Pending Office of the Chancellor approval

The Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology provides the graduate-level academic and clinical training needed to become a speech-language pathologist. Offering a rigorous curriculum that engages students in globally relevant research, the M.A. program prepares students to serve the culturally and linguistically diverse people of our region affected by communication disorders. Graduates are trained in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders throughout the lifespan, and prepared to work in professional settings such as hospitals, clinics, schools, and private practice, or to continue their education in a PhD program. Students in this five-semester cohort M.A. program also have the option of completing the Certificate in Healthcare Spanish.

Admission to the Program

The Graduate Committee cannot act on applications until they have been reviewed by the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment and have met university admissions requirements. Please check the M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology website and/or the office of Graduate Studies for the specific application due date for each year. The program admits students in Fall semester only.

In addition to the general requirements of the University, which include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, specific requirements for classification in the program are:

1. Typically, a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B"), or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in communicative sciences and disorders coursework. However, a student’s undergraduate GPA does not always predict their potential for success and should not exclude them from consideration. Therefore, the admissions committee takes a holistic approach to the admissions process, considering a broad range of candidate qualities, including a student’s personal attributes, past experiences, and future goals, and how those might contribute to a good fit with our program and its values and objectives.
2. A bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, Communicative Disorders, or Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, or a bachelor’s degree in another field with a preparatory minor/certificate in Speech-Language Pathology or coursework in the following areas:
   1. Child Language and Literacy Development
   2. Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
   3. Language and Speech Science
   4. Child Language Disorders
   5. Phonetics and Phonology
   6. Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
   7. Clinical and Research Methods and Procedures in Speech-Language Pathology
   8. Fluency, Voice, and Speech Sound Disorders
   9. Neurology and Neurogenic Communication Disorders
   10. Audiology & Audiometry​

3. In addition to the above courses, ASHA requires completion of one course each in the following areas: biological sciences, physical sciences, statistics, and social/behavioral sciences. These courses must be completed prior to admission to the M.A.

4. Two letters of recommendation.

5. A one- to two-page personal statement describing the student's professional goals in the field of Speech-Language Pathology.

6. Submission of official transcripts from all previous college work to the admissions committee.

7. An interview may also be required.

Advancement to Candidacy

To be advanced to candidacy, the student must have:

1. Achieved classified status;

2. Completed at least 31 units of coursework required by the program with a grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B");

3. Filed a program plan approved by the MA SLP Coordinator.

Requirements for Graduation

1. Advancement to candidacy;

2. Successful completion of 60-semester units of acceptable graduate work with at least 48 units completed at CSUSB. All coursework taken at other institutions must be approved by the M.A. SLP Coordinator; 

3. An overall GPA of at least 3.0 ("B") in all graduate-level coursework;

4. Successful completion of Culminating Experience: ENG 6543 or ENG 6550/6553.

5. The graduation writing requirement is met upon successful completion of the thesis or comprehensive examination. 

Degree Requirements (60 units)

Culminating Experience (3 units)

Students select either the Thesis Option or the Comprehensive Examination Option. Successful completion of either option satisfies the graduation writing requirement.

Thesis Option (3 units)

Students electing the Thesis option must complete a research project under the supervision of faculty members. To develop a thesis proposal for this project and obtain approval of it, students carry out the following steps:

1. Gain the support of a committee of two Speech-Language Pathology faculty members (the thesis reading committee).
2. Write a 1000-word thesis proposal and submit it to the thesis reading committee and the M.A. SLP Coordinator for approval.

The student will then be given a permit to add ENG 6543 to complete the thesis.

Comprehensive Examination Option (3 units)

Students must declare their intent to take the examination at least one semester in advance and register for ENG 6550 and ENG 6553. The comprehensive examination preparation course is offered only in Spring semester. The exam itself is offered twice yearly, once in Fall semester and once in Spring semester.

The reading committees for the comprehensive examination in each concentration will be established annually by the graduate program and will consist of two Speech-Language Pathology faculty members.

The comprehensive examination will be graded pass/fail, and students have the option of revising a non-passing exam based on feedback. If the revised exam still does not pass, they may retake the exam once with new questions. Candidates who retake the examination must do so within one calendar year.