Admissions
On This Page: Application Dates and Deadline | Minimum Admission Requirements | Prerequisite Coursework | Identified Mentor | Required Application Materials | Application Steps | International Students | Nontraditional Applicants
The University of Washington Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program is designed for students who want to become speech-language pathologists. We have a holistic admissions process. Our goal is to select an intellectually capable, diverse group of students. While a high GPA is desirable, it's not the determining factor in admissions; we consider all information submitted.
Application Dates and Deadlines
A new cohort of the UW Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program starts each fall. The application deadline is January 15, 2025. You’ll be notified of an admission decision in mid-March.
Minimum Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in speech and hearing sciences, communication disorders or a similarly named major from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. (or its equivalent from a foreign institution) OR a bachelor’s degree in another major with sufficient coursework in speech and hearing sciences, communication disorders or a similarly named major
- A minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for the last graded 60 semester credits or 90 graded quarter credits
- Demonstrated English language proficiency for applicants whose native language is not English. The Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences requires higher test score minimums than outlined in the UW Graduate School policy; please review our requirements below.
Note: We can’t accept applications from individuals with undergraduate or graduate degrees outside the field of speech and hearing science (e.g., linguistics, education, psychology) who don’t have the prerequisite speech and hearing sciences coursework.
Prerequisite Coursework
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requires specific undergraduate coursework as a prerequisite to graduate study and clinical certification. To meet the prerequisite coursework requirements, you may use credits from college-level coursework taken at any time from any accredited institution of higher education, including community colleges. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credit is also acceptable.
Speech and Hearing Sciences Coursework
You should report coursework in the following ASHA-defined areas:
- Phonetics
- Anatomy and physiology of the speech mechanism
- Speech and language development
- Speech and language disorders
- Audiology and hearing disorders
- Acoustics and hearing science
- Treatment of communication disorders
- Anatomy and physiology of the swallowing mechanism
- Social-cultural aspects of communication
Basic Science and Statistics Coursework
You must complete a minimum of one course in each of the following areas:
- Biological sciences (biology)
- Physical sciences (physics or chemistry)
- Statistics (computational)
- Social sciences and behavioral sciences
Courses used to fulfill these requirements should:
- Be taken outside the speech and hearing sciences department.
- Appear by name/number on your official college transcript with a final grade.
- Consist of any number of credits.
- Be taken for a grade, credit/no credit, pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory. You must achieve a “credit,” “pass” or “satisfactory” ranking or a numeric grade of at least 0.7. Competitive applicants should have a GPA of at least 3.0 in the prerequisite undergraduate speech and hearing coursework, with no single course graded less than 2.0. We highly recommend that all prerequisite coursework grades be at 2.5 or above.
Identified Mentor (CoreSLP Applicants Only)
If you’re planning to apply to the Clinical Research Speech-Language Pathology (CoreSLP) program, you need to identify a professorial faculty mentor at the University of Washington with whom you’ll study. We can’t review your application if it’s submitted without the official support of a faculty mentor. Before applying, contact your proposed mentor directly to discuss their research interests and secure the mentor’s support for your application. Your mentor should be conducting research in the areas of speech, language, cognitive-communication or swallowing.
The best times to contact faculty about mentorships are during autumn quarter (September–November) and spring quarter (March–early June). Most faculty are not available during summer quarter (mid-June–August). Faculty research interests and contact information can be found on our departmental faculty directory page.
Required Application Materials
- UW Graduate School online application and fee
- Unofficial transcripts from every college or university attended
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Personal statements (Program Track Selection and Perspectives and Experiences)
- Three recommendations
- Proof of English language proficiency if English is not your native language
Application Steps
To apply to the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, you'll submit your application materials online through the UW Graduate School website. We recommend you begin your application early to complete all requirements on time.
Step One: Prepare to Apply
Familiarize yourself with the Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP), state licensure requirements and required technical standards.
Get transcripts from each college or university you’ve attended. Download unofficial transcripts or scan printed copies for each post-secondary college or university you have attended. Current or former University of Washington students must include a UW transcript. Make sure your transcript includes your prerequisite coursework and GPA.
Update your resume or curriculum vitae. Be sure to list any supervised clinical observations or experiences, relevant work, internships or volunteerism in the field, and any active professional licenses or certifications you currently hold.
Write your personal statements for your Program Track Selection and Perspectives and Experiences. You're expected to write your statements independently and without the assistance of others, excluding proofreading or general feedback. Content should be original and reflect your individual writing style, communication abilities, real-life experiences and unique goals. Using artificial intelligence content generators, such as ChatGPT, to write your personal statements is expressly prohibited. Any applicant found using AI in violation of this policy will be denied admission.
