Welcome to Graduate School

The CSD Graduate Program and the UMD Graduate School

The CSD Graduate Program offered through the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Education and Human Service Professionals (CEHSP).

Know the Requirements

Per the University of Minnesota Graduate School, students are responsible for knowing all program requirements of their master’s program when they matriculate. UMD graduate students also are responsible for reviewing and following the policies and procedures of the Graduate School. Please review the Graduate School website and the UMD Graduate School Handbook. Additional important Graduate School links are on the HOME PAGE of this handbook, to include links to the TOOLKIT, GEAR, and ONE STOP GSSP.

The Graduate School (web site)

UMD Graduate School Handbook

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate Schools has an official policy regarding the minimum requirements for the Plan B Master's degree. The CSD M.A. degree is a Plan B program.

Requirements for Master's Degree Plan B can be found on pages 14-15 of the UMD Graduate Student Handbook.

The Graduate School has a policy regarding performance standards and progress for earning a graduate degree.

Master's Degree Performance Standards and Progress

Important Information About the CSD M.A. Program

Two Years, 59-60 credits

The Master of Arts Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders is a two-year course of study beginning in the Fall semester of one year and ending the Spring semester of the second year. The entire official degree program requires 59-60 academic credits to complete. These 59-60 credits entail the following:

39 credits of CSD courses
17-18 credits of clinical internship/externship
3 credits of Plan B research CSD 8099

The Plan B project requires an oral examination by a graduate faculty committee for completion of the degree.

Please note that these are the academic requirements for the MA degree. Fulfilling just these requirements likely won’t make you eligible for ASHA certification, especially in terms of clinical clock hours needed for CAA standards. You will register for an 17-18 credits of clinical practicum throughout the program to accrue the minimum number of clock hours to make you eligible for certification. The CSD program is designed to include the 17-18 credits of clinical practicum credits into the credit band for a full-time graduate student.

Maintain 3.0 or Higher GPA

As an MA student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program, you will need to maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. If your GPA falls below a 3.0 you will be put on academic probation by the Department. If this happens to you, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will talk with you in detail about your probationary period. To avoid these complications, please try and keep your GPA above a 3.0. If you find yourself having academic difficulties at any point, make sure you talk to either the instructor or the DGS to handle the problem before it affects your GPA.

Full-Time

Between 6-14 credits per semester is considered by the Graduate School to be a full time load. You will pay one rate for 6-14 credits, inclusive, and a higher rate for over 14 credits. The Communication Sciences and Disorders M.A. Program is designed for students to carry an average of fourteen credits each semester. You are encouraged to maintain a full time credit load so that you don't delay your completion of the degree and because of various financial aid requirements, such as the Edwin Eddy Scholarship.

Letter Grade and S-N Grade

Classes may be taken for a letter grade or Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory (S-N), unless specified otherwise in the UMD Graduate School Bulletin. Use the S-N option at your discretion, but keep in mind that no more than 14 of the total 47 credits required for the degree may be taken S-N. You are allowed to carry a maximum of six incomplete credits. Once the number of incomplete credits exceeds six, you will be prohibited from registering until you have completed some or all of the incomplete credits.

Preparing and Submitting Your Degree Plan of Study to Graduate Planning and Audit System (GPAS)

The GPAS is an online platform in which you will enter the courses you will be taking to complete your graduate program. After you have registered for your 2nd Fall Semester courses you MUST complete and submit your Graduate Plan to the GPAS. A mandatory meeting will be scheduled in early June to assist your cohort with completing this submission. If you do not complete submitting your GPAS by the end of June, a hold will be placed on your student record and you will NOT be able to register for your final semester of courses.

Degree Completion Steps

Check the information on the Graduate School regarding Degree Completion Steps.

You should have completed Steps 1 and 2 during Fall Semester of your 2nd year.
You should now complete the remaining Steps 3-7 under the heading "Final Exams & Graduation".

Note: When Applying to Graduate, please remember that you should Apply to Graduate no sooner than April 2 and no later than May 1.

Some information About Internships

You are required to take 17-18 credits of clinical internship courses as part of the M.A. Program. See the Clinic Education Handbook on the CSD website for a more complete description of the internships and clinical educational requirements.

Department Chair

Mark Mizuko, PhD, is Head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and oversees all programs offered through the department. Dr. Mizuko will approve your documentation when you apply for ASHA Certification.

Director of Graduate Studies

Dana Collins, PhD, is the Director of Graduate Studies for the CSD Graduate Program. You will work with Dr. Collins, your advisor, and other faculty to track your progress toward earning your degree.

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