Although the department does not require that students have taken background coursework in speech-language pathology prior to entering our master’s degree program, there are prerequisite courses in four areas that must be completed before beginning graduate courses. These include college-level coursework in:

1. biology

2. a social/behavioral science (e.g. psychology)

3. general physics or chemistry, and

4. statistics

These must be stand-alone courses, and not simply material that is part of a course covering a broad range of topics. Our department does not consider a course with content limited to the anatomy and physiology of the speech, language, and hearing systems (as taught in a CSD program) as meeting the biology requirement. Similarly, a course in "speech science" taught in a CSD program is not a satisfactory substitute for a course in physics. Again, all four requirements must be met prior to enrolling in our graduate program. Under no circumstances will an applicant, even if admitted, be permitted to enroll in graduate courses if any of these prerequisite courses has not been completed. The specific requirements for these courses are as follows (for more information, see https://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/):

 1     Possible content Areas for Biology:

• General biology

• Cellular biology: the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals

• Cybernetics biology: the field of science concerned with processes of communication and control (especially the comparison of these processes in biological and artificial systems)

• Bioscience, life science: any of the branches of natural science dealing with the structure and behavior of living organisms

• Ecology: the branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms and their environment

• Cytology: the branch of biology that studies the structure and function of cells

• Embryology: the branch of biology that studies the formation and early development of living organisms

• Evolutionism, theory of evolution, Theory of organic evolution: a scientific theory of the origin of species of plants and animals

• Genetic science, genetics: the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms

• Microbiology: the branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects on humans

• Molecular biology: the branch of biology that studies the structure and activity of macromolecules essential to life (and especially with their genetic role)

• Morphology: the branch of biology that deals with the structure of animals and plants

• Neurobiology: the branch of biology that deals with the anatomy and physiology and pathology of the nervous system

• Physiology: the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms

• Radiobiology: the branch of biology that studies the effects of radiation on living organisms

• Sociobiology: the branch of biology that conducts comparative studies of the social organization of animals, including human beings, with regard to its evolutionary history

 

2a   Possible content areas for Social Sciences

• Anthropology

• Ethnic and cultural studies

• Archaeology

• Area studies

• Economics

• Gender and sexuality studies

• Geography organizational studies

• Political science

 

2b   Possible content areas for Behavioral Sciences

• Psychology

• Psychobiology

• Criminology and cognitive science

 

3a   Possible content areas for General Physics

• Basic physical principles for non-majors

• Basic principles of mechanics

• Basic principles of sound

• Basic principles of thermodynamics

• Basic principles of optics

• Basic principles of electricity and magnetism

• Courses may include practical examples of the role of physics in other disciplines

 

3b   Possible content areas for General Chemistry

• Atomic structure

• Chemical bonding

• Radioactivity

• Behavior of gases and solutions

• Behavior of acid and bases

• Hydrocarbons

• Functional groups and important biological molecules

• Chemical principles in human or animal physiology

 

4     Statistics

Courses NOT accepted:

• any directly related to communication sciences and disorders

• any research methods coursework taught in lieu of, or in the absence of, basic statistics (If statistics and research methods courses were taught in conjunction with each other, you must submit a course description showing a clear delineation between the two, in order for them to be accepted.)

Students who will be applying to the Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) master’s program at USC are not required to have specific background courses (e.g., anatomy and physiology, phonetics) to be accepted into its master’s program. COMD offers background courses required for students admitted to the COMD master’s degree program without a speech-language pathology background before the student begins taking core master’s degree coursework. Students have to earn a grade of B or higher on these background courses in order to continue in the program.

To begin your graduate program as a student ‘with a background’ you must have an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree in communication disorders, speech-language pathology or speech and hearing sciences, including a minimum of 25 clock hours of supervised clinical observation (see below). If you have an undergraduate degree in the field, we do not have specific grade requirements for your individual background courses. Alternatively, if your undergraduate degree is in another field, we do look at your undergraduate coursework to ensure you have accumulated a minimum of 25 clock hours of supervised clinical observation (see below), plus completed the following coursework (each for 3 term hours credit), having earned a B or higher in each course

• Anatomy of the Speech & Hearing Mechanism
• Phonetics (including transcription of disordered speech)
• Normal Language Development
• Articulation Disorders (in children and adults)

These courses will need to have been taken by the application deadline. If you have earned grades lower than a B for any of these courses, you will have to apply as a student without a background and retake the course with us before proceeding in the program to the core master's degree coursework.

For clinical observation hours to count, they must have been obtained as either 1) part of the requirements of a course in speech-language pathology or 2) a requirement for an undergraduate major in speech-language pathology. If the 25 minimum observation hours were not obtained as part of a course, the mechanism by which they were obtained and guided must be specified on departmental letterhead stationery and signed by a faculty member who was responsible for monitoring student observation. All observation hours must be both guided and supervised. Observation hours that students obtain on their own (e.g., while doing volunteer work or “shadowing” a speech-language pathologist) do not count towards meeting this requirement. Again, 25 observation hours are not required for admission.

COMD Policy re: Undergraduate Students’ Enrollment in COMD 500-level Courses

At times, an undergraduate student may request permission to take one or more 500-level COMD courses. The COMD faculty are open to such requests, particularly for students who intend to pursue a Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate degree. For obtaining permission to do so, the following criteria must be met:

1. The student has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher,

2. The student provides an unofficial transcript of courses taken at USC,

3. The student provides a brief statement (approximately one paragraph) regarding why s/he wishes to take the course, and

4. The student requests permission to take a 500-level course by USC’s official date for the midpoint of the preceding semester  (see USC’s Official Academic Calendar for the exact date).  For Fall course requests, requests must be made by July 3rd. For Spring course requests, requests must be made by October 11^th.

If the student meets the above criteria, s/he must contact the COMD instructor of record and ask permission to take the 500-level COMD course. The instructor will ensure the student meets the above criteria. If the student's request is approved, the instructor will ask the Graduate Admissions Coordinator to provide the student with the information necessary for enrollment in the course. Undergraduate seats in these courses are limited, and admission to these courses is NOT guaranteed. No undergraduate students will be permitted to take COMD 560, and no exceptions will be made. This policy does not apply to the undergraduate independent study course (COMD 525) and the introductory course, COMD 500.

 

COMD Policy re: Undergraduate Students’ Enrollment in COMD 700-level Courses

At times, an undergraduate student may request permission to take a 700-level COMD course. The COMD faculty are open to such requests, particularly for students who intend to pursue a Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate degree. For obtaining permission to do so, the following criteria must be met:

1. The student is in the USC Accelerated Degree Program,

2. The student has the prerequisite coursework needed for the requested course,

3. The student provides an unofficial transcript of courses taken at USC,

4. The student provides a brief statement (approximately one paragraph) regarding why s/he wishes to take the course, and

5. The student requests permission to take a 700-level course by USC’s official date for the midpoint of the preceding semester  (see USC’s Official Academic Calendar for the exact date).  For Fall course requests, requests must be made by July 3rd. For Spring course requests, requests must be made by October 11^th.

If the student meets the above criteria, s/he must contact the Graduate Director and ask permission to take a 700-level COMD course. The Graduate Director will ensure the student meets the above criteria. The Graduate Director then will consult with the instructor of record for the requested course and determine that instructor’s willingness to have the student enroll in the course.  If the instructor approves the request, the Graduate Director will ask the Graduate Admissions Coordinator to provide the information necessary for enrollment in the course.

COMD is committed to ensuring that students in the master's program complete clinical experiences which prepare them for any type of professional setting.  In addition to participating in supervised practicum in the University's state-of-the-art Montgomery Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic, students have opportunities to hone their clinical skills in numerous settings, serving a variety of different age groups with multiple supervisors.  USC maintains relationships with more than 700 external practicum sites within South Carolina and throughout the United States.  These sites include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, community clinics, auditory-verbal centers, public/private schools, and private practices.

