Frequently Asked Questions for Students Interested in MS in SLP
1. Does your program require a minimum GRE score required for admission to graduate school? No.
2. Do I need to have instructors and clinical supervisor(s) write recommendations to your program for me, or can one of the letters be written by someone who knows me well? The UWSP faculty in the School of Communicative Disorders recommend letters of recommendation focus on your potential to succeed in graduate school based on your academic and clinical performance. This focus is usually best known by faculty and clinical supervisors.
3. Is a clinical practicum experience at the undergraduate level required? No. Clinical practicum experience is not a requirement for acceptance into the graduate program. However, if you did complete a clinical practicum, we do require a summary of your hours. A clinical summary hour sheet is available with our application to the program.
4. How many graduate students do you accept each year? The number varies each year. The average range of students who begin the M.S. in SLP each year is 20-25. For students beginning the Au.D. on the UWSP campus, the average number is 3-5.
5. Do you have a school and/or medical track in your curriculum? No. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to work in all types of employment settings.
6. Does the coursework differ if I plan to work in a school rather than a hospital or medical setting? Course requirements in the major are the same for all students. Students desiring to work in a school setting take additional select courses in Education that contribute to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction license in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology.
7. Can I do my externship in a medical and school setting? A full-time 15-20 week externship is usually completed in either a school or a medical/clinical setting. Part time off-campus practicum experiences within the graduate program occur in many different types of medical or educational settings. You could obtain a part-time two day a week practicum experience in a medical setting for 15 weeks, and do a full-time school externship, or vise versa.
8. What types of clinical placements are available? There are many clinical affiliations for practicum experience. They are linked from the Clinical Director page on the website.
9. What type of funding is available to SLP graduate students? The chair of the department assigns graduate assistantships based on academic merit. The assistantships range from 5-10 hours per week for a period of 1-3 semesters. Students from out-of-state may receive a waiver for the nonresident portion of the tuition fees with an assistantship award of 7 or more hours per week.
10. Do you require comprehensive exams? Yes. Graduate students in the SLP program will take comprehensive exams in the second year of the program prior to final the externship semester.
11. Do you have a thesis option? Yes. Students have an option to complete a thesis.