Frequently Asked Questions |
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GRADUATE *Do I have to take the GRE to apply to your program? Yes, the GRE is required and scores must be less than 5 years old. *Where do I take the GRE? For information regarding the GRE please visit www.ets.org *What is the minimum GRE score required to get into your program? There is no minimum GRE score; we use the GAP score to determine admission. Most students score 800 or better on the GRE. *What is a GAP score and how do I figure mine? The GAP score is the score which we use to rank applicants and determine admission. The GAP score is your combined verbal and quantitative GRE scores multiplied by your last 60 hours GPA and this number is used to determine admission. To figure your own look at your college credits, begin at last semester completed and work backwards until you have 60 hours worth of credit, if this stops in the middle of a semester then you must add the remaining hours for that semester (this will give you more than 60 hours). Figure the GPA for those courses. Then multiply this GPA by your combined verbal and quantitative GRE Scores and that is your GAP score. For example if you have a 3.8 GPA for your last 60 hours and a GRE score of 1010: 3.8 (GPA last 60 hours) x 1010 (GRE score) = 3838 (GAP SCORE) There is a GPA calculator you may wish to use at: http://www.wku.edu/advising/calculator1.php *What is the minimum GAP score required? The minimum GAP score required to be considered for admission is 2800. The graduate office initially uses your cumulative undergraduate GPA (rather than last 60 hours GPA) to calculate your GAP score, and that score must be at least 2800 for your application to be forwarded to the CD office for consideration. *How many students are admitted to your program each year? We accept 30‐35 students into the on‐line graduate program and 24 students into the on‐campus graduate program each year. *Can I begin the program at any time? No, cohorts begin once a year and you must apply and be admitted into the program. *What if any prerequisites are required to be admitted to your Master’s program? There are 8 core classes and 4 basic sciences that must be completed prior to beginning any graduate courses. Those courses are:
Core Classes: CD 405 Phonetics CD 481 Normal Speech & Language Development CD 483 Articulation Disorders (or CD 440 which combines Artic and Language Disorders) CD 484 Speech Anatomy & Physiology CD 485 Diagnostic Procedures CD 482 Audiology CD 486 Language Disorders (or CD 440 – which combines Artic and Language Disorders) CD 347 Bases of Speech (Speech Science) Basic Sciences (one 3 credit course from each of the following categories; suggested course types are listed in parentheses): Biological Science (Intro to Bio, Human Biology, Ecology, Animal Biology, or Plant Biology) Math (General Math, College Algebra, Calculus, Computer Programming, Statistics, or Geometry)
Social Science (Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Human Geography, or Archeology) Physical Science (Physics, Acoustics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology, Physical Geography, Earth Science, or Environmental Science) *I’ve taken some or all of these courses at other colleges, what do I need to do to be sure your program will accept those? E‐mail Janice.sandidge@wku.edu the course number and title and where you took the course. She can review and tell you if it is pre‐approved, and may require you to send the syllabi for courses we have not pre‐approved. If a syllabus is required a committee meets monthly to review these and you will be e‐mailed their response. *I have taken graduate coursework elsewhere, what do I need to do to determine if it will transfer to your program? E‐mail or mail to Janice.sandidge@wku.edu the course number and title along with a transcript and syllabus for each course you would like to be considered for graduate transfer credit. All graduate transfer credit must be evaluated by our Coursework Evaluation Committee. The committee meets monthly and you will be e‐mailed their decision as soon as your coursework is reviewed. *Are there any travel requirements for the distance education master’s degree program? Yes, students are required to come to the WKU campus the first summer in the program for 4‐5 weeks for our Summer Clinic. This is a requirement of the program and is not optional. *Can I complete more than one externship during the same semester? No, students can enroll in only one externship per semester. * How many clinical hours can I transfer? A maximum of 25 observation hours and 50 clinical (treatment or evaluation) hours from undergraduate can transfer to the graduate program. All clinical hours earned while enrolled in a graduate communication disorders program will apply toward the 400 hours required by ASHA. However, graduate students must fully complete CD 591 Clinical Externship three times for a total of three different externships with a minimum of 50 clinical hours each. At least 200 hours must be completed through WKU. *Will I have to pass a comprehensive exam prior to graduation? PRAXIS ‐ The Praxis (or ASHA exam) must be taken prior to graduation. Only scores earned within 6 months of the graduation are acceptable. If a score of 600 is not attained, the student can take a comprehensive exam. See your Advisor for more information. *Where can I find more information on Distance Learning to decide if this option would be right for me? There are a number of resources available at www.wku.edu/online to help you decide if an online learning format would be a good fit for you. PRE‐SLP *Is this program completely online and do I have to travel to campus for any portion? The program is completely online. No travel is required. *Can I work as a SLP after completing this program? This program will not prepare you to work as a SLP. You will not earn clinical hours or receive a bachelor’s degree after completion. This program is designed to provide the prerequisite coursework required for application to graduate school in the area of communication disorders. *Can I begin the program in fall or spring semesters? At this time, students are only accepted into the program to begin courses during the summer. *What is the tuition rate for this program? Current tuition information is available at www.wku.edu/bursar/. The Pre–SLP courses are considered undergraduate distance learning courses. Distance learning tuition rates are the same for in–state and out–of–state students. *Is financial aid available for this program? Financial aid is currently NOT available for the Pre‐SLP Program, as it is a non‐degree‐seeking program. We are investigating options for making this a financial aid eligible program, and will notify applicants when an administrative decision has been reached. WKU offers a tuition payment plan which allows you to break tuition payments up throughout the semester. RANK I *What is the Rank I? Designed for public school employees, the Rank I is a Planned Sixth‐Year program. It is an approved, specific program of studies (i.e., set of courses). Upon earning the Rank I, employees can apply for a change in rank, thus likely resulting in an increase in salary. Earning a Rank I in Communication Disorders does not give a speech‐language pathologist more credentials. *Can I get the Rank I in Communication Disorder without having a Master's in Communication Disorders? No. The Rank I in our department is only offered to people with current teacher certification in communication disorders. *Can I work on the Rank I at the same time as my Master's? You can only be admitted to the Rank I program if you have a Master's degree in the field. You may apply to the program in the last semester of your Master’s degree coursework. *Is the Rank I recognized outside the state of Kentucky? Rank I is a designation that Kentucky uses. While many states offer Planned Sixth programs, we cannot guarantee that a Kentucky Rank I will be recognized elsewhere.
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