Communication Sciences and Disorders

Diane Millar, Department Chair
Lauren Flora, Graduate Program Coordinator
Graduate Faculty

Graduate Program

The mission of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COSD) is to develop speech-language pathologists who are ethical, thoughtful, knowledgeable, skillful and capable of working independently and in collaboration with clients, families and other professionals.

The department’s graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The program offers academic and clinical curricula that provide students with the knowledge and skills required for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCCSLP). This nationally recognized professional credential is issued to individuals who present evidence of their ability to provide independent clinical services to persons who have disorders of communication. The program’s curricula also provide students the opportunity to 1) meet the requirements of the Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology for licensure in speech-language pathology and 2) meet requirements for teacher licensure offered through the Virginia Department of Education for those graduates who seek employment through the Virginia Department of Education.

The program offers either a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a concentration in speech-language pathology. A thesis is required for the Master of Arts degree. A final, comprehensive examination is required of all Master of Arts and Master of Science candidates. For Master of Arts candidates, the final comprehensive examination will be an oral defense of the master’s thesis. Master of Science candidates are required to pass a final written comprehensive examination. COSD graduate students are responsible for becoming familiar with and for meeting all stated Academic Policies outlined in this catalog.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students should complete procedures for graduate student admission as indicated in this catalog, noting the following department-specific requirements for the COSD program:

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 overall and 3.0 in all major core courses
Submission of a one to two page essay which outlines the student’s personal and professional goals and reasons for pursuing a master’s degree at Radford University
Submission of three letters of reference from faculty members, a faculty advisor, or clinical supervisors who are familiar with the student’s performance in major coursework
Submission of official Graduate Record Examination scores

Students who have not earned an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders must complete the following 28 credit hours of supporting coursework in addition to the Required Graduate Core Courses. Students have two options for completing supporting courses. The first option is to complete supporting courses as a non-degree seeking student before applying to the Graduate Program. The second option is to complete supporting courses after admission to the Graduate Program; in this case, all supporting courses will appear on the official transcript and will be calculated in the overall graduate grade point average.