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The master's program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). This accreditation ensures that, upon completion of the master's program, students will meet all academic and practicum requirements for certification as a speech-language pathologists.
Required prerequisite courses: Applicants must have successfully completed all of the following courses from an accredited academic institution prior to the start of the Fall 2026 term. This course list applies to both students with and without an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders:
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
- Phonetics
- Speech Science
- Neuroanatomy
- Language Acquisition
- Audiology and Hearing Science
- Hearing/Aural Rehab
- Statistics
- Biology
- Chemistry or Physics
- Social Science
All admitted students will also be required to provide evidence of successful completion of 25 clinical observation hours prior to the start of the Fall 2026 semester. Observation hours must be provided in the form of a signed record, supervised by a speech-language pathologist with a current American Speech, Language & Hearing Association (ASHA) license and who has completed 2 hours of supervision training. The signed record must include the supervisor’s ASHA number and the date(s) of observation.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA; however, our students typically have much higher GPAs. Students who are admitted to our program have an average GPA of 3.6 or higher.
- Complete the Casper Assessment through Altus Suite. For more information, see the section below on the Casper Assessment.
- Three professional letters of recommendation submitted electronically through CSDCAS.
- A one-minute video that addresses a given scenario. For scenario details and how to record the video, see the section below on video recording.
- A letter of interest/personal statement. Upload your written response to the following prompt in CSDCAS:
- Describe three reasons why you have specific interest in the Auburn University Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences for your master's program in speech-language pathology (500 word limit).
- Admitted students will be expected to pass a background check before starting the clinical master's training program.
Application to Auburn University’s Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences requires you to complete both the electronic application through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) and the online application to the Auburn University Graduate School. Here are specific steps:
- Apply online to Auburn Graduate School and submit payment. Please use the new application system: Application Instructions - Graduate School (auburn.edu)
- The following applicants are eligible for a fee waiver:
- Current Auburn University graduate students enrolled in graduate courses
- Full-time Auburn University employees
- Ronald McNair Scholars – must submit a memo from sponsoring institution
- Florida A&M Feeders Program – must submit a memo from faculty sponsor
- GEM applicants – must submit a copy of their GEM application
- Active Duty Military – with a letter confirming duty
- Applying for an approved dual program – the second application fee is waived
- To qualify for one of the application fee exemptions, you must submit the required documentation online via the Graduate School application.
- The following applicants are eligible for a fee waiver:
- Apply online through CSDCAS and submit payment and all required documentation.
- Official transcripts from every college or university attended must be sent to CSDCAS Attn: Verification Department, P.O. Box 9113, Watertown, MA 02471.
- Report Casper scores to Auburn University. They do not need to be submitted to Auburn University of CSDCAS.
All international applicants must submit official transcripts and letters of recommendation to CSDCAS. Additional Graduate School requirements for international applicants related to language test scores, financial sponsorship, and application fee are described at this link: https://graduate.auburn.edu/prospective-students/general-admission-requirements/. Instructions for international students are available at this link: https://graduate.auburn.edu/prospective-students/international-instructions/.
To be considered for admission, all materials need to be submitted to AU and the CSDCAS no later than January 15.
Questions concerning the electronic application process, including receipt of materials, should be directed to CSDCAS:
CSDCAS
P.O. Box 9113
Watertown, MA 02471
Voice: 617-612-2030
Fax: 617-612-2051
Email: csdcasinfo@csdcas.org
Each applicant must submit a one-minute video recording that addresses the following clinical scenario:
You have completed a clinical swallowing evaluation on Mr. Harold James, a 65-year-old retired high school biology teacher who recently had a small stroke that resulted in moderate oral dysphagia. He has no language or cognitive difficulties, and he can make his own healthcare decisions. As a result of your clinical swallowing evaluation, you have determined that he should follow a minced-moist diet until his oral dysphagia improves. He is advised to avoid eating roasted peanuts, his favorite snack, because of the risk of aspiration until his oral dysphagia improves and can be re-assessed.
Create a one-minute video of you as the speech-language pathologist sharing this news with the client. You have creative license for other background information that you think might be relevant for this task. See the following directions for how to record and upload the video link to the CSDCAS platform.
After completing your video on your preferred device, please upload it to YouTube. If you do not have a YouTube account, you will need to create one.
- When you log into YouTube click Upload in the upper right hand corner.
- Then you will need to either drag and drop or select the video file from your computer or device.
- Please check and make sure your video IS NOT set to "private" or we will be unable to view it. It must instead be "unlisted." This unlisted setting will also ensure that the video is not listed in a way for the entire world to see and easily find.
- Name your video with your last name.
- Submit your YouTube link/URL by cutting and pasting it into the "Questions" section of the CSDCAS application.
All applicants are required to complete CASPER (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) as part of their application. Casper is a situational judgement test that asks you what you would do in challenging situations and why. This helps determine behavioral characteristics of applicants pursuing people-center professions. No studying is required for CASPER; however, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the test structure at acuityinsights.app where you may complete a practice test. For an introduction to the CASPER test, please see this video.
Applicants must take CASPER by the application deadline of January 15th, to be considered for 2026 admissions. The test can only be taken one time during the admissions cycle. Casper scores are sent directly to Auburn University, so you do not need to upload your scores to CSDCAS. Test scores are valid for one year.
CASPER Assessment Dates (times are EST):
Thursday, May 29, 6:00 PM
Thursday, May 29, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, June 10, 6:00 PM
Tuesday, June 10, 8:00 PM
Thursday, June 26, 6:00 PM
Thursday, June 26, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, July 8, 6:00 PM
Tuesday, July 8, 8:00 PM
Sunday, July 20, 1:00 PM
Sunday, July 20, 4:00 PM
Thursday, July 31, 6:00 PM
Thursday, July 31, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, August 12, 6:00 PM
Tuesday, August 12, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, August 26, 6:00 PM
Tuesday, August 26, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, September 16, 6:00 PM
Tuesday, September 16, 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 28, 4:00 PM
Tuesday, October 21, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, October 28, 8:00 PM
Thursday, November 13, 6:00 PM
Thursday, December 4, 8:00 PM
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 6:00 PM
If you are applying for an assistantship, please complete the assistantship application form and provide a resume and an essay describing why you qualify for an assistantship. Please upload the application into the documents section of CSDCAS.