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Information for
GRADUATE STUDENTS

• Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders

• Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Communication Sciences and Disorders Track

Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Admission and Application

Admission to the Master's of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program is competitive, based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past performance, recommendations, background check and the match between the applicant’s stated career goals and the department’s graduate program mission.

Minimum requirements for admission to UCF are a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited university with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the last 60 attempted semester hours, or a competitive score on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination. Meeting these minimum standards, however, does not guarantee admission to the program. Refer to the Admission and Registration section of the UCF Graduate Catalog for more information about admissions standards.

To apply online:
Graduate Application

Several master's degree students have been selected in recent years to participate in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Annual Minority Student Leadership Program.

(Left photo) Susha Verghese (’04) (right), here with faculty mentor Professor Martine Vanryckeghem, participated in the program in 2004.

(Right photo) Damany Phifer participated in 2007.

Orientation, Advising and Registration

Orientation
The College of Health and Public Affairs' Office of Graduate Studies, located in Health and Public Affairs I, Suite 343, hosts orientations for students enrolling in a graduate degree program in the college, including those offered in communication sciences and disorders. Contact the office at
407-823-4025 or cohpagraduate@mail.ucf.edu for the time and date of the orientation offered for your program.

In addition, UCF Graduate Studies offers orientations to ensure a smooth transition to graduate school at UCF. Click here to learn more.

Advising and Registration
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a full range of advising services, including academic, professional and personal advisement. The department provides students with two types of advisers: academic advisers and faculty advisers.

Academic Advisers. Academic advisers are non-faculty, professional staff members who are knowledgeable about departmental program requirements and university guidelines for admissions, registration and graduation. The department's two academic advisers, also known as coordinators of academic support, have regularly scheduled hours for walk-in advising and assist students throughout their programs of study. Both professional advisers are responsible for student advising with one primarily involved with student advisement at the undergraduate level and the other at the graduate level.

Opening advising is offered Monday through Friday during specific times posted each week. A student may call or stop by the departmental office during the week or check the current "Open Advising Schedule" (see this link in the list at the top of this page). A student also may make an appointment with one of the advisers by contacting the department's main office at 407-823-4798 or sending an e-mail to advising@mail.ucf.edu.

For students in their first semester of graduate study, academic advisers and coordinators of externship assist students in the development of Academic and Clinical Plans of Study. Throughout the graduate program, academic advisers continue to assist students in updating their degree plans, selecting their classes, registering each semester and advising them about graduation requirements.

Faculty advisers. Faculty advisers are full-time professors in the department. When students enter the graduate program, they are assigned to a faculty adviser who is responsible for academic and professional advising. Faculty advisers typically schedule five office hours during the week. At peak advising times, such as registration, they often schedule additional hours.

To assure successful progress throughout their graduate program, students are required to meet with assigned faculty advisers each semester prior to registration to ensure that the they are “on track” for completion of the program and following their prescribed sequence of courses. This sequence is only changed under extraordinary circumstances. If students need to request a change in either their Academic or Clinical Plans of Study, they are required to provide their request, in writing, first to the faculty adviser who then refers them to a faculty approver. The faculty approver is responsible for approving all changes to the plans of study. A request to change a plan of study will be granted only for the most significant and serious reasons.

Depending on the question or subject matter, students may be advised by the department's professional advisers, the graduate program coordinator, coordinators of externship or faculty members.

Admission and Application

Admission to the Master's of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program is competitive, based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past performance, recommendations, background check and the match between the applicant’s stated career goals and the department’s graduate program mission.

Minimum requirements for admission to UCF are a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited university with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in the last 60 attempted semester hours, or a competitive score on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination. Meeting these minimum standards, however, does not guarantee admission to the program. Refer to the Admission and Registration section of the UCF Graduate Catalog for more information about admissions standards.

To apply online:
Graduate Application

Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Communication Sciences and
Disorders Track
Admission and Application

For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).