The MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders is intended for those interested in working with children and adults who have communication disorders. The School of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers the Out of Field track for highly-competitive students who do not hold a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology and who have not completed the required undergraduate prerequisite courses. The Out of Field program requires an additional 18 credit hours of undergraduate foundation core coursework that is typically completed in the first two semesters of the graduate program and must be completed prior to starting graduate coursework.
Out of field students who completed undergraduate courses as part of a formal bridge program should apply to the Traditional program, not the Out of Field program.
Students must begin the program in the semester for which they are admitted and must follow the prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses outlined in the catalog for that track.
Track Prerequisites
General Program Prerequisites
To be certified to practice by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), all applicants must have transcript credit, which could include course work, advanced placement, CLEP, or examination equivalency, for each of the following areas at the undergraduate level: biological sciences, physical sciences, social/behavioral sciences, and statistics. Out of field students who have not completed these courses must complete these general prerequisites prior to enrolling in graduate coursework.
- Courses must be taken outside the discipline.
- Courses other than statistics may consist of any number of credits.
- Statistics course must be at least 3 credit hours and may be at the undergraduate or graduate level (i.e. STA 2014 Principles of Statistics - OR - STA 2023 Statistical Methods I).
- Courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- A maximum of two of these may be completed after admission as an Out of Field Graduate student.
The Communication Sciences and Disorders foundation core is designed to help prepare students who do not have an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech language pathology and audiology for graduate coursework in the program. Once admitted to the program, out of field students must complete the Foundation Core prior to enrolling in any graduate coursework. All undergraduate Foundation Core courses are part of the student's official graduate plan of study and all graduate policies, including low grade policy and minimum GPA policy apply.
- LIN 3716 - Language Development 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 3101 - Anatomy and Physiology of Speech, Language and Hearing 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 4104 - Neurological Bases of Speech, Language, and Hearing 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 3112 - Basic Phonetics 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 3011 - Speech Science 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 4032 - Audiology 3 Credit Hours
Out of field students who have completed a formal bridge program should apply to the Traditional Communication Sciences and Disorders program, not the Out of Field track.
Degree Requirements
Required Core Courses
39 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- SPA6204 - Articulation/Phonological Dis (3)
- SPA6211 - Voice and Upper Airway Disorders (3)
- SPA6225C - Fluency Disorders (3)
- SPA6236 - Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children (3)
- SPA6327 - Aural Habilitation Rehab (3)
- SPA6410 - Aphasia and Related Disorders (3)
- SPA6417 - Management of Acquired Cognitive/Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan (3)
- SPA6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations (3)
- SPA6559 - Augmentative and Alternative Communication (3)
- SPA6565 - Feeding and Swallowing Disorders (3)
- SPA6805 - Research in Communicative Disorders (3)
- SPA6403 - Language Disorders: School-Age through Adolescence (3)
- SPA6402 - Language Disorders: Birth to 5 Years (3)
Clinical Practice
24 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- SPA6553L - Clinical Practice in Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Pathology (1)
- SPA6503 - Foundations of Clinical Practice Level II (1)
- SPA6503L - Found Clinic Practice-II APP (1)
- SPA6503L - Found Clinic Practice-II APP (1)
- SPA6553L - Clinical Practice in Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Pathology (1)
- SPA6563L - Clinical Practice and Instrumental Diagnostics in Individuals with Dysphagia (1)
- SPA6942L - Found Clinic Practice-III APP (1)
- SPA6942L - Found Clinic Practice-III APP (1)
- SPA6942L - Found Clinic Practice-III APP (1)
- SPA6943 - Advanced Clinical Practice Seminar (1)
- Students must complete SPA 6503L and SPA 6942L twice
- Earn at least 14 credits from the following types of courses: SPA6946 Clinical Practice
- Supervised clinical practice is an integral part of the graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders. It provides students with an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to the evaluation and management of individuals with a wide variety of communication disorders. Students complete three clinical practica at the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic and other affiliated facilities, as well as external rotations in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, community clinics, and private practices. Through these practica and external rotations, students obtain a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in accordance with the guidelines outlined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Clinical practica and external rotations vary in length and do not always coincide with the academic calendar.
Thesis/Nonthesis Option
9 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
- Complete all of the following
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: SPA 6971 - Thesis
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: Elective course selected in consultation with Faculty advisor.
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Elective courses selected in consultation with Faculty advisor.
Comprehensive Examination and Clinical Documentation
0 Total Credits
- Please see the Graduate Program Handbook for specific information about the CSD Comprehensive Exam Requirements.
Grand Total Credits: 72
Application Requirements
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
Equipment Fee
Students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders MA Program pay a $90 equipment fee each semester they are enrolled.
Additional Program Costs
The program requires students to pay additional fees for the required background checks, clinic uniform, and registration for the academic/clinical competencies tracking system. In addition, some courses have Material and Supply fees that are charged in the semester the course is taken.
Sample Plan of Study for the Out of Field Track
The Out of Field track requires a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses, including undergraduate courses, which may vary according to the semester of entry. The following is a sample plan of study.
Semester 1 (9 credit hours)
- LIN 3716 - Language Development 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 3101 - Anatomy and Physiology of Speech, Language, and Hearing 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 4104 - Neurological Bases of Speech, Language, and Hearing 3 Credit Hours
Semester 2 (9 credit hours)
- SPA 3112 - Basic Phonetics 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 3011 - Speech Science 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 4032 - Audiology 3 Credit Hours
Semester 3 (Semester 1 of graduate coursework) (16 credit hours)
- SPA 6204 - Articulation/Phonological Dis 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6402 Language Disorders: Birth to 5 Years 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6410 - Aphasia and Related Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6417 Management of Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6551 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level I 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6805 - Research in Communicative Disorders 3 Credit Hours
Semester 4 (12 credit hours)
- SPA 6225 - Fluency Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6403 - Language Disorders in School-Aged through Adolescences 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6503 - Foundations of Clinical Practice Level II 1 Credit Hour
- SPA 6503L - Found Clinic Practice-II APP 1 Credit Hours (X 2)
- SPA 6559 - Augmentative and Alternative Communication 3 Credit Hours
Semester 5 (13 credit hours)
- SPA 6236 - Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6327 - Aural Habilitation Rehab 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6553L - Clinical Practice in Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Pathology 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6565 - Feeding and Swallowing Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6942 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level III 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6942L - Found Clinic Practice-III APP 1 Credit Hours (X 2)
Semester 6
- SPA 6211 - Voice Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6563L - Clinical Practice and Instrumental Diagnostics in Individuals with Dysphagia 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6943C - Clinical Practice 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
- Elective 3 Credit Hour*
Semester 7
- SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
- Elective 3 Credit Hours*
Semester 8
- SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
- Elective 3 Credit Hours*
*A total of 14 credit hours of SPA 6946 Clinical Practice is required. Electives are selected in consultation with the clinical and academic advisors and may be completed in the fourth, fifth and/or sixth semester depending on the clinical placement credit hours each semester.
Independent Learning
All students in the Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program engage in independent learning through inquiry, dialogue, and practice. Experiences such as client case studies, scholarly reviews, research projects, clinical practica and external rotations provide students independent learning opportunities to attain knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors. In capstone external rotations, students bridge university classroom and clinic lessons to real-world educational and health-related settings.
