University become property of Portland State University and cannot be returned, copied or released. (An official PSU transcript is not required for former students.)
• The PSU Supplemental Application fee of $50.00.
• All graduate students whose first language is not English must meet the English language proficiency requirement prior to enrolling in academic classes. Please note that this requirement applies to all students, including resident aliens and citizens.

The Selection Process

Applicants will be ranked for admission on the basis of academic potential for graduate studies in speech-language pathology. The admissions committee is faced with the difficult task of selecting a relatively small group of the most qualified applicants from a large pool of highly qualified applicants.