Graduate Admission and Application Requirements
Applications for the fall 2026 semester will be available on the CSDCAS application portal www.csdcas.org beginning July 15, 2025. Please note that admission to our graduate program is a two-part process. 1. apply using the CSDCAS application portal and 2. apply to the WKU Graduate school. Both applications, along with all official transcripts, must be submitted for the application to be complete. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission to the program.
COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION
Please be aware that CMS has issued an emergency order enforcing any facility that is funded by Medicaid and Medicare to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for staff and students. You can find more information about this requirement at the following link:
While vaccination is not required by WKU, externship site requirements for vaccination are determined independently by each individual facility and is out of the control of University and Communication Sciences & Disorders Department. If you DO NOT get vaccinated for COVID-19, you may be unable to complete a medical placement which is a requirement for completion of the Master of Science degree in speech-language pathology from WKU. Please take this into careful consideration if you plan to seek admission in our program.
SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Applications to the Graduate Programs in Speech-Language Pathology are considered to be selective acceptance. Admission is quite competitive. This means that not all who apply will be accepted, as there are limited seats and external clinical placement sites available.
Your application consists of ALL the steps below and ALL materials must be received by the deadline specified. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all materials are received by the Department of Communication sciences and Disorders using CSDCAS and WKU Graduate School prior to the deadline for application. Failure to do so will result in not being considered for admission to the program.
MINIMUM GPA
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 for most recent degree earned or first degree in progress
If an applicant does not meet the above minimum requirements the application will not be considered for admission to the program. To view statistics regarding those accepted to our program in the past click here.
Things To Consider Before Applying to The Program:
We want to make sure that your experience in the graduate program is a positive one and that you enter the program with a clear understanding of what will be required of you and what credentials you will be eligible for. Please take a moment to carefully consider the following to make an informed decision BEFORE applying:
THE TIME REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE ACADEMIC AND CLINICAL COMPONENTS:
In addition to attending evening classes weekly in either a face-to-face classroom or an online classroom, a significant amount of time is required to participate in clinical courses. The clinical courses provide hands-on experience to provide students the opportunities to develop the skills competencies required by the program for graduation. There are two levels of clinical experience, please click on each of the links below to gain more insight into how many daytime hours are required for clinical participation:
- Clinical Internship click here
- Clinical Externship click here
EMPLOYMENT WHILE IN THE PROGRAM:
It is simply not feasible to work full-time and complete this program. Students enrolled in the distance learning program may be able to work prior to the Summer Clinical Internship, however students enrolled in the on-campus program must be available a minimum of 2 days/week for the clinical internship during the first Fall and Spring semesters.
Students wishing to obtain employment as a speech-language pathology assistant (or equivalent title given to Bachelor's level professionals in a given state) may have that experience serve as their SLP 591 placement (if the employer and supervising SLP are in agreement). The supervising SLP must hold a current CCC for a minimum of one year and complete a form indicating his or her willingness to serve as the SLP 591 externship supervisor.
Students who are employed outside of the profession or in a setting where they will be unable to use that setting as an externship often need to modify their schedules as externship plans are made. Most facilities providing services do so during a typical workday. That means students will need to allow time during the day (a minimum of 2 and 1/2 days per week for a part-time externship or 5 full days a week for full-time externship) for time at the externships. They will also need to leave the evening hours free to attend classes.
ARRANGING CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS:
Campus and distance-learning students are responsible for locating their own externship placement sites with guidance as needed by the Externship Coordinators. Many times, this will require a new affiliation agreement. The student provides contact information to the Externship Coordinator when the student has identified a site that is willing to pursue a contract/affiliation agreement with WKU. The Externship Director is responsible for initiating the contract/affiliation agreement after determining appropriateness of the placement in light of graduate program requirements. For all cohorts, there must be a contract/affiliation agreement in place prior to the beginning of the externship.
International applicants or US citizens living internationally must also consider that ASHA certified SLPs will be required in order to complete the externships.
Please note: a contract/affiliation agreement (also known as an affiliation agreement) is a legal agreement between the site and WKU. Due to required legal wording, it may be more difficult and time consuming to obtain a contract in some states.
