The Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders program prepares students for professional positions in hospital clinics, rehabilitation centers, schools, residential institutions, private practices, and other settings working with persons with disorders of cognition, hearing, speech, receptive and expressive language, pragmatics, literacy, voice, swallowing, and fluency. The track currently offered is in speech language pathology. The curriculum emphasizes the speech, language, and hearing processes; knowledge about human communicative disorders; and evaluation and treatment methods. Practicum experiences are available in the departmental speech and hearing clinic and at a wide variety of area sites. Professional speech-language pathologists may, with the instructors’ consent, take program courses for continuing education units. For more information, visit the program’s website.

The UALR Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology conducts this Master of Science program in consortium with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The program has strong clinical support from the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital,  Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, and other cooperating clinics and agencies in the Little Rock area. The program is accredited in the area of speech pathology by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The Department is also a sponsor for ASHA continuing education credits.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is through the UAMS College of Health Professions and requires a baccalaureate degree in Speech Pathology from an accredited institution. Students whose degrees are not in communicative disorders or speech pathology must complete a sequence of 30 hours of pre-professional communicative disorders courses before admission to the graduate program. Complete admission information is available from the Admissions Committee chairperson in the UALR Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology or by visiting the UAMS College of Health Professions website.

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders requires a minimum of 54 semester credit hours. Within this 54-hour requirement, students complete either 3 hours of independent research or six hours of thesis. Speech-language pathology students are enrolled in a practicum each semester of the program. All students must pass a comprehensive examination before graduating from the program. All students must complete the academic and practicum requirements for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC).

Graduation Requirements

• Successful completion of an approved program of study as outlined above, including a passing score on the comprehensive examination
• Successful completion of academic and supervised practicum requirements for Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology