Graduate Degrees

Graduate Degrees

The University of Kansas offers a range of graduate programs in audiology and speech-language pathology through its Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders. This collaborative program between the Lawrence campus and the KU Medical Center provides students with extensive clinical and research opportunities, as well as access to leading faculty in the field.

All graduate degrees must be completed in person; while a limited number of courses may be available online, the programs are not offered in a fully online format.

Degrees offered:

If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field and need SPLH prerequisite coursework before applying to the MA SLP program, see the prerequisite coursework section listed below.

Applying for Graduate School

Students should begin thinking about applying to graduate school in the Spring of their Junior year. Please review the Graduate School Application Tutorial for a timeline of activities and make an appointment with your faculty mentor to discuss your graduate school application plans.

Accelerated Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology (MA SLP)

Earn your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years

If you’re a KU undergraduate majoring in Speech-Language-Hearing and already thinking ahead to a career in speech-language pathology, the Accelerated MA SLP Program is a great way to fast-track your education and training.

This program allows qualified KU students to complete their Bachelor’s in Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders while counting up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level coursework (700-level or above) toward both the bachelor’s and Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology degrees. That means you can finish both degrees in about five years total.

You’ll begin gaining experience early through coursework, lab projects, and clinical observation. In your fifth year, you’ll transition into full-time graduate study and clinical training to prepare for the profession.

The accelerated MA program is designed for students who want to become highly skilled clinicians and typically meets the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification standards, preparing you for the clinical fellowship year and ultimately, your Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP).

Students with undergraduate degrees in other fields (e.g., psychology, linguistics) typically need to complete undergraduate prerequisite coursework in communication sciences and disorders before applying and/or being admitted to a graduate program in speech-language pathology or audiology.

Learn more about the Accelerated Program. 

Apply Now! Applications are due in January. 

Student working with child in department lab.

KU Prerequisite Coursework for the MA SLP Graduate Program

This overview is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree but lack the communication sciences and disorders coursework required for admission to KU’s MA SLP program. if you have questions about applicable completed coursework, contact splh@ku.edu. 

At least 25 credits in communication sciences and disorders is required as outlined in the KU course catalog. Most courses are taught in-person unless otherwise noted. 

Required courses are:

  • SPLH 161: Survey of Communication Disorders (3 credits, offered online some semesters)
  • SPLH 220: Physics of Speech (4 credits)
  • SPLH 462: Principles of Speech Science (3 credits)
  • SPLH 463: Principles of Hearing Science (3 credits)
  • SPLH 465: Fundamentals of Clinical Phonetics (1 credit, online 8-week course)
  • SPLH 466: Language Science (3 credits)
  • SPLH 568: Introduction to Audiological Assessment and Rehabilitation (4 credits)
  • SPLH 571: Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology (4 credits)

See classes.ku.edu for up to date course offerings and required pre-requisites. Courses are listed in the suggested order for completion. 

Additionally, a minimum GPA of 3.0 and on track to complete all other degree requirements. 

Prerequisite students generally follow the same advising protocol as BA/BGS students and also are able to take advantage of many of the same co-curricular learning opportunities as BA/BGS students. However, their plan of study will typically look different because prerequisite students are primarily taking SPLH courses and many choose to follow a part-time study plan.

Plan to apply to KU? To support accurate course planning and enrollment availability, students intending to apply as prerequisite students are strongly encouraged to contact splh@ku.edu or the department Graduate Program Coordinator prior to submitting an application.

Audiology: Students interested in applying to the Au.D. Graduate Program should email ipcd@ku.edu for pre-requisite advising.

Additional Information

Questions? Email Us.