Accelerated Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology
The accelerated master's degree in speech-language pathology is designed to produce highly skilled clinicians seeking to enter the field. This program enables qualified students to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders and count up to 12 hours of 700-level or above course work in the major completed in Year 4 of study for both the Bachelor’s and M.A. Speech-Language Pathology degrees. The M.A. is completed in the fifth year or beyond.
An accelerated master's degree from KU will, in most circumstances, satisfy the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's certification standards for continuing on to the clinical fellowship year. A certificate of clinical competence in speech-language pathology is awarded upon completion of a successful clinical fellowship.
Admission to Graduate Studies
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Careful course selection and steady progression through the undergraduate career is necessary to ensure all requirements for both degrees may be completed within the approximate 5-year time-frame. All prospective students should discuss their interest in admission to the Accelerated M.A. program with their SPLH advisor and faculty mentor no later than the student’s second year.
Prospective students are eligible to apply to the graduate program in Spring semester of their third year. The following program requirements must be met by this time:
- Major and cumulative GPA of at least 3.00;
- On track to complete all requirements for a BA or BGS degree in SPLH from KU by the end of the Spring semester of the fourth year;
- The following courses must be complete at the time of application: SPLH 161, SPLH 220, SPLH 462, SPLH 463, SPLH 465, SPLH 466, SPLH 568, SPLH 571
Applicants must complete an Application for Graduate Study online following the typical procedures for MA SLP admissions. A full list of the required application materials, including the application deadline, can be found on the Eligibility and Requirements and How to Apply pages our of Department's website.
Non-native speakers of English must meet English proficiency requirements.
Accelerated M.A. Degree Progression Requirements
Upon review of the Application for Admission, SPLH will notify the student of his or her eligibility to begin coursework in the program. Final acceptance to the graduate program will be contingent upon the following:
• Successful completion of all requirements for the bachelor’s degree;
• Grades of B- or above in all SPLH graduate-level coursework taken in Year 4;
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all coursework completed in Years 1-4;
• A GPA of 3.0 for all graduate coursework completed in Year 4.
Please note that admission to the graduate program through the traditional process is highly competitive. Students applying to the Accelerated M.A. program will be reviewed with other students applying to the M.A. SLP program. Similar criteria will be used to select students for both programs. If a student is not admitted to the Accelerated M.A. program, they are encouraged to meet with their undergraduate advisor to discuss undergraduate activities to pursue in Year 4 to become more competitive and to re-apply to the M.A. SLP program through the traditional process in Year 4.
The course requirements for this accelerated program are fulfilled by a combination of graduate-level courses taken for both undergraduate and graduate credit in Year 4, and graduate credit courses taken in Year 5 (and beyond). Numerous graduate-level courses are regularly offered that fulfill distribution requirements for both the Bachelor’s and M.A. degrees.
The student must be approved to begin coursework toward the Accelerated M.A. program prior to enrolling in any 700 level or above courses that are to count for both undergraduate and graduate credit.
During the Senior Year (Year 4), the student must take the following SPLH courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPLH 860 | Evaluation of Speech and Language | 2 |
| SPLH 862 | Clinical Processes | 1 |
| SPLH 864 | Advanced Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology | 4 |
| SPLH 700+ level basic electives, as defined by the MA SLP handbook | 5 | |
| SPLH 588 | Multicultural Considerations in Speech-Language-Hearing I | 1 |
| SPLH 589 | Multicultural Considerations in Speech-Language-Hearing II | 1 |
These courses, taken in the fall and spring term of year 4, (11-12 credit hours) will count toward the master’s degree and the 120 hour requirement for the undergraduate degree.
In addition to the 11-12 credit hours of graduate coursework taken during Year 4, students must complete an additional 39-40 credit hours of graduate study to obtain a total of 51 graduate credits. This will consist of an additional 22-23 credits in breadth and 17 in depth as defined by the MA SLP handbook. All of these credit hours are at the 700-level or above, with the exception of 4 Advanced Elective hours. These 4 Advanced Elective hours can include any approved graduate courses. All requirements outlined in the MA SLP handbook must be met to confer the MA degree and be eligible for ASHA certification as a speech-language pathologist.
