Browse this page and the rest of the department website to learn about our faculty, courses, and clinics. This will help you decide if you want to apply, who you might want to work with if you’re interested in doing a thesis, and what courses you could assist with if you’re offered a TA position. You’ll also need this information to complete the application.

Open house:

Prospective applicants can sign up to attend an open house to learn more about the admissions process.  These events are typically scheduled during the fall semester (one in-person and one online). The event dates and location details are typically posted on the website closer to the events.

Please contact the Program Director, Dr. Sabiha Parveen for more details.

You’ll submit your application and all documents to Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS):

CSDCAS Application Link

There are also two fees to pay: one on CSDCAS, and one to OSU:

1.  CSDCAS Application Fee: The fees for the 2024-2025 cycle will be $139 for the first program you select and $56 for each additional program. Please visit the CSDCAS website for more details.

2.  OSU Graduate College Application Fee:

• • For U.S. citizens and permanent residents ($50 fee)

  • For international applicants ($75 fee)

  • Exceptions: Everyone must complete one of the above forms, but if you meet one of these criteria, the OSU Graduate College application fee will be waived once:

    • Current student of OSU-Stillwater, OSU-Tulsa, or OSU-CHS or alumni of any one of these locations.

    • Current students completing a degree at OSU prior to beginning the program for which they are applying.

    • Current graduate degree candidates (in a different department/discipline) of Oklahoma State University.

You must take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) in time to submit your scores before the application due date. Submit your scores (verbal, quantitative and analytical writing) directly from ETS to CSDCAS using GRE code 3289. Do not send them to OSU or Slate.

Send an official transcript from each institution you have attended to CSDCAS. Do not sent them to OSU, Slate, or our department. 

• • We use a recommended major GPA of 3.1 as a benchmark. Applicants with lower major GPAs may be considered on a case-by-case basis (you are still eligible to apply). 

  • Prerequisite Courses: All students admitted to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders Master's program must have taken coursework in Speech Science and Neural Bases of Speech and Language or equivalent courses prior to beginning Master's coursework. We offer both of these courses online in the summer for students who have not completed them during their undergraduate program.

International applicants are expected to submit evidence of English proficiency in the form of official scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or PTE Academic examinations. A waiver of this requirement can be obtained for students who have completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning at which English is the primary language of instruction, located in a country in which English is a recognized primary language.  See the Graduate College website for details.

Post-bacc / Leveling students:

Applicants who have an undergraduate degree in a different field and are currently have or are working on a post-baccalaureate certificate/degree (aka “leveling”) in CSD may also be eligible to apply to our Master's program. All applicants need to complete three courses (Phonetics, Anatomy and Physiology, and Communication Disorders in Children, or equivalent) before the application due date. Go to our post-baccalaureate certificate page to learn more. 

All students who are enrolled in clinical practicum at the Oklahoma State University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic are provided opportunities to evaluate and treat patients with communication disorders as long as they demonstrate knowledge on normal and disordered communication and are able to model the desired behavior. If there is a specific condition that prohibits the student from modeling the desired behavior to the patient, then the student will be provided active guidance on modeling the specific behavior before providing further clinical services to the patient. For example, a student speaking English with a certain accent could potentially have difficulty in modeling a target phoneme to a child with articulation disorder. In this case the student will be put on a remediation plan before providing further clinical services to the child. As a part of the remedial plan, the clinical supervisor will work with the student and provide guidance on modeling the target behavior. Once the student is able to demonstrate that he/she is capable of modeling the specific phoneme then he/she will be again assigned a patient with an articulation disorder. The Oklahoma State University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic will not discriminate against persons based on their spoken dialect and language, race, color, religious affiliation, or parental status. In line with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association position statement “Students and Professionals Who Speak English with Accents and Nonstandard Dialects: Issues and Recommendations,” we understand that all individuals speak with an accent and/or dialect; thus, we facilitate our students to receive maximum clinical experience that they are entitled to.

OSU policy requires all persons who are non-native English speaking to demonstrate an acceptable level of spoken English before being employed in an instructionally related capacity, including laboratory assignments. Graduate students who serve only as laboratory assistants (e.g., setting up and/or maintaining equipment) are not required to comply with the provisions of this section.

You'll need three letters of recommendation that discuss your potential as a graduate student.  

• • At least one of the letters must be written by a course instructor.

  • The other letters can be from a separate course instructor, clinical supervisor (if applicable), research mentor (if applicable), other academic faculty members, or a supervisor from work related to the field.

Tips on who and how to ask for letters: 

• Think about who can write you a favorable letter.  How well do they know you?  What have they been able to observe about you as a student and future clinician?

• Choose at least one writer who can evaluate your academic skills (research supervisors, professors, instructors of challenging classes you’ve done well in or whom you’ve had more than once, honors contract instructors, etc.), and at least one writer who can assess your ability or potential to perform as a clinician. If you don’t have clinical experience, try to choose a writer who has observed you serving in a capacity that demonstrates clinically-relevant skills. If you’re considering a master’s thesis, at least one writer should be able to describe your research abilities. 

• Ask early (give them enough time to write or for you to find a backup if necessary). Other schools' applications might be due earlier than ours, or professors might like to write their letters over Thanksgiving or winter breaks. We recommend asking sometime before Thanksgiving, or earlier if you have December deadlines.

• Once they agree to write for you, enter their email addresses in your CSDCAS application. It will send them a link to submit their letters directly to CSDCAS.

• Send them the following information to help them prepare. Ask if they'd prefer it electronically or on paper. 

  • • List of schools you're applying to, with due dates and links to their application portals. 

      • • Order the schools by due date: They will probably only write one letter for you and then send it to all schools you apply to, so the first deadline is the most important for them. 

    • Remind them what classes/activities you had with them, in what semesters, and the grades you earned.

      • • They may also ask you to send them a copy of a paper or project you did with them.

    • List of points that person could say about you: 

      • • Skills or personal traits they have been able to observe about you

        • Reminders of exemplary work or events that exemplify your traits

        • “Unique contributions” – specific to each writer, main points that your other writers may not have had the opportunity to observe about you

    • Draft of your personal statement. Even if it's not completely polished yet, it gives them a sense of what you'll be talking about, so their letter fits in the package. 

    • Updated resume

    • Transcript (unofficial is fine)

    • Waiver of your right to view their letter (if you choose to -- some writers may not agree without it). CSDCAS and many application portals include a waiver as well.

    • Photo of yourself

It's okay to remind your writers if they haven't submitted their letter within 1-2 weeks of the deadlines.

Submit a personal statement as part of your CSDCAS application (up to 750 words). Things you might include:

• • Discuss why you wish to pursue a graduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD).

  • You may discuss your personal and prior experiences in CSD, including but not limited to personal struggles and growth, advocacy related to communication and/or disabilities/social issues, and professional experiences within the field.

  • You might also highlight any academic, research, clinic, or other professional achievements from your undergraduate program or overall, so far.

  • You may discuss any unique contributions you would bring as a graduate student to a CSD program.

  • You may also discuss here if your academic grades do not accurately reflect your potential as a prospective graduate student.

After we review your documents, you may be invited for an interview in January or February. Interviews are usually 15-20 minutes long and held over Zoom. They will help us to better understand your knowledge and preparation to succeed in a graduate program.

In 2025, the interviews will have three sections of questions: 

Section 1: Personal/Preprofessional background

Example Question: What made you apply to our program?

Section 2: Academic/Research/Foundational knowledge

Example Question: Can you describe a communication disorder that you learned about in your undergraduate program and discuss it in terms of cause and characteristics?

Section 3: Clinical Applications/Case Studies

Example Question: You are assigned to work with a 45-year-old woman with aphasia. She plans to return home with her family, including her husband and two school-aged children. However, she has severe physical and language deficits currently. Who else may be important to include in her treatment plan? What strategies or resources would you suggest or include in your treatment plan?

We typically send admissions letters sometime in March. You’ll have multiple weeks, often until April 15, to accept or reject our offer.

You may be offered funding (tuition waiver and stipend) at the same time, or a funding offer could come later. Most funding offers are for a one-year position as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) for 10 hours of work per week in our department or 10+ hours in another department (e.g., tutoring for Athletics or the library). We also offer several two-year GTA positions, and some students may be selected to work on a specific research project as a graduate research assistant (GRA).

Out-of-state waivers:

Non-Oklahoma residents currently have the out-of-state portion of tuition waived!  This means everyone pays in-state tuition. Calculate typical costs here.