Frequently Asked Questions

No, but if your degree is in another area, you must complete leveling courses prior to enrollment.

Students who have not completed an undergraduate degree in CSD or who do not meet leveling requirements will be required to complete 30 hours of leveling coursework and clinical observations before they will be eligible to begin the M.S. in SpeechLanguage Pathology program.

The 2025 CSDCAS application (for a fall 2025 start) is currently open.

The CSD department reviews applications for admission consideration as soon as they are verified in CSDCAS, therefore students are encouraged to complete the application process as early as possible. We use a rolling admissions process; applications are reviewed until the cohort is filled.

If students apply in the fall, they will need to provide an academic update once fall grades are posted.

Students will receive an admission decision via email within 7 weeks of becoming verified in CSDCAS.

Logging into the CSDCAS portal is the best way to check your application status.

Upon submitting your CSDCAS application, you’ll find instructions for paying the $65 ACU application fee. All other documents are reviewed through CSDCAS.

You can upload application materials, request recommendation letters and track your progress within the CSDCAS portal. No application materials need to be sent to ACU. If you need technical assistance with your application portal, please contact CSDCAS Customer Service at 617-612-2030 or csdcasinfo@csdcas.org.

No, the GRE is not required. If provided in CSDCAS, your GRE score will not be reviewed by the ACU MS-SLP admissions committee.

In the CSDCAS portal, you will choose to submit your application for the Abilene campus or the Dallas (Addison, TX) campus. You can only apply to one location.

The average GPA is between 3.5 – 3.8.

Probationary admission to the graduate program in speech-language pathology is determined following a holistic evaluation of the applicant. The Director of the Abilene or Dallas division of the MS SLP will inform an applicant of the probationary admission status in a letter of acceptance. Students admitted probationally must maintain a 3.0 average in the first semester – after which the probationary period ends.  If the student does not earn a cumulative 3.0 grade point average at the end of the first semester, they are suspended from the program/university per university policy.

Yes.

Applicants selected to participate in an interview do so through virtual means. However, an in-person interview can be arranged if preferred.

It is possible to transfer up to 6 hours of graduate credit with graduate faculty approval.

Waitlisted applicants are notified as soon as there is an opening in the cohort. This could occur as late as August in some cases.

Click here to create a CSDCAS account. You can then select Abilene Christian University from the list of schools you’d like to apply to.

No, international students can apply to the Abilene campus only and will not be considered for admission to the Dallas campus.

Yes. The Master in Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology {residential and satellite location} at Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

The length of the program is 22 months (or 5 terms).  Please click here to see the degree plan. New students begin in August and complete 52 credit hours.

The Dallas location offers a 3 year course sequence. This course sequence distributes coursework across a longer period of time allowing students who need to work more than 20 hours per week the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at ACU. Interested students can contact Dr. Brenda Bender at brenda.bender@acu.edu for more information.

For cost information, please visit the  Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology website and review the “Required Hours” section.

Yes, scholarships and graduate assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis (no scholarship or GA application is needed).

Yes. Courses and clinical placements are offered at different times each semester, so students should seek employment that provides flexibility.

No. Students only attend classes at the campus they were admitted to. Each campus has its own dedicated faculty and staff.

The Bilingual Emphasis Program (BEP) provides targeted training and  clinical experiences for multilingual students who are accepted to the MS-SLP program, and who desire to participate.  (An intermediate level of proficiency in a language other than English is required for participation; eligibility can be established through conversation with the program director prior to acceptance.)  Students participate in specialized coursework and projects regarding assessment/treatment in their other treatment language, and engage in clinical practice with bilingual supervisors in that language also (as available).

Participants exit the Bilingual Emphasis Program when they graduate with their MS-SLP degree, and are provided with a BEP letter of completion/credentials at that time.  This program is led by a faculty member who is a bilingual speech-language pathologist specializing in service delivery to bilingual populations. The majority of the program activities are integrated into the student’s MS-SLP coursework; the only additional costs to participate are: 1)  the cost of auditing one course and 2) the cost of completing language proficiency assessment just prior to graduation.    Some scholarship funds are available for program participants; request information from the MS-SLP Abilene program director.

The BEP is only available at the Abilene campus at this time. Click the button below for program detail

Bilingual Program Details

No. Students complete the degree at the campus where admitted.

Students will complete five different clinical placements in various settings.

During the spring semester of year two, students must pass a comprehensive examination to demonstrate their ability to integrate and apply the knowledge and information they have gained.
Students who successfully complete an approved research project are exempt from taking comprehensive examinations.

The Duncum Center for Speech, Language, and Learning is located across the street from the main campus Abilene.

Please click here to view student outcome data.

Absolutely! Please  click here to learn more about upcoming Open Houses or to schedule a campus visit for the Abilene location.

 For information about upcoming Open Houses or to schedule a visit for the Dallas location, please email Dr. Brenda Bender at brenda.bender@acu.edu.

Please click here to learn more about Abilene, TX!

Please click here to learn more about Addison, TX!

You can apply directly to ACU for the leveling program.  Please click here to begin the application process.

If you complete the Leveling program at ACU and also want to be considered for the ACU MS-SLP program, you will need to apply through CSDCAS (all MS-SLP applicants must apply through CSDCAS, even if you complete Leveling through ACU).

Please click here to see the required leveling coursework.

Students leveling through other universities are welcome to email Mrs. Erika McLean at elc09c@acu.edu with questions regarding coursework equivalency.

Students should complete all leveling coursework prior to beginning the ACU MS-SLP program.