Students should view the student handbook for a list of electives and should consult their faculty advisor to determine elective coursework selection.
Progression Requirements
Given the accelerated nature of this program, each student’s progress will be closely monitored at various points during the program:
- Upon approval to begin coursework toward the Accelerated M.A. track, the student must meet with their assigned SPLH faculty mentor to plan the final year of undergraduate study (Year 4). Performance in graduate coursework during Year 4 must meet the academic standing and student performance expectations outlined in the MA SLP handbook or the consequences detailed in the handbook will be enacted (e.g., remediation plan created).
- In the final semester of undergraduate work and prior to being formally admitted, the student must meet with their assigned SPLH faculty mentor to review the student’s performance in SPLH courses. The student must earn a grade of “B-” or better in these courses and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for admission to the master’s program. If these conditions are not met, then the following actions are possible.
- For grade(s) of C+ or C: Students may be admitted with monitoring by the Advising Committee;
- For grade(s) of C-, D, F: Students may be admitted with monitoring by the Advising Committee and will need to re-take the course(s) because grades below C cannot count towards graduate requirements;
- For students that fail to meet progression criteria in year four, the program may deny formal admission to the graduate program
- During Year 5 (and beyond), performance must meet the academic standing and student performance expectations outlined in the MA SLP handbook or the consequences detailed in the handbook will be enacted (e.g., remediation plan created).
- If the baccalaureate degree is not completed at the end of Year 4, the student will not be permitted to enroll in courses for graduate credit toward the master’s degree until the baccalaureate degree has been conferred.
- Students should complete all requirements for the Accelerated M.A. within 1-1.5 years of receiving the bachelor’s degree. If unforeseen circumstances prevent the timely completion of the master’s degree, the student must consult with their graduate advisor to develop an alternative plan for completion
Summative (or optional Thesis) Examination
- Students must pass the oral summative exam (including the thesis defense if applicable). Potential outcomes include honors, pass, revision, or fail. Please see the student handbook for criteria on revised exams. If an outcome is recorded as a fail, a student may re-take the exam. If a student fails the exam twice, the program will consider the student as making unsatisfactory progress and unable to continue in the program.
- If students complete an optional thesis as part of their summative exam, students must enroll in a minimum of 4 thesis credits (SPLH 899). These thesis credits can count towards the required research requirement.
Accelerated M.A. Sample Academic Plan.
Please consult with an advisor for an individual program plan. Students will apply to the Accelerated M.A. program during the spring semester (please see the How to Apply page for the application deadline) of their third year. Students complete their undergraduate degree at the end of the spring term in Year 4. If progression criteria is met, students will be admitted and begin their graduate coursework in the summer following undergraduate degree conferral. Please see the admissions tab of the catalog for further details.
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ENGL 101 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ENGL 102 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ||
| MATH 101 (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE))030 | 3 | BA Quantitative Reasoning (QR) (PHSX 114 or CHEM 130 recommended) | 4-5 | ||
| 1st Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 5 | 2nd Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 5 | ||
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | SPLH 220 | 4 | ||
| SPLH 161 | 3 | ||||
| 17 | 16-17 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| 3rd Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 3 | 4th Semester Language, or 1st semester of Another Language, unless req for mjr (BA Second Language)3 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 3 | SPLH 463 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 462 | 3 | SPLH 566 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 465 | 1 | SPLH 565 | 1 | ||
| SPLH 466 | 3 | SPLH 571 | 4 | ||
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE) (PSYC 104 or SOC 104 recommended)050 | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 17 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| SPLH 568 | 4 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: US Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 620 | 3 | SPLH 660 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 672 | 3 | Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE) (BIOL 100 recommended)040 | 4-5 | ||
| SPLH Research | 3 | BA Laboratory/Field Experience (LFE) | 1 | ||
| SPLH Elective (SPLH Research or SPLH 670 or SPLH 672 recommended) | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 17-18 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | SPLH 864 | 4 | SPLH 864 | 2 |
| SPLH 860 | 2 | SPLH 874 | 1 | MA Basic Elective | 2 |
| SPLH 588 | 1 | SPLH 589 | 1 | ||
| Statistics | 3 | SPLH 862 | 1 | ||
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | ||||
| 13 | 10 | 4 | |||
| Year 5 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SPLH 862 | 1 | SPLH 866 | 5 | SPLH 866 | 5 |
| SPLH 864 | 4 | MA Advanced Elective | 2 | MA Basic Elective | 2 |
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | MA Advanced Elective | 2 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | SPLH 868 | 1 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | Research | 1 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | MA Basic Elective | 2 | ||
| SPLH 868 | 1 | ||||
| Research | 1 | ||||
| 15 | 13 | 7 | |||
| Total Hours 161-163 | |||||
- 1
Hour requirements (incl. 45 jr/sr hrs) are typically met through Core 34, degree, major, second area of study and/or elective hours. Students completing the BGS with a major must choose a secondary area of study. Individual degree mapping is done in partnership with your advisor.
