Speech-Language Pathology Online Graduate Program

The application period for our 2025 cohort ended November 1st. 
Please note the following dates if you plan to apply for the 2026 cohort:

• July 15, 2025 - Application Process Opens 
• November 1, 2025 - Application Deadline
• June 2026 - New Online Cohort Starts

More detailed information on the application process can be found in the accordions below. 

• This is a part-time online program with students admitted as a cohort and beginning in June.
• All coursework is completed online over a three-year period with required residency periods of one week each summer.
• All students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and successfully complete a comprehensive examination prior to graduation.
• Successful completion of our ASHA-accredited part-time online graduate program culminates in a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
• We also prepare students to meet requirements for ASHA certification and state licenses. Students are encouraged to contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state where they will seek licensure prior to beginning an academic program.
• UW-Eau Claire is a member of SARA, but that does not provide reciprocity for licensing requirements.

More detailed information can be found by selecting the accordions below. 

• This is a part-time graduate program.
• Coursework is completed online over a three-year period.
• All students are expected to register for 2-6 credits each term.
• Students earn a total of 54 graduate credits: 40 credits of coursework and 14 credits of clinical practicum.
• You must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to remain in good standing.
• All students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination prior to graduation.
• Students are admitted as a cohort and must move through the program together.
• You are required to attend a one-week residency on-campus each summer of your program. Residency weeks are filled with teambuilding, hands-on equipment time, activities, face-to-face competencies, and measurement of competencies with faculty.
• New cohorts will begin the program in residency on our campus the first full week in June. Your second and third residency weeks will be scheduled the end of July / beginning of August, respectively.
• Some students may need to add other credits in order to meet credential and/or licensure standards. These additional courses may include human or animal biology, chemistry or physics, child/human development, statistics, neurology, sign language, assessment and treatment for voice, articulation/phonology, child language, hearing disorders (aural rehabilitation), and guided clinical observation (during which you earn 25 observation hours). Students with such deficiencies may apply to the graduate program but must understand that additional coursework will be required before beginning the program or during the course of the program.
• For additional information, please refer the documents below and the current SLP Online Graduate Program Handbook (below).
• Residency Requirements
• Academic Requirements
• Clinical Requirements
• Program Overview Chart
• Credentialing and licensing information

The Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department (SLHS) at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire knows that communication is a fundamental human right. In the UWEC, SLHS program, we work to create equitable access to communication across the broad range of people we serve. Further, we strive to recruit and retain graduate students who reflect the demographics of the populations we serve, across a variety of backgrounds and identities. We believe an ideal candidate for our graduate program is one who has foundational knowledge that they transfer into their grad studies. They should show initiative and self-directed behaviors while still seeking mentorship and embracing supervision and feedback. They should approach problems systematically, with good insight into their own strengths and means to compensate for relative areas of challenge. They can seek out appropriate resources from peers, faculty, and their own developed set of systematically organized resources. They bring forward, nurture, and acknowledge their own diverse experiences and those of others, and understand the importance of these diverse experiences as critical to the therapeutic process and fundamental to effective human interactions. They interact and communicate across a wide range of peers, staff and clients, and families in a way that supports the intervention process and promotes an effective working relationship.

At UWEC, we value rich experiences and lifelong learning. Our application process considers experience, personal attributes, and key academic metrics. We expect our graduate students to become excellent SLPs, collaborative leaders, and wise and humble citizens of the world. Given the admissions philosophy of the UWEC program, the following information is provided to guide prospective candidates in the application process.

Minimum Criteria to Apply

• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university.
• A minimum GPA of 3.25 in CSD coursework.
• A minimum of 30 SLHS semester credits or a bachelor's degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences must be earned by the beginning of your graduate program (see post-baccalaureate sequence link below).
  • These credits must include college-level coursework in each of the following five areas:
    • Anatomy & Physiology of Speech & Hearing Mechanism
    • Speech & Hearing Science
    • Language Development
    • Phonetics
    • Audiology
  • The 30 minimum credits must also include at least 3 of the following 6 courses or courses that are equivalent 
    NOTE: overview or “survey” disorders courses, or courses designed exclusively for SLPA training are not accepted:
    • Speech-Sound Disorders
    • Child Language Disorders
    • Voice & Resonance Disorders
    • Aural Rehabilitation
    • Clinical Methods/Procedures (with 25 hours of guided observation)
    • Neurology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
  • Additional CSD coursework required for our graduate program:
    • Sign Language

Additional Information

• The required prerequisite coursework for our program totals 38 credits. Although only 30 completed credits are required for application to the graduate program, if not completed prior to entry into the graduate program, the remaining courses must be taken during graduate school.
• Appropriate disorders courses must cover content in both assessment and intervention. Determination of course equivalency to the required courses listed above is made by the department chairperson and graduate program coordinator. 
  NOTE: Disorders coursework designed specifically for an SLP assistant program may not be sufficient.

Post-Baccalaureate Sequence

Essential functions

Application Instructions

All application materials are due to CSDCAS by November 1, 2025 (including letters of recommendation and transcripts). Applications that are incomplete after this date will not be reviewed. It is your responsibility to meet this deadline. It is STRONGLY recommended that the applicant submit their portion of the application and pay their CSDCAS fee, along with paying the UWEC general Grad School application fee BEFORE November 1 (thought that is not required). Submitting before November 1 allows the review process to begin and ensures that you have time to adjust or respond to any glitches that may arise while finalizing your application and submitting payments. Your letters of recommendation and transcripts can then meet up with your application on or before November 1 for the file review to be completed. Specifically, follow these steps:

1. Complete all steps in the CSDCAS application. Please submit your application as soon as you have completed your sections. Letters of recommendation and transcripts may arrive after you click "submit" (and pay your fee) and will be added to your application as they are received. [NOTE: In addition to entering all completed coursework from your transcripts in your CSDCAS application, you must also list any planned or in-progress coursework. Failure to do this will cause your application to appear incomplete and suggest you have deficiencies that will penalize your candidacy.]
2. Once your CSDCAS application is fully complete (i.e., you have submitted your application, paid your CSDCAS fee, and letters of recommendation and transcripts are received), you will receive an email from UWEC which will direct you to create an account with the University and pay your $56 UWEC Grad School application fee. Failure to follow-through with this step will cause your CSDCAS application to halt.
3. Students interested in applying for a graduate assistantship: Complete an online application. The personal essay and letters of recommendation submitted to CSDCAS will be used to support your assistantship application.
4. Interviews may or may not be needed following the initial application review. If interviews are warranted, they will happen during the first two weeks of January.

IMPORTANT: Do not mail any application materials, transcripts, or letters of recommendation to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire or the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department. All materials must be submitted with your CSDCAS application. Not following this direction may result in an incomplete application that will not be reviewed.

Application Checklist

An additional tool to help you keep track of the application process is the Application Checklist. It is attached below for your reference. Use this checklist to make sure you have completed all the steps in the application process. The checklist includes links to all of the websites and documents you need in order to complete your application

Application Checklist - Online

Questions:
If you have any questions or concerns about the application process, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator

Application Evaluation Criteria - Our Holistic Review Promise

A faculty committee will evaluate your application holistically. We use our application materials to measure candidates across the following collection of attributes:

• Academic excellence
• Communication skills across various contexts, language, dialects
• Mathematical skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking
• Cognitive and affective empathy
• Sensitivity and respect for all
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Initiative and resilience in the presence of challenge or conflict
• Relevant lived experiences that support the department mission and success in grad school

How Your Application Will Be Evaluated

0. Personal Statement.
   Review the UWEC, SLHS Grad Applicant Attribute list above. Write a personal statement connecting your lived experience to 2-3 attributes in the list. Expand on your experience to talk through how your personal assets will serve you well to address areas that might be hardest for you during grad school. Submit your best written response not to exceed 1000 words to address this prompt.
1. Your SLHS GPA.
   A minimum SLHS GPA of 3.25 is required for applications to be reviewed. You can review the published information on GPA averages for our recently admitted cohort on our website. Your personal statement (described above) is a place where you can explain any discrepancies between your GPA and your knowledge, skills, dispositions, and experiences that you believe make you an excellent match for our graduate program and for becoming an SLP.
2. Three Letters of Recommendation.
   You should choose letter writers who know you well and can speak to how your academic skills, any research experience, personal characteristics, and/or life experiences align you with being a strong match for a rigorous, online graduate program and (ultimately) becoming an SLP. At least one letter of recommendation needs to be from a faculty member who knows you academically within speech, language, and hearing sciences. We will evaluate letters from individuals in other academic programs and letters from non-academic sources such as supervisors at your place of employment. These letter writers should be sure to highlight your exceptional personal characteristics and life, clinical, academic, community, and/or leadership experiences. Please note, do not utilize letters of recommendation from relatives or close friends. Only three letters will be reviewed.
3. Your Asynchronous Interview (Kira Assessment).
   From the CSDCAS portal, you will be directed to the Kira Assessment website where you will set up your account (free of cost) and respond to a collection of interview questions in an asynchronous format. You will be asked to address three specific prompts in one essay. We are looking for your responses related to all of the following:
   • Prompt #1—Showing Your Attributes
     You will be guided through a four-question package designed to give you the opportunity to show many of the attributes listed in our holistic review process description. Each interview question will provide you with one minute to prepare a response and one minute to share a response. This part of the process is completed entirely within the Kira Assessment system during a time when it is conducive to you. This must be done by the November 1^st deadline.

   • Prompt #2—Mathematical Skills and Analytic Problem-Solving
     You will be provided with a problem-solving scenario that relies on basic mathematical skills and is related to the field of speech-language pathology. Within the Kira system you will be given five minutes to complete your calculations and prepare your written response to submit online. You are allowed to use a calculator for this task.

     The Kira Assessment tool is accessed through your CSDCAS application in the “Program Materials” tile. You can review that component of the application process and participate in the “practice” module in Kira in advance of completing the official asynchronous interview process. You can find an information video on the Kira asynchronous interview process HERE.

Additional Information

Successful completion of our ASHA-accredited part-time online graduate program culminates in a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology. We prepare students to meet requirements for ASHA certification and the state SLP license. UW-Eau Claire is a member of SARA (see UW-Eau Claire SLHS webpage linked below for details), but that does not provide reciprocity for licensing requirements.

All coursework is completed online over a three-year period with required residency periods of one week each of three summers. This is a part-time program with students admitted as a cohort beginning each June and finishing together three years later. Full-time studies are not permitted until the final semester where a full-time externship is expected. All students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and successfully complete a comprehensive examination the semester prior to graduation.

We cannot accept international students at this time. This program does not meet the regulatory requirement for issuance of an I-20 or DS-2019; F and J visas cannot be issued for this program.

Funding Opportunities

Students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities are encouraged to apply for the Advanced Opportunity Program Fellowship. The deadline for application is usually in December. Information can be found at this following link. Information about applying for department funding is available in mid-March and will be sent to all students who have been admitted or are on the waitlist.

• Number of completed applications received - 119
• Average overall GPA of admitted students - 3.8
• Average major (CSD courses) GPA of admitted students - 3.95

• Tuition and fees for the first year are estimated at $725 per credit, pending Board of Regents approval. This may increase as much a 5% per year. The UW System Board of Regents sets tuition rates each summer for the following year.
• Tuition is charged as a flat-rate per-credit fee.
• Required textbooks and other required course materials/supplies (varies from course-to-course).
• Registration with the program's CALIPSO management system ($125 one-time fee, paid by each student directly).
• Travel expenses for the required residency periods (preferred travel method to and from Eau Claire, lodging, meals and any other personal travel related expenses).
• Liaison supervision costs, when applicable (will vary from site-to-site).
• Payment for annual criminal background checks, arranged by the student according to instructions from the College of Health & Human Sciences
• Immunization or TB testing costs if applicable.
• Technology required.
• Additional information on program costs and financial opportunities for graduate students can be found on the Graduate Tuition + Fees page.

Financial Aid

• The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire offers financial assistance to graduate students. Part-time graduate students are typically eligible for loans only.
• The "Financial Aid Year" consists of terms Fall/Spring/Summer. If you are accepted to the program and plan to apply for financial assistance, you will need to have filed a FAFSA for the academic year you begin the program.
• Once you begin the graduate program, financial aid will apply to graduate-level classes only; costs for any remaining pre-requisite classes taken at the undergraduate level will not be included in your financial aid award. Contact the financial aid office at finaid@uwec.edu to discuss options for financial aid in semesters when you must take additional undergraduate/pre-requisite coursework.
• Admitted students are advised to contact the Office of Financial Aid directly at finaid@uwec.edu (recommended), or call 715-836-3373, regarding potential adjustments for travel expenses and Winterim classes.

Graduate Scholarships

• Applicants who have been invited into our graduate cohort and accept admission will be eligible to apply for several SLHS scholarships that are available to our first-year graduate students. Additional SLHS scholarships and Foundation Fellowships are also available for the second/third year of your program. More information about financial aid for graduate students is available on our Financial Opportunities for Graduate Students site: Financial Opportunities for Graduate Students.
• Opportunities include:
  • UWEC Graduate Student Foundation Fellowships
  • Graduate Assistantships
  • Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) Grants
  • Tuition Remission or Reduced Tuition

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology residential and distance education at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 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, and is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Wisconsin is a SARA state (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement) and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a SARA-approved institution.

"The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state." http://nc-sara.org/

Important Notice to Students: If you are considering an online academic program that leads to a professional license, it is highly recommended you contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state where you plan to apply for your license before beginning your academic program. SARA does not provide reciprocity for state professional licensing requirements. Academic programs and individual graduates must meet standards set by that state's licensure requirements in order for a graduate to be eligible for a license.

The SARA provision for this requirement can be found on pg. 10 herein: http://nc-sara.org/content/faqs

The Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences graduate program at UW‐Eau Claire prepares students for licensure in the state of Wisconsin. Students work collaboratively with the program director during their program to be certain they will complete ready for licensure in all other states.

Students seeking enrollment in the UWEC SLHS online graduate program will need the following technical requirements to participate in the program:

• Access to Microsoft Office 2013 or 2016:
  • Throughout the course, Microsoft Office Suite applications including PowerPoint and Word will be utilized; thus Microsoft Office 2013 or 2016 is required.
  • Full, free access to the Microsoft Office suite of software is available to all students from the UWEC, Office 365 application.
• Internet Connection:
  • An Internet service provider is required.
  • If available in your area, a satellite, DSL, or cable modem connection is recommended.
  • NOTE: Use of a dial-up Internet connection will not support some of the online grad program applications and is highly discouraged.
• Video Playback Capability:
  • The ability to able to playback videos throughout the course is important.
  • Examples of video playback software include VLC Player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, and Quicktime, all of which can be downloaded from the Internet for free.
• Video Conferencing Software:
  • The ability to video conference with the faculty and classmates will be required at times during the online graduate program.
  • Software like Skype, Google Chat, or ooVoo can be downloaded for free from the Internet and will meet this requirement.
• Screen Capture Software:
  • Online graduate students will be required to create screencast productions at different points and to satisfy different requirements and competencies throughout their program.
  • Free, online applications will be sufficient for this purpose. Options include: Kaltura Capturespace, iSpring Free, Screencastomatic, and Educreations (for iPad).
• USB Headset/Microphone:
  • In order to properly record voiceovers and to participate in video conferencing, a high-quality USB headset/mic is required.
• Mobile Device Usage:
  • All SlHS online graduate students will need access to a mobile device for generating and sharing certain specific course/clinical work/requirements.
  • Many mobile devices like a smartphone, iPad, Kindle Fire, or Microsoft Surface may meet the needs of the technical requirements for the program.
  • Check with the Graduate Coordinator to see if your device (or one you can access) will suffice.
• Scanner or Mobile Device App for Scanning:
  • Many times during the academic and clinical experiences, students will be required to scan and upload or email items.
  • Convenient access to scanning is critical. 

For applicants reapplying to our online graduate program:

1. Complete an application at Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application Services (CDSCAS): Communication Science and Disorders Centralized Application Services (CSDCAS) beginning July 15, 2025. Follow the instructions on the CDSCAS website for re-applicants. The deadline for receipt of all materials is November 1, 2025, 10:59pm CST. It is your responsibility to meet the deadline requirements. Contact CSDCAS customer service with questions and problems: 617-612-2030 or CSDCASinfo@CSDCAS.org.
2. Follow instructions on the CSDCAS site for submission of three (3) letters of recommendation. At least one must come from individuals familiar with the applicant's academic or clinical performance. Previously submitted letters of recommendation will not be transferred to your CSDCAS application.
3. Follow instructions on the CSDCAS site for submission of a personal essay. You will be asked to address specific prompts. Your previously submitted personal essay will not be transferred to your CSDCAS application.
4. In addition to entering all completed coursework from your transcripts, we require that applicants list all planned and in-progress coursework so we can help you plan your graduate program.
5. Send all official transcripts to:  CSDCAS Verification Department | PO Box 9113 | Watertown, MA 02471.
   Your previously submitted official transcripts will not be transferred to your CSDCAS application.

[Note: Applicant will not have to pay the $56 application fee for the UWEC Grad School application if reapplying within one year of the initial application.]

We cannot accept international students at this time. This program does not meet the regulatory requirement for issuance of an I-20 or DS-2019; F and J visas cannot be issued for this program.

It is the policy of the UW-Eau Claire to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and retaliation for all students and employees. This policy applies to all programs and activities, and employment practices and operations including the conduct of all students and employees arising out of their employment, educational or academic status, as well as to the conduct of all guests, visitors, vendors, contractors, subcontractors and others who do business with UW-Eau Claire.

Further information can be found by visiting the policies site.