About this information
This is our best advice for anyone wanting to get into a graduate school in communication disorders. However, the only person responsible for making sure you have the right entrance requirements is you. Check the calendars of the universities you're interested in — either on the web or in the UM Career Resource. If in doubt, ask the grad program directly.
Preparing for grad studies
There is much more to getting into a graduate program than having a strong transcript. You must demonstrate knowledge of the field and familiarity with clinical situations, as well as good grades in applicable areas.
Volunteering time with a practicing Speech Language Pathologist in a school, hospital or private practice will also strengthen your application, and you will develop a professional contact you may need for a letter of recommendation.
Your transcript is not just to list things you've studied in the past – it should convince an admissions committee that you are prepared for and can handle the courses and practica they will provide.
If you have a specific graduate school in mind, get the list of courses that that school expects and make sure you take the UM equivalents for as many of them as possible.
Our list of recommended courses is designed to help you fulfill the entrance requirements for a wide range of graduate programs. Even if you have a specific grad school in mind which has fewer requirements, you want to look as well-prepared for graduate studies as possible.
By itself, missing one of the courses that a grad school lists as "suggested" or even "required" won't get you rejected. But it may make a difference when the committee has to choose between you and another applicant with the same GPA and volunteer experience.
On the other hand, most admissions committees are at least a little bit flexible. If you are an absolutely outstanding student who is missing one of their required courses, you may still be accepted. Many graduate programs allow students to enrol in a pre-master's year where they can catch up on missing entrance requirements.
While most programs are nominally two-year master's programs, most schools (particularly US schools) will have some preparatory coursework they will require before you can 'officially' begin master's degree work and see patients in the clinic.
We're finding that students are placed more successfully if they have the equivalent coursework to an undergraduate degree in communication disorders. The courses we offer cover some of that material, but not all of it. It is becoming increasingly common for students to do preparatory work at another school before applying for graduate work. Such 'post-baccalaureate' or 'pre-master's' programs are available at many schools; we commonly hear of students going to UND, Minot, Moorhead, and St. Cloud as the nearest options. Programs in Canada may offer similar coursework as part of a continuing-education system (whether part of a formal program or not).
Generally speaking, if you have a close analog of a course from UM, that particular requirement may be waived from the post-baccalaureate program. Post-baccalaureate programs typically offer one intensive year of coursework and clinical practica (30-36 credit hours) after which an application may be made to any graduate program in communication disorders.
A number of grad programs, particularly in Canada, accept students from a wide range of disciplines, without a lot of training in things related directly to SLP/A. One of the things these admission committees will be looking for is interesting, well-rounded human beings. If you're interested in botany or medieval Icelandic literature or jazz clarinet performance, by all means take courses in them.
All programs want to see that you have some kind of practical clinical experience. The school divisions and most of the hospitals with SLP/A programs are often in need of volunteers to assist with treatments, as are many day-programs, nursing homes, rehab clinics, etc.
The other part of practical experience is working with certified clinicians. Almost all programs require three letters of reference: two academic (from professors able to assess your potential for graduate study) and one clinical (from a certified professional able to assess your potential for professional practice). While we don't recommend you view your practical experience as networking, it is an opportunity to interact and get to know professionals, and for them to get to know you.
US graduate programs
Most US programs ask for an undergraduate degree in communication disorders or its equivalent.
While no such degree is offered at the the University of Manitoba (or any other Canadian university), it's still possible to get a BA from UM while taking almost all the same courses that you would have taken for a communication disorders bachelors degree from an American university.
In general, expect to be required to do post-baccalaureate work when applying to a US program.