M.S. in SLP and COVID-19:

Please visit “Lakers Together” for the most up to date information regarding GVSU’s response to COVID-19 including face coverings, vaccination clinics, and plans for in-person classes. Due to federal regulations at healthcare organizations, students in the College of Health Professions with clinical placements are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, unless approved for an exemption or postponement by filling out the Exemption/Postponement Form. (updated 6/12/2023)

Questions about admissions and applications can be directed to Dr. Sri Nandamudi at [email protected].

CSDCAS:

Admissions for Fall 2024 for the Track 1 and the Track 2 programs will be done through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System (CSDCAS). The following information is outlined on GVSU’s CSDCAS Application.

CSDCAS must receive:

• Online application
• Official transcripts
• 3 Electronic Recommendations
• Resume
• Attributes Essay (prompt on CSDCAS)
• Accelerated Program Essay (prompt on CSDCAS)
• Essential Functions Document-the completed/signed document needs to be attached to the Documents Section of the CSDCAS application.

Completion of the following outside of CSDCAS:

• GVSU SLP Supplemental Form - The Supplemental Form cannot be submitted until your CSDCAS application is verified. Once verified, you will receive an email from Grand Valley State with instructions to submit the Supplemental Form.  The email will have the subject:  ‘GVSU Application:  accessing your account’.
• Altus Suite Casper Assessment - TakeAltus.com

A completed application and all items above should be submitted and verified in CSDCAS by the respective deadline.

Track 1 Deadlines

Track 1 Applicants may choose to apply for the Early Decision Option or the Regular Decision Option. Please review all the information on this page thoroughly to decide which option to choose.

Early Decision Requirements:

Deadline: December 1 with responses in mid-December
Requirements:

• Commit to speech-language pathology as the chosen profession and to GVSU as the chosen school. Applicants who are not interested in accepting an offer of admission, if selected, and plan to apply to other programs even if selected should only apply during Regular Decision
• Submit all required materials prior to the deadline

Early Decision Applicants who do not receive an admission offer are not precluded from the regular decision process. Applicants will automatically be considered for the regular decision option.

Regular Decision Requirements:

Deadline: January 15 with responses in February

• Submit all required materials prior to the deadline

Track 2 Deadlines

Priority Admission Deadline: April 1^st with responses in April

Rolling Admission: Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed through June 28th 2024 as space is available in the program. Expect a response 2-4 weeks after submission of the completed application.

Track 1 Terminology

Early Decision:  Early decision is meant for you if you want to attend GVSU only. If offered, you plan to accept GVSU's offer. Your application is due sooner, you get a response sooner, and the stressful application process is over sooner!  If you weren't accepted at early decision, you are automatically considered for regular decision.  At GVSU, this is available to  SLP Track 1 applicants.

Regular Decision: Regular decision means you are applying to multiple schools before deciding where to attend. At GVSU, this is for SLP Track 1 applicants.

Track 2 Terminology

Priority Admission: Getting your application in by the Priority Admission deadline of April 1^st means you will be considered first. You may be applying to multiple schools or only GVSU. At GVSU, this is for SLP Track 2 applicants.

Rolling Admission: Turn your application in any time between April 2-June 28 and we will review and respond to you within 2-4 weeks. At GVSU, this is available to SLP Track 2 applicants.

General Requirements:

• Competitive GPA (minimum of 3.0)
• Courses:
  • Statistics course
  • Biological Sciences course
  • Physical Sciences course (Physics or Chemistry)
  • Psychological OR Social Sciences courses
• Completed Casper assessment:  All applicants are required to complete Altus Suite as part of their application for the 2023/2024 admissions cycle. To complete Altus Suite visit TakeAltus.com to create an account and complete the following assessment: Casper: 60-90 minute online, open-response situational judgment test (SJT). For more information and our "why", please see the attached flyer here or the website. *Note: Snapshot is not required.
• Interview: Attend interview (if invited)
• English proficiency: Test scores from one of the following English language proficiency tests: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), MET (Michigan English Test), PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English Academic) or Duolingo for applicants whose native language is not English. The following minimum scores are required: TOEFL is 80, IELTS is 6.5, MET 52, PTE Academic is 53, and Duolingo is 105.  Scores must be received by the institution prior to the admission deadline. Exceptions can be requested but are not usually granted.
• GRE: The GRE is not required.

Specific Requirements:

For applicants interested in the Track 1 program, the following specific requirements must be satisfied (in addition to the general requirements). 

• Must have credits in each prerequisite course area with a minimum of 25 credit hours
• Track 1 Prerequisite Worksheet

Please see GVSU's Course Catalog for further details.

After referring to this guide, please contact our SLP Admissions Coordinator ([email protected]) with any remaining questions.

THESIS OPTION

Track 1 and Track 2 students may elect to complete and defend a master’s thesis which adds 1 semester to their program. Students who plan to pursue advanced graduate study are encouraged to choose the thesis option. Here is an example schedule for a Track 1 student completing a thesis.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships available by application.

• Questions regarding departmental research assistantships can be sent to Dr. Courtney Karsinski, [email protected]
• Questions regarding departmental research and special projects assistantships can be sent to Dr. Cara Singer, [email protected]
• Please refer to The Graduate School website for information regarding assistantships outside of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

COVID-19 VACCINE COMPLIANCE

GVSU Health Compliance and COVID-19 Vaccine Exemption Requests: As a M.S. in SLP student, you are enrolled in a health/health related program that requires health compliance. Health compliance requirements will be sent to you after you accept/commit to the program and before you begin the program. If you will be requesting an exemption, you will need to undergo an exemption review process that aligns with the federal requirements currently in effect at health-care facilities. This review process is separate from the general process at GVSU. For more information, visit: GVSU Health Compliance COVID-19 Vaccine Exemption Requests - Health Compliance - Grand Valley State University

Clinical Placements and COVID-19 Compliance: Many clinical sites require COVID-19 vaccination; therefore, clinical placement opportunities are limited for unvaccinated students. Students with approved exemptions may need to extend their programs due to the availability of appropriate placements.