Speech-Language Pathology Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The M.A. in Communicative Disorders program uses the Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application Service to manage admission. However, you must also apply to the NIU graduate school. Only applicants who submit to CSDCAS and the NIU Graduate School will be considered for admission.

You can apply up to 12 combined semester hours of student-at-large credit and/or transfer credit toward your degree.

We will accept up to nine hours of transfer credit.

If you don't have an undergraduate degree in the discipline, you must complete or be enrolled in the following prerequisite courses before applying to the graduation program in speech-language pathology at NIU.

• COMD 221  Phonetics and Phonology - 3 credit
• COMD 300  Introduction to Audiology - 3 credit
• COMD 305  Introduction to Language Development - 3 credit
• COMD 323  Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech & Hearing Mechanisms-3 credits
• COMD 325  Introduction to Hearing and Speech Science - 4 credits
• COMD 330  Neuroscience of Communication and Related Behaviors - 3 credits
• COMD 421  Aural Rehabilitation - 3 credits
• COMD 429  Assessment Procedures in Communicative Disorders - 3 credits
• COMD 435  Clinical Methods in Communication Disorders - 3 credits

You’ll be required to complete 64 hours of graduate work: 46 academic and 18 clinical. Students typically take 12 hours of academic courses and two hours of clinic per semester.

No. If you’re interested in research, we strongly encourage a master’s thesis because you’ll work closely with a faculty member to pursue a research interest. However, you can also take a comprehensive exam instead of writing a thesis.

You can choose to take the written comprehensive exam instead of writing a thesis at the end of your program. You’re only required to do one or the other.

The program is six semesters long and begins in the summer semester each year. The program follows a specific sequence and students enroll full-time.

Our graduate courses have an average class size of 23 students.

The three-year average rate for graduation is 91%. More information is available on our student outcomes page.

One-hundred percent of the students from our program have passed the Praxis exam after graduating.

The three-year average employment rate in the profession is 100%. More information is available on our student outcomes page.

We currently have nine faculty members in speech-language pathology and seven in audiology.

There are a few half-time (10 hours per week) graduate assistantships available in the department. Some SLP graduate students also apply for and receive graduate assistantships in other departments across campus.

You may also have the opportunity to work on research projects for faculty members with externally-funded grants.

The Office of the Bursar at NIU provides a planning and cost estimator.

We don’t encourage you to specialize because we believe that a well-rounded clinician has the skills to work in all settings with diverse individuals.

You’re always encouraged to follow your interests. Both our academic and clinical faculty are always available to provide expertise and provide further opportunity for clinical experience and research projects.

There are active programs of research in several areas. Students are encouraged to talk with faculty and can participate in research projects in a variety of topics:

• Mother-infant interactions and their influence on early language development
• Metrics for assessing phonological development in children under the age of three
• Language and literacy development and disorders
• Interactions between cognitive and linguistic processes in treating adult neurogenic language disorders
• Early communication skills of children with autistic spectrum disorder
• Motor and language interactions
• Neuromotor Speech Disorders (apraxia of speech and Parkinson's disease)
• Functional near-infrared optical brain imaging (FNIR) study
• Speech intelligibility and cognitive processing in bilingual populations

Most students begin their first fall semester working with one to three clients.

Clinical opportunities can be on campus at the NIU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic or at off-campus sites.

You’ll be placed at off-campus sites all over the northern Illinois area for full-time clinical experiences. This includes hospitals, rehab centers and school districts.

Students participate in a variety of clinical programs supervised by faculty with expertise in that area:

• Specialty diagnostic teams (e.g. acquired language disorders, AAC, early intervention)
• Interdisciplinary clinics (e.g. language-literacy)

If you have a concern regarding a course you should first attempt to resolve the issue with the faculty member most directly involved. If the issue requires further resolution, the appropriate staff will intervene up to the dean if necessary. You may be asked to submit a written signed complaint.

Any student, instructor, staff member or member of the public may submit complaints about the NIU graduate speech-language pathology program.

Any specific concerns relating to the program's compliance with standards for accreditation should be signed and submitted to the CAA:

Chair, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology 
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard #310
Rockville, Maryland 20850