Two Years, 60-61 credits (Cohort Graduating Spring 2024)

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 60-61 academic credits to complete. These 60-61 credits entail the following:

• 40 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 practicuum 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.

IMPORTANT: FILING YOUR DEGREE PROGRAM OF STUDY

Once you have completed 18 graduate credits (usually this happens sometime during the summer between your first and second year), you must file an official Degree Program of Study with the Graduate School. The necessary forms are available on line through the MA CSD Degree Handbook. Your Degree Plan will list all of the courses that you have taken, and plan to take, as part of your official graduate degree program. You will also need to identify at this time the title of you Plan B research project, your Plan B advisor, and your graduate faculty examination committee. If you fail to submit the Program of Study to the Graduate School upon completing 18 credits you will be prohibited from registering for the 19th credit and beyond. You will receive a memo from the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) reminding you to start thinking about submitting your Degree Program, with more detailed instructions.

Application for Degree and Registering for Commencement

UMD has set some specific deadlines regarding commencement. Notice that you will need to fill out an Application for Degree. This information is available through the Graduate School website under “Graduation Packet” and instructions for accessing these forms are included in the MA CSD Degree Handbook. Your Application for Degree may be filled out any time after your Degree Program has been approved by the Graduate School. Keep in mind, however, that the Application for Degree must be submitted no later than the first working day of March if you are planning to graduate in May.

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.