- 2
Visit this page for a list of courses that fulfill the BA Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
- 3
For students completing the language requirement via the 3+1 language option, note that many first semester languages are 5 credit hours.
Accelerated M.A. Sample Academic Plan.
Please consult with an advisor for an individual program plan. Students will apply to the Accelerated M.A. program during the spring semester (please see our How to Apply page for the application deadline) of their third year. Students complete their undergraduate degree at the end of the spring term in Year 4. If progression criteria is met, students will be admitted and begin their graduate coursework in the summer following undergraduate degree conferral. Please see the admissions tab of the catalog for further details.
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ENGL 101 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ENGL 102 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ||
| MATH 101 (Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE))030 | 3 | BA Quantitative Reasoning (QR) (PHSX 114 or CHEM 130 recommended) | 4-5 | ||
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | SPLH 220 | 4 | ||
| SPLH 161 | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 14-15 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 3 | SPLH 463 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 462 | 3 | SPLH 566 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 465 | 1 | SPLH 565 | 1 | ||
| SPLH 466 | 3 | SPLH 571 | 4 | ||
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE) (PSYC 104 or SOC 104 recommended)050 | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 17 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| SPLH 568 | 4 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 | ||
| Core 34: US Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | Core 34: Global Culture (SGE)070 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 620 | 3 | SPLH 660 | 3 | ||
| SPLH 300+ Elective | 3 | Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE) (BIOL 100 recommended)040 | 4-5 | ||
| SPLH Elective (SPLH Research or SPLH 670 or SPLH 672 recommended) | 3 | BA Laboratory/Field Experience (LFE) (BIOL 102 recommended) | 1 | ||
| SPLH Elective (SPLH Research or SPLH 670 or SPLH 672 recommended) | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 17-18 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | SPLH 864 | 4 | SPLH 864 | 2 |
| SPLH 860 | 2 | SPLH 874 | 1 | MA Basic Elective | 2 |
| SPLH 588 | 1 | SPLH 589 | 1 | ||
| Statistics | 3 | SPLH 862 | 1 | ||
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours1 | 3 | ||
| 13 | 13 | 4 | |||
| Year 5 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| SPLH 862 | 1 | SPLH 866 | 5 | SPLH 866 | 5 |
| SPLH 864 | 4 | MA Advanced Elective | 2 | MA Basic Elective | 2 |
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | MA Advanced Elective | 2 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | SPLH 868 | 1 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | MA Basic Elective | 2 | ||
| MA Basic Elective | 2 | Research | 1 | ||
| SPLH 868 | 1 | ||||
| Research | 1 | ||||
| 15 | 13 | 7 | |||
| Total Hours 160-162 | |||||
- 1
Hour requirements (incl. 45 jr/sr hrs) are typically met through Core 34, degree, major, second area of study and/or elective hours. Students completing the BGS with a major must choose a secondary area of study. Individual degree mapping is done in partnership with your advisor.