STATE LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION
Upon graduation, students will be eligible to apply for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). Most settings require the CCC, and it is considered the gold standard for employment in speech-language pathology. All states require a license to practice. The state license may be in addition to the CCC. Other states also require teacher certification to work in the schools.
Eligibility for teacher certification is not available as part of the Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program at WKU. Consequently, students graduating from the master's program after September 1, 2014 are not eligible for teacher certification in Kentucky. Speech-language pathologists do not need teacher certification to work in Kentucky schools although some districts prefer it.
Students seeking school-based employment in states other than Kentucky should determine if their potential out-of-state employer requires teacher certification eligibility in Kentucky. Some states require that teacher certification applicants be eligible for certification in the state from which the master's degree was earned. Some states just require that applicants be eligible for the ASHA CCC, while other states do not offer teacher certification for speech-language pathologists. Because of the array of requirements across the country, potential students should decide if the WKU graduate program would meet their needs based on the requirements where employment may be sought. Individual state requirements may be viewed at: http://www.asha.org/advocacy/state/info/
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION RESTRICTIONS:
California - Externships CANNOT be completed in California nor will contracts be sought for placements there. Furthermore, applicants to the graduate program must understand that externship opportunities may not be available in the geographic region of choice. In the event they are not, students must be willing to relocate to obtain externship placement.
Colorado - For students residing in Colorado, please be aware that the Colorado Worker's Compensation Act defines unpaid interns as employees and requires the university overseeing the internship to provide them with Worker's Compensation insurance. WKU does not do this and will not provide worker's compensation insurance for students. Colorado students can attend public school sites in their state as the school districts in Colorado will provide worker's compensation insurance for student interns. For attendance at a medical or other clinical site, Colorado students will most likely need to relocate to a different state to complete that portion of their clinical education due to Colorado law.
The Admissions Committee Will Be Evaluating Applicants Utilizing the Following Criteria:
- Transcripts will be evaluated to determine the GPA for the last degree earned or the degree in progress.
- Essay will be analyzed based on instructions (see below), as well as: focus, content, structure, organization, and clarity; audience/tone, grammar, and spelling.
- Video will be reviewed based on instructions (see below), focus, content, audience/tone, execution of verbal and nonverbal presentation skills, etc., time length, quality of audio and video clarity.
- Transcripts and Prerequisite Coursework Worksheet will be evaluated to make certain that all prerequisite courses have/will be completed prior to the semester in which you are applying to begin the graduate program - The prerequisite course requirements are listed on CSDCAS and by viewing the PreSLP curriculum by clicking here.
- Three letters of recommendation should be submitted using the CSDCAS. Writers should address your potential to be successful in graduate school as well as the profession of speech-language pathology.
The Department reserves the right to only admit students from locations where it is confident that students will have sufficient access to externship placements where appropriate clinical populations are available.
Explore the Clinical Experience menus in the right column by clicking here. You can search on the ASHA website for ASHA certified SLPs in your area.
DEADLINES FOR APPLICATION:
There are two cohorts available for our graduate program. An applicant must choose only ONE to apply to and must specify which cohort applying to. If you are unsure of which cohort fits you best please review the graduate program information and the different options by clicking here.
HOW TO APPLY:
It is recommended that you print this page and use it as a checklist as you complete each step. A complete application will include all information presented on this page. It is solely the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all steps are completed accurately, that all documents are received by the university, and to send any additional information requested by the department or The Graduate School upon request prior to the deadline.
Your application will not be reviewed by the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders until the application is complete. Applications that are not completed by the priority deadline will only be reviewed if space allows (i.e., an open seat becomes available).
APPLICATION MATERIALS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AS FOLLOWS (NOTE THIS IS A TWO-STEP PROCESS):
PART 1 – Apply to WKU Graduate School (all information in Part 1 is to be submitted to the Graduate School, NOT the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. Once all the application materials listed in Part 1 have been submitted to the Graduate School, they will forward your information to the CSD Department for consideration for admission):
- APPLICATION TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL - Complete the Online Application for The Graduate School. Click here to access application. When completing this application, it is extremely important that you complete it in its entirety including submitting the application fee.
