JMU CSD Holistic Admissions Philosophy: We commit to the mission and vision of JMU’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, by adopting a holistic review process that fosters inclusive excellence and values the experiences and attributes that students from diverse backgrounds bring to our university. We welcome students who can think critically and who embody compassion, collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and openness to feedback.
Our Admissions Process
Read the information thoroughly before beginning your application
Interested applicants need to complete two applications: the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System (CSDCAS) and JMU's Graduate School Application.
Applications open on September 15. The application deadline is January 15. Questions about the application process should be directed to slp@jmu.edu
All applicants must also apply to the CSD Program through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System (CSDCAS) at https://portal.csdcas.org/.
Complete all aspects of the CSDCAS application including:
- Completion of two essays; see essay prompts in CSDCAS application
- Completion of the experiences and achievements sections
- Official transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation. At least one letter should be from a faculty member. The second letter can be from an employer or from a leader in an extracurricular organization (e.g., athletics, community agency, on and off-campus clubs etc.). We are looking for your letter writers to provide evidence of your critical-thinking skills, and interpersonal skills, such as compassion, collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and openness to feedback. Letter writers should not be friends or family members.
There is a minimum major and overall GPA of 3.25 required for application
Note: JMU is no longer requiring GRE scores
Review Process: A minimum of two faculty will review all parts of your CSDCAS application including your responses to our two essay prompts, your completed experiences and achievements sections, your overall and major GPA, and your two letters of recommendation.
All applicants must apply to and be admitted to the JMU Graduate School.
An application to the graduate school is completed online: https://www.applyweb.com/apply/jmug/index.html.
- You must submit:
- Application
- Application fee
- Applicants do NOT need to submit letters of recommendations with the Graduate School application.
- Applicants do NOT need to submit transcripts with the Graduate School application. If you are admitted to the CSD program, you will need to send original transcripts to the JMU Graduate School prior to beginning classes.
- Applicants do NOT need to submit GRE scores with the Graduate School application.
- Applications to both the Graduate School and CSDCAS must be submitted by January 15. You must have a status of Verification (green) in CSDCAS in order to be considered for admission. The Graduate School and CSDCAS forward only completed applications to the CSD program for review. For an application to be considered by the CSD program, the Graduate School and CSDCAS applications must be received by the CSD Program by January 15.
When application decisions are completed by the CSD faculty, the Graduate School (TGS) will send you an email notification with a link to your “Applicant Status Page” where you may view your admission decision. If you have problems accessing your applicant status page, please contact tgs@jmu.edu. Questions about the program and open houses should be directed to slp@jmu.edu
Students must have completed required science, math, and social sciences and the five CSD courses below prior to starting the master’s program:
The Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC) of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), the SLP credentialing organization, requires that you have all of the following coursework:
- one biological science
- one physical science (chemistry or physics)
- one statistics course
- one social science. See Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards
Required CSD courses:
- CSD 207 - Phonetics
- CSD 208 - Anatomy & Physiology of the Ear & Voice Mechanism
- CSD 209 - Acoustics of Speech and Hearing
- CSD 300 - Language Development
- CSD 301 - Introduction to Audiology
Students who have not successfully completed a course in Aural Rehabilitation (graduate or undergraduate level), will be expected to complete the coursework in order to meet competencies.
Licensure/Certification
This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please refer to the JMU Professional Licensure Program Status by Jurisdiction Index to determine if this JMU program meets the educational requirements specified by the associated licensing or certification agency in the state or territory in which you are located while enrolled. You can also determine if the program meets the educational requirements specified by the licensing boards in other states and territories. Requirements vary by state and are subject to change. The information provided is current as of the review date indicated in the table.
MSC 4304
235 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
