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Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences
Future SLP Students

Contact

Allison Plumb

Allison Plumb

Professor

Acting Department Chair and Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program Officer

amp0016@auburn.edu

The master's program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). This accreditation ensures that, upon completion of the master's program, students will meet all academic and practicum requirements for certification as a speech-language pathologists.

Coursework requirements for those without a degree in CSD: Applicants who do not hold a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders are required to complete the following prerequisite coursework (or a course equivalent) prior to the start of the master’s program:

  • SLHS 3400 Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
  • SLHS 3410 Phonetics
  • SLHS 3550 Speech Science
  • SLHS 3560 Neuroanatomy
  • SLHS 4520 Language Acquisition
  • SLHS 4600 Audiology and Hearing Science
  • SLHS 4620 Hearing/Aural Rehab
  • SLHS 4910 Special Observation

All admitted students will need to complete content in the following areas before or during the MS program:

  • Statistics
  • Biology
  • Physical Science (must be Chemistry or Physics)
  • Social Science

  • Minimum 3.0 GPA; however, our students typically have much higher GPAs. Students who are admitted to our program have an average GPA of 3.6 or higher.
  • Complete the Casper Assessment through Altus Suite. For more information, see the section below on the Casper Assessment.
  • Three professional letters of recommendation submitted electronically through CSDCAS.
  • A one-minute video that addresses a given scenario. For scenario details and how to record the video, see the section below on video recording.
  • A letter of interest/personal statement. Upload your written response to the following prompt in CSDCAS:
    • Describe three reasons why you have specific interest in the Auburn University Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences for your master's program in speech-language pathology (500 word limit).

Application to Auburn University’s Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences requires you to complete both the electronic application through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) and the online application to the Auburn University Graduate School. Here are specific steps:

  • Apply online to Auburn Graduate School and submit payment. Please use the new application system: Application Instructions - Graduate School (auburn.edu)
    • The following applicants are eligible for a fee waiver:
      • Current Auburn University graduate students enrolled in graduate courses
      • Full-time Auburn University employees
      • Alabama HBCU applicants from the following schools (first 300 received per year): Alabama A&M and Alabama State Universities, Concordia, Miles, Stillman and Talladega Colleges, Oakwood & Tuskegee Universities – submit copy of school ID
      • Ronald McNair Scholars – must submit a memo from sponsoring institution
      • Florida A&M Feeders Program – must submit a memo from faculty sponsor
      • GEM applicants – must submit a copy of their GEM application
      • Active Duty Military – with a letter confirming duty
      • Applying for an approved dual program – the second application fee is waived
    • To qualify for one of the application fee exemptions, you must submit the required documentation to the Graduate School:
      The Graduate School
      106 Hargis Hall
      Auburn University, AL 36849-5122
      Ph. (334) 844-4700
      gradadm@auburn.edu
  • Apply online through CSDCAS and submit payment and all required documentation.
  • Official transcripts from every college or university attended must be sent to CSDCAS Attn: Verification Department, P.O. Box 9113, Watertown, MA 02471. 
  • Report Casper scores to Auburn University. They do not need to be submitted to Auburn University of CSDCAS.

All international applicants must submit official transcripts to the AU Graduate School in addition to CSDCAS. Successful international applicants must score at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper version (pBT), 213 on the computer version (cBT), and 79 on the internet version (iBT). Additionally, successful applicants must score minimums of 16 on the listening, reading, speaking, and writing components of the iBT. Auburn University’s ETS institution code is 1005. Auburn will also accept a 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. More information on certifying English proficiency can be found at the following link: https://graduate.auburn.edu/prospective-students/general-admission-requirements/.

To be considered for admission, all materials need to be submitted to AU and the CSDCAS no later than January 15.

Questions concerning the electronic application process, including receipt of materials, should be directed to CSDCAS:

CSDCAS
P.O. Box 9113
Watertown, MA 02471
Voice: 617-612-2030
Fax: 617-612-2051
Email: csdcasinfo@csdcas.org

Each applicant must submit a one-minute video recording that addresses the following clinical scenario:

  • You’re meeting with the parents of a 7-year-old child that you recently completed a full language evaluation on to address their concerns about their child’s language abilities. On the CELF-5, the child’s overall receptive and expressive language skills were one and a half standard deviations below the mean indicating a moderate language delay. Create a one-minute video of you as the speech-language pathologist sharing this news with the caregiver. You have creative license for other background information that you think might be relevant for this task. For more details on how to record see the section on video recording.

After completing your video on your preferred device, please upload it to YouTube. If you do not have a YouTube account, you will need to create one.

  • When you log into YouTube click Upload in the upper right hand corner.
  • Then you will need to either drag and drop or select the video file from your computer or device.
  • Please check and make sure your video IS NOT set to "private" or we will be unable to view it. It must instead be "unlisted." This unlisted setting will also ensure that the video is not listed in a way for the entire world to see and easily find.
  • Name your video with your last name.
  • Submit your YouTube link/URL by cutting and pasting it into the "Questions" section of the CSDCAS application.

All applicants are required to complete CASPER (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) as part of their application. Casper is a situational judgement test that asks you what you would do in challenging situations and why. This helps determine behavioral characteristics of applicants pursuing people-center professions. No studying is required for CASPER; however, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the test structure at acuityinsights.app where you may complete a practice test. For an introduction to the CASPER test, please see this video.  

Applicants must take CASPER by the final test date of January 16th, to be considered for 2024 admissions. The test can only be taken one time during the admissions cycle. Casper scores are sent directly to Auburn University, so you do not need to upload your scores to CSDCAS. Test scores are valid for one year.

The following test dates/times are available (all times are listed in Eastern time):

Jan 7, 2024 - 1:00 PM EST
Jan 16, 2024 - 8:00 PM EST

CASPER Fee Waiver: For the 2023/2024 application cycle, students applying to Auburn's speech-language pathology program will be provided with a coupon code to cover the cost of the CASPER test. To receive the code, please follow the instructions:

  • Contact Dr. Allison Plumb (amp0016@auburn.edu) to receive the coupon code to take Casper.
  • This coupon code is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone else.
  • Create an account on acuityinsights.app by clicking on Register. Please ensure that you have all the necessary materials to create an account. Then, follow the steps to reserve a test date. The steps will indicate when you must apply the coupon code.
    • It is recommended that you register at least one week ahead. If you are seeking accommodations, you must initiate this process four weeks ahead to provide the required documentation.
  • If you encounter any issues applying the coupon code, please contact the Acuity Insights Applicant Support team by clicking on the chat bubble on the bottom right corner on acuityinsights.app.

If you are applying for an assistantship, please complete the assistantship application form and provide a resume and an essay describing why you qualify for an assistantship. Please upload the application into the documents section of CSDCAS.

Download the application

Contact

Allison Plumb

Allison Plumb

Professor

Acting Department Chair and Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program Officer

amp0016@auburn.edu