Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA)
The mission of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is to prepare students to meet the licensure requirements of New Jersey and the national certification requirements. Our graduates will be prepared to work with persons who have a variety of communication disorders and swallowing disorders. Our program stresses an interdisciplinary approach to the understanding of communication disorders, appropriate assessment of, and intervention for those disorders.
The MA program is a full-time, residential program spread over a two and one-half year period for students with a background in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (SLP) or in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). Students complete a series of clinical practica at the Montclair State University Center for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology and externships at a variety of sites in the New Jersey-New York area including hospitals, public schools, and rehabilitation facilities. For more information about this program please visit the Department of Communcation and Sciences Disorders page.
Students who are accepted will be assigned to one of two cohorts:
- Students With a Background who will have completed or are enrolled in undergraduate preparation by the application deadline (February 1) that includes the following three courses: Introduction to Language Development, Phonetics and Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing.
- Students Without a Background who have not completed or are not enrolled in all three of these courses by the application deadline (February 1). Once you apply, you will be considered a student without a background, so don’t take additional classes.
Upon graduation from the program and completion of the Clinical Fellowship (CF) year, our students will be eligible for licensure in New Jersey and for Certification by the Council on Clinical Certification of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association under the 2014 Certification Standards.
The Master of Arts (MA) education program in Speech-Language Pathology at Montclair State University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Please refer to our programs of study page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.
An undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology and audiology (SLPA) or a degree in communications sciences and disorders (CSD) is not required for admission to the SLP program. If it is determined that you are missing any of the required courses needed to meet licensing requirements in some states and to be recognized as eligible for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), you would be asked to complete the missing classes before graduating from the program.
Graduate students must demonstrate communication skills that will not interfere with clinical practice. A student who is judged to have questionable skills will be referred to a faculty panel for further evaluation. If necessary, a student will be referred for assistance. Students requiring assistance must be re-evaluated before they can enroll in clinical practica. Enrollment in clinical practica will be postponed until communication skills are judged to be sufficient.
The Speech-Language Pathology committee determines if an applicant will need to complete the pre-professional courses.
The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.
In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific program of interest.
- Application Deadline: February 1st for Fall admission only. Please note: Upon offer of admission, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit of $300.
- Applications are submitted via the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). To apply, use the CSDCAS application and add “Montclair State University” to your selected programs. For assistance with the CSDCAS application, visit their customer service site.
- Eligibility Requirements and Essential Functions Document is a part of the online application and must be reviewed and completed.
The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA) program:
Please note that all of the items below must be received prior to 11:59 PM ET on February 1st:
- CSDCAS Application fee: CSDCAS requires a variable fee from all applicants ($133 for your first application, $53 for each subsequent application).
- $60 Montclair State University application fee is required. Details regarding the application fee will be sent to you directly from Graduate Admissions.
- One official transcript from each college attended.
- Essays/Personal Statement: Essays should address why you are interested in applying to a program in speech-language pathology, what you want to do with a degree in speech-language pathology, and experiences that have familiarized you with the what speech-language pathologists do. Essays should also address special consideration that you want the admissions committee to consider in reviewing your application.
- Letters of Recommendation: Two (2) letters of recommendation. Each recommender should attest to the applicant’s potential to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. Letters should come from faculty at institutions of higher education.
- Resume: Resume is optional.
- Undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.3 or a GPA of at least 3.0 from a prior master’s degree
- GRE Test Scores are OPTIONAL. If you would like to submit official GRE scores, please send using code 2520.
- GRE Minimums
- Verbal GRE scores of 148
- Quantitative GRE scores of 150
- GRE writing score of 3.5
- GRE Minimums
- Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.
This 77-credit program includes coursework in Language Assessment, Voice Disorders, Speech and Hearing Science, and Research in Speech-Language Pathology. For more information, please visit the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA) program listing in the University Catalog.
If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869
If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech Language Pathology Concentration (MA) Program Coordinator:
*During the summer months, there will be a rotating department chair available to answer your inquiry. Click to find the updated summer chair for this program.*
Program Coordinator: Dr. Michael Boyle
Email: boylemi@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-7303