******Be sure to apply for the Fall 2026 term and choose the cohort for which you are applying. Please be aware that we are no longer offering a part-time online program - choose campus/residential or distance. If you do not select the correct term or cohort, your application may not be considered.*******
- OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS - Submit ALL official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended to the WKU graduate school. This includes those courses that show as transfer credit on another transcript. You must send all transcripts from the institutions where you completed the coursework regardless of whether it appears on another transcript as transfer credit. Failure to do so will result in a delay in your application being complete and possibly not being considered for acceptance if all transcripts are not received by the deadline. Some institutions will take longer than others to issue transcripts, be sure to request them well before the deadline. If you have a foreign transcript you must adhere to the Graduate Studies requirements for a transcript evaluation which you will find by clicking here and then choosing International Degree Seeking. We require that you provide translation/transcription for all foreign transcripts.
- The SLP program will only accept coursework from universities approved by WKU. The SLP program reserves the right to accept or deny coursework.
- PLEASE NOTE: If you apply before completion of Fall 2025 coursework, you must have your updated transcripts showing your Fall 2025 final grades received by the WKU Graduate School and CSDCAS no later than the application deadline listed below!
If mailing, send above listed items to:
The Graduate School
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd #11010
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1010
Phone (270) 745-2446
PART 2 – Apply to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders using our application on the CSDCAS application portal: www.csdcas.org
- Please note that you may apply to only ONE of our cohorts: Residential (On-Campus) or Distance Learning (DL).
- Students should complete the minimum information on their application as prompted by CSDCAS including: personal/demographic information, academic history and previous coursework, etc.
- Students applying to our program are required to submit the following that is specific to our program:
- ESSAY
Please select and respond to one of the following essay prompts. Your response should be no more than one page, double-spaced, and use 12-point, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman font. Include your first and last name in the top right-hand corner of the page. Copy the prompt you are responding to at the top of the page.
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- We value resiliency. Write about a time youfaced adversity and how you navigated that situation. What did you learn from this experience? How will it help you be successful in our graduate program at Western Kentucky University and as a future professional?
- We value a spirit of inquiry. Describe a time when you were compelled to ask questions, seek creative approaches to problem-solving, and/or challenge existing practices.
- We value meaningful contributions to learning and professional communities. How do you want to be viewed by your future colleagues? Describe two or three core values and how these values shape your identity as a developing professional.
- We value integrity and a strong sense of responsibility to others and the profession. Describe how this has been demonstrated in your experiences prior to graduate school and/or how you plan to uphold these values and advocate for individuals in your future professional role.
- We value inclusivity. Describe how you contributed to an inclusive environment in your previous experiences and/or how you envision creating an inclusive environment for individuals as a future professional.
2. VIDEO
Create a video that explains why you are interested in attending our program at Western Kentucky University. Discuss your relevant experiences as a prospective student, your career goals, and how you plan to contribute to the field. You should be clearly seen and heard in the video. Your video should be at least 1 minute 30 seconds and no more than 2 minutes.
How to share your video:
Using your PC or Mac, log into or sign up for a YouTube account.
- Click on "Upload" at the top right of the page
- Click on the drop-down menu and select "Unlisted."
- When the video finishes processing, copy and paste the link into your CSDCAS application.
- Check the link in your CSDCAS application to ensure it works and the correct link is listed.
3. REFERENCES
Our program requires three letters of recommendation from professional references and their contact information submitted via CSDCAS. The references should be able to speak to your ability to be successful in graduate school and in the professional field of speech-language pathology.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM CST, January 15, 2026 (new priority deadline). Applications received after this date will be reviewed pending seat availability. Payments and transcripts must be received by 11:59 PM CST, January 15, 2026 (new priority deadline). Applications, payments, and transcripts received after January 15, 2026 will be reviewed based on seat availability.
You will receive notification of our decision (accepted, alternate, or not accepted) within approximately 8 weeks of the above deadline via email, for those received by the priority deadline listed above. Be sure to include an email address which you will be checking regularly on your submitted application. Use one email address for both parts of the application.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE APPLIED TO THE PROGRAM IN THE PAST:
If you applied to the program in past you will need to complete all of the above steps. The Graduate School will have any transcripts submitted previously on file (however, it is always best to double check with their office to be certain they do have them). You will need to send any updated transcripts. You must apply again to both The Graduate School and the CSDCAS application portal. Our admission requirements may have changed for applications previously submitted so please review the requirements carefully.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.