MS Speech-Language Pathology FAQ

General Questions

What degree is offered after completion of the program?

A master of science in speech-language pathology

How long is the program?

For individuals who have an undergraduate degree in communicative disorders or speech-language pathology OR have a bachelor's degree in another field AND have taken the following eight (8) courses from a CAA-accredited program in Speech-Language Pathology: Speech and Language Development; Phonetics; Audiology; Articulation & Phonology (or Speech Sound Disorders); Anatomy & Physiology of Speech; Language Disorders; Speech & Hearing Science; Aural Rehabilitation, the program is 15 months in length.

The program is 24 months in length for individuals with degrees outside of speech-language pathology.

Cost and Financial Aid

How much does it cost to attend Pacific's SLP program?

Go to Tuition and Fees to see current costs.

What kind of financial aid is available?

Financial aid packages at Pacific are tailored to each individual's qualifications and program of study. Therefore, no specific information can be given regarding financial aid until a student has been admitted to a program and has accepted admission to a program. For answers to specific financial aid questions, applicants can contact the Office of Financial Aid department at 209.946.2421 or financialaid@pacific.edu.

Do you offer teaching assistantships or graduate assistantships?

At the present time, the department does not offer teaching/graduate assistantships.

General Application

How many students apply, and how many do you accept?

During the 2023 admissions cycle, 105 individuals applied to Pacific's SLP program. For our 15-month program, 28 individuals were admitted. For our 24-month program, 8 individuals were admitted. Our graduate-level class size is typically 28-32 students.

What is required to apply to the program?

Go to Graduate Admissions Process for a detailed list of the items required to apply.

Is it possible for me to come and see the campus and talk with an advisor?

Our department offers information sessions throughout the year to help answer prospective student questions and tour our department/clinic. Go to Events for upcoming information sessions. Due to the large number of requests received each year, no individual appointments for graduate tours will be made.

Do you offer admission in the spring semester?

No. Due to the prescriptive nature of our program, we only admit students to begin the program in the fall.

Do I need to submit official transcripts to CSDCAS and Pacific when I apply?

During the application process, you only need to submit official transcripts to CSDCAS. If you are admitted to Pacific, we will contact you to request official transcripts.

Which prerequisite courses are necessary?

There are no prerequisite courses required to apply to our program (regardless of your prior major); however, you must have a bachelor's degree before you can enter our graduate program. The following courses ARE NOT prerequisites but need to be completed before you graduate from our program (these are often part of your general education requirements and must be completed with a grade of "C" or better):

A developmental psychology or a child development course
A psychology, sociology, or anthropology course
A biology or human anatomy course
A statistics course
A chemistry or physics course

Can online courses satisfy the undergraduate foundation course requirements to make me eligible for the 15-month program?

If you successfully complete an online speech-language pathology or communicative disorders program, you may be considered for the 15-month program. Your program MUST include the following 8 courses to be eligible for the 15-month program: Speech and Language Development; Phonetics; Audiology; Articulation and Phonology (or Speech Sound Disorders); Anatomy & Physiology of Speech; Language Disorders; Speech & Hearing Science; Aural Rehabilitation.

CSDCAS

Where do I go to access the CSDCAS application?

The CSDCAS application can be accessed at csdcas.liaisoncas.com.

What if my recommender DOES NOT want to fill out his/her letter of recommendation online?

CSDCAS requires that all letters of recommendation be completed online. If your recommender does not want to complete the recommendation online, unfortunately, you will need to find another recommender. DO NOT use the recommendation forms that can be found on the university's webpage. The university recommendation forms WILL NOT be accepted by CSDCAS or the department.

Can I submit more than the three required letters of recommendation?

Due to the volume of applications we will be reviewing, we will only read three letters.

What is the prompt and length requirement for the personal statement?

The essay has no assigned prompt; however, your personal essay should describe your motivation, skills, and abilities that will contribute to your academic and clinical success in our program.

My application status still says "RECEIVED." Did I make the deadline?

In order to meet our application deadline, your CSDCAS application needs to have a status of "COMPLETE" or "VERIFIED." NOTE, your application must be submitted to CSDCAS by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on the application deadline date in order to be considered "on-time." If you check on your application and you are at an "On Hold" or "Undelivered" status, please contact CSDCAS regarding the status of your application at 617.612.2030.

What if my transcripts, letters, etc., aren't received by CSDCAS by the deadline?

CSDCAS requires that your application, letters of recommendation, and transcripts are received by them for your application to be considered "COMPLETE." Therefore, all items must be received by CSDCAS by January 15th to meet the priority deadline and February 1st to meet our regular application deadline.

What is the minimum GPA required to apply to Pacific's SLP program?

The minimum GPA required to apply is 3.0 for the last 60 units of study. As a point of reference, the average GPA for the last 60 units of study of the students admitted for the Fall 2023 cycle was 3.73 for the 15-month cohort and 3.61 for the 24-month cohort.

My GPA is low, but I really want to be a speech-language pathologist. What do you recommend?

Visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) website for more information about the minimum requirements for different programs.

I have a graduate degree. Should I include my graduate course grades when calculating my GPA for the last 60 units?

Yes. The Department of Speech-Language Pathology will be looking at your last 60 units of study. This would include all post-baccalaureate coursework, if applicable.

Admissions Process

When will I find out if I was admitted?

All applicants who meet the priority deadline of January 15th will receive an admission decision, sent via email, from the Graduate Admission Office by mid-February. All applicants who meet the February 1st deadline will receive an admission decision, sent via email, from the Graduate Admission Office by the end of March.

If admitted to the program, when will I need to make my decision?

All applicants will have a decision deadline (to accept or decline our offer) of April 15th.

What happens if I'm placed on the waiting list?

If you are placed on the waiting list, you will be asked to let our department know whether or not you want to remain on the waiting list by emailing pacificslp@pacific.edu. After April 15th, the admissions committee will meet and review those who remain on the waiting list. The Graduate Admission Office will begin notifying students on the waiting list if spaces become available.

NOTE:

Student rankings WILL NOT be disclosed to those on the waiting list, even after it has been ranked, due to its ever-changing nature (e.g. applicants accepting positions elsewhere). All applicants who are placed on the waiting list will be notified when the class has been filled, and the waiting list has been closed.