The CSD Graduate Program endeavors to provide high-quality education that prepares you to work as a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings. As part of your education, you will participate in academic courses  supervised internships with individuals who have a range of communication and swallowing disorders and differences. The CSD Program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).  

Academic Course Requirements

Requirements for the CSD master's degree are listed in the UMD course catalog. 

CSD MA Degree

Your M.A. Curriculum guide contains the schedule of required CSD courses that you will likely follow during the next two years.  The information is arranged chronologically beginning with your first Fall semester and ending with your last Spring semester of study.  Use this information to plan your course of study.  The CSD Department has provided a sample curriculum to provide students with an idea of how their program may unfold.  Please note that the department reserves the right to revise the curriculum as needed.

MA Curriculum Guide

Plan B Project

The CSD graduate program at UMD is designated as a Plan B program. The Graduate School states that, " a Master's Degree without Thesis (Plan B) student must pass either a final written examination or a final oral examination, or both, at the discretion of the graduate faculty in the major field. Plan B differs from Plan A in substituting for the thesis a heavier course requirement and/or special projects..the requirements for Plan B are meant to test interests and intellectual abilities at the same level as that of Plan A, but for a different purpose.". As such, the Plan B project is an important component to the MA degree in CSD.

The Plan B Guidebook Please describes the particular requirements and policies of the Plan B specifically as they relate to the CSD program.  Please read it very carefully.

The CSD Graduate Program Plan B Guidebook

Clinical Education Requirements 

Throughout your program, you will work with CSD Department faculty to monitor your progress toward meeting clinical education requirements for the degree and for eventual ASHA certification.  The degree requires that you complete  17-18 credits of internship courses as part of your graduate program.

ASHA certification does not require a specific amount of credits; rather ASHA certification requires that you complete a breadth and depth of supervised clinical experiences through an accredited program, sufficient to demonstrate the following: 

• Competence in assessment and treatment across communication disorders and differences disorders and differences

• Experience in a variety of settings with clients across the lifespan

• A minimum of 400 supervised hours: 25 observation and 375 direct contact service provision

Master's degree requirements DIFFER from ASHA certification requirements.

The CSD Graduate Program is accredited by the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). As a CAA - accredited program,  the CSD graduate program expects students to pursue eventual ASHA Certification.   

Students are responsible for knowing that requirements for a master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders DIFFER from requirements for the requirements for ASHA Certification.  Students may earn a master's degree from the program and not qualify for ASHA certification. While the CSD Graduate Program offers students the opportunity to meet ASHA certification standards associated with the graduate degree, there is no guarantee that students will meet the standards for certification through the program.  ASHA certification must be earned by meeting the additional standards for that professional designation through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Additional requirements for certification

In addition to meeting the CSD program requirements for earning the master's degree, individuals seeking eventual ASHA certification under the 2020 CFCC standards must meet the following additional requirements as part of their program of study:

1. Successful completion of Basic Sciences  to meet CFCC Standard IV-A, to include biological sciences, physical sciences, statistics, and the social/behavioral sciences.

2. Successful completion of hearing and audiology coursework to successfully meet CFCC  Standards IV-B, IV-C, and IV-D.

The above requirements are subject to change, based on revisions in ASHA CFCC standards. It is the student's responsibility to be aware, track, and complete any additional requirements for ASHA certification as part of their program of study.  

The CSD Department Chair reviews performance in the program relative to certification standards.  Students who meet the university requirements for the master's degree but do NOT meet the ASHA certification standards as part of their program of study will not be recommended for ASHA certification, even if they meet the requirements for the master's degree.