Clinical placement is a complex process involving communication between practicum administrators, students, external supervisors, and site administrators.  Practicum administrators schedule all external practicum assignments, taking care to consider each student’s academic knowledge, clinical skill, learning style, and progress toward graduation requirements.  The combination of practicum experiences in which students participate result in graduates who are exceptionally prepared for careers as speech-language pathologists.

COMD has a unique opportunity for students to expand their experiences in preparation for hospital and rehabilitation employment.  The department has active research in neurogenic disorders and maintains clinical affiliations with area medical centers. There is an opportunity for a limited number of master’s degree students to receive extra training in all aspects of brain dysfunction - stroke, head injury, dementia, and progressive diseases.

Students pursuing this additional training have the opportunity to participate by:

• Attending monthly meetings to discuss and learn through use of guest speakers, films, presentations, and review of case studies

• Working with stroke support groups

• Attending workshops, and other special events

• Completing practicum assignments in neurogenic medical and rehabilitation sites.

• Completing internships in settings geared toward neurogenic populations.

Our Department offers a program that is perhaps unique across the nation. A limited number of master’s degree students receive specialized training in therapy techniques for individuals having hearing loss and cochlear implants (CIs).

Students pursuing this additional training have the opportunity to participate in a working Cochlear Implant Team by:

• Conducting pre-implant evaluations

• Sitting in on team meetings to determine if a patient is a candidate for an implant\

• Scrubbing in and joining our surgeon in the operating room while the device is implanted

• Participating in the programming of the external device (ie., Mapping)

• Participating in AVT and Aural Rehabilitation therapy sessions

• Assisting in support groups for teens and adults with cochlear implants or hearing aids

• Attending monthly meetings involving guest speakers and other specialized events

• Enrolling in specialized coursework on CIs, AVT, and Aural Rehabilitation therapy

• Completing a 10-week internship geared toward children and adults with hearing loss.

These select students may even be present to observe a parent see their child respond to sound for the first time. Alternatively, they may be present to see an adult hear their loved ones’ voices for the first time in years.

Participation can be a stepping stone for those wanting to pursue international certification in AVT.

Participation in these additional and unique experiences are available to only a small number of new students each year. Click for more information on our unique AVT opportunities, and our CI program.

Passing of the PRAXIS exam is required for national certification and often for state licensure. Learn more about our pass rates and graduation rates.

Each year, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association selects a small number of students pursuing careers in speech-language pathology, to become a part of its Minority Leadership Program. The purpose of the program is to “provide focused educational programming and activities to build and enhance leadership skills” and “give participants the opportunity to interact with leaders in the professions of audiology, speech-language pathology, and speech, language, and hearing sciences.” Participants have their expenses paid to attend ASHA’s annual convention in November, during which time they attend special meetings with ASHA officers, sit in on an ASHA Board Meeting, and attend Leadership Seminars. Only 40 students are chosen by ASHA to participate in this annual program. We have been fortunate over the years to have a number of students represent the University of South Carolina.

All full-time students are required by the University to be covered by health and accident insurance. Students will automatically have University sponsored health insurance charged to their tuition unless they provide evidence of coverage by their own policy. Such evidence should be presented to the Thompson Student Health Center in order for this fee to be waived.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders requires all students admitted into its master’s degree program to be covered by health insurance throughout the time they are enrolled in the program. Additional immunization and health care requirements must also be met and maintained throughout enrollment in the program. Communication Sciences and Disorders provides both professional liability insurance and workman’s compensation policies for all practicum students.

View current Tuition and Fee information. 

Further information about licensing can be found here.

For general requirements and information for international applicants, please visit the Graduate School website for International Students. This includes information on visa applications, etc., for which you are also encouraged to seek help from the office of International Student Services (ISS).

Transcripts from international applicants must be in English or officially translated to English, and the school must provide an official grading scale.

The Department requires a TOEFL score of 90 or higher for admission of students for whom English is not their native language, which is higher than the minimal requirement of the Graduate School. This is because our program and field are particularly language-oriented, we require our doctoral students to teach, and verbal as well as written communication skills are essential in interactions with clinical populations with language, speech, or communication challenges/disorders. Special circumstances may allow for alternate English testing. Please contact the director of the doctoral program.