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 Consortium track which is designed specifically for students with a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology who currently work in participating central Florida public school districts and have been providing speech and language services for at least one semester prior to application. The goal of this program is to address the critical shortage of public-school speech-language pathologists. It represents a cooperative effort between the UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Central Florida Public School Consortium. Participating school districts in the Central Florida Consortium are Brevard, Citrus, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia.
Students must begin the program in the semester for which they are admitted and enroll every semester, including summers, for eight semesters following a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses. The program is offered face-to-face on the Orlando campus.
The Communication Sciences and Disorders program strives to educate students to become successful practitioners in the field of speech-language pathology. To that end, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Code of Ethics is reinforced throughout the academic curriculum. Students who violate the ASHA Code of Ethics may be subject to academic sanctions or dismissed from the program.
Track Prerequisites
To be certified to practice by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), all students 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.
- 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 (i.e. STA 2014 Principles of Statistics OR STA 2023 Statistical Methods I) or graduate level.
- Courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
This track requires an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and audiology and full-time employment in one of the participating school districts listed above.
Degree Requirements
Required 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)
- 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)
- SPA6541 - Assessment of Language Disorders in Children and Adolescents (3)
- SPA6542 - Intervention of Language Disorders in Children and Adolescents (3)
- SPA6417 - Management of Acquired Cognitive/Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan (3)
Clinical Practice
24 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- SPA6551 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level I (1)
- SPA6503 - Foundations of Clinical Practice Level II (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)
- SPA6943 - Advanced Clinical Practice Seminar (1)
- Earn at least 2 credits from the following types of courses: Students will repeat SPA 6503L and SPA 6942L twice.
- Earn at least 14 credits from the following types of courses: SPA 6946 - 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
Thesis Option- 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: 1 Elective course selected in consultation with Faculty advisor.
- Thesis hours cannot be counted toward graduation requirements if students fail to complete or successfully defend the thesis. For additional information, thesis students and their advisory committees should refer to the thesis requirements in the UCF Graduate Catalog.
Nonthesis Option- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Appropriate electives 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.
Consortium track students typically complete one external rotation outside of the school setting. The second external rotation must be completed in a school setting that is different from the practitioner's primary employment setting.
Equipment Fee
Students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders MA Program pay a $90 equipment fee each semester that 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.
The Consortium track requires a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses which must be followed. The following is a sample plan of study.
Semester 1 - Spring (7 credit hours)
- SPA 6541 - Assessment of Language Disorders in Children and Adolescents 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6542 - Intervention of Language Disorders in Children and Adolescents 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6551 - Foundations of Clinical Practice: Level I 1 Credit Hours
Semester 2 - Summer (13 Credit Hours)
- SPA 6410 - Aphasia and Related Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6553L - Clinical Practice in Differential Diagnosis in Speech and Language Pathology 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6559 - Augmentative and Alternative Communication 3 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 3 - Fall (9 Credit Hours)
- SPA 6204 - Articulation/Phonological Dis 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6474 - Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6503 - Foundations of Clinical Practice Level II 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6503L - Found Clinic Practice-II APP 1 Credit Hours (X 2)
Semester 4 - Spring (6 Credit Hours)
- SPA 6225C - Fluency Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6236 - Motor Speech Disorders in Adults and Children 3 Credit Hours
Semester 5 - Summer
- SPA 6211 - Voice Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6327 - Aural Habilitation Rehab 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6943 - Clinical Practice 1 Credit Hours
- SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
Semester 6 - Fall (7 Credit Hours)
- SPA 6563L - Clinical Practice and Instrumental Diagnostics in Individuals with Dysphagia 1 Credit Hours
- Elective - SPA 6843 Severe Reading and Writing Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- Elective - SPA 6057 Methods of Speech Language Disorders 3 Credit Hours
Semester 7 - Spring
- SPA 6417 - Management of Acquired Cognitive-Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6805 - Research in Communicative Disorders 3 Credit Hours
- SPA 6946 - Clinical Practice*
Semester 8 - Summer
- 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.
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.