Personal Statement: Program Track Selection
Your statement should describe your abilities, interests and motivations, and address why you believe you’ll be successful as a graduate student at the UW in the field of speech-language pathology. The content and format of this essay are at your discretion, but at a minimum please address the following:
- Why do you want to attend UW for your graduate education?
- What has motivated you to pursue a career in speech-language pathology?
- Why did you select the program track you did (EdSLP, MedSLP, or CoreSLP) and why is it a good fit for you? CoreSLP applicants: Please also address the fit between your selected mentor and your research and career goals.
- What personal characteristics, abilities or strengths do you possess that make you well suited for graduate study and for clinical practice in the field of speech-language pathology?
- Share an example of a time when you effectively demonstrated initiative, perseverance, self-awareness, creativity and/or teamwork in your problem solving to achieve your goals or to benefit others.
Your uploaded document should not exceed 4,500 characters (not including spaces) and also cannot exceed 500KB.
Personal Statement: Perspectives and Experiences
As speech-language pathologists, we aspire to enrich and expand clinical service delivery and outreach to the diverse communities in which we live. An important component of the UW master’s program mission includes advocating for and serving underrepresented and underserved populations. These populations are diverse in terms of linguistic, cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, as well as their abilities/disabilities, educational experiences, economic resources and health care access.
How do your experiences, personal history and/or perspectives align with our program’s vision of responsively serving the heterogeneous needs of individuals with communication disorders?
The admissions committee is seeking insights about your preparedness to support our program’s mission. Please don’t duplicate portions of your Program Track Selection statement; however, we understand that some individuals might express overlapping ideas in both statements.
Your uploaded document should not exceed 1,500 characters (not including spaces) and cannot exceed 500KB.
Identify three people who can recommend you to the program. Consider asking current or former employers, supervisors, instructors or research mentors. Make sure you choose people who can speak to your potential for a career in speech-language pathology.
You'll need the email addresses of your references for the Graduate School application. They'll each be sent an email directing them to a secure website where they'll submit their recommendations.
Step Two: Apply Online
Start your online application to the UW Graduate School. This online application allows you to jointly submit the required information to both the UW Graduate School (primary application) and the Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences (supplemental application). All information and materials should be submitted through the online process.
Select the program name you’re applying to. In the Program Selection tab, choose these options:
- Select your application type: Graduate
- Narrow your search: By Degree
- Filter by degree: Master's
- Select your program:
- EdSLP: Speech & Hearing Sciences – MS (Educational Speech-Language Pathology)
- MedSLP: Speech & Hearing Sciences – MS (Medical Speech-Language Pathology)
- CoreSLP: Speech & Hearing Sciences – MS (Speech-Language Pathology)
Note: If you're applying to multiple programs, you'll need to submit separate applications and application fees.
Upload all required documents.
Pay the nonrefundable application fee and submit your application. It’s your responsibility to verify that all required materials have been submitted and received in a timely manner by both the Graduate School and the Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences. You can check the status by logging in to your application status page.
International Students
International applicants are welcome to apply to the UW Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program. You’re considered an international applicant if you aren’t a U.S. citizen, immigrant or permanent resident. International applicants must meet all admission requirements for the program.
Visa Status
International students must have a visa status that allows for academic study at the University of Washington. If you’re admitted to the speech-language pathology program and plan to attend on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you must study full time — at least 10 credits per quarter — to maintain your visa status. For more information, review the citizenship and visa status section of the Graduate School application process page, and contact Graduate Enrollment Management Services at uwgrad@uw.edu if you have any questions.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency. Test scores must be sent directly to the UW by the Educational Testing Service using institution code 4854. Only scores less than two years old will be accepted.
To ensure that speech-language pathology students can manage our program’s high language demands and standards, the Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences requires higher test score minimums than the UW Graduate School policy. The score requirements are as follows:
- TOEFL iBT® total test scores of 105 or higher AND minimum scores of 26 on both the Speaking and Listening subtests
- IELTS total test scores of 7.5 or higher AND minimum scores of 7.5 on both the Speaking and Listening segments
We also deviate from the UW Graduate School policy and will not accept the following scores as evidence of English language proficiency:
- TOEFL iBT® Superscores, also known as MyBest™ Scores
- TOEFL ITP Plus China® scores
- Duolingo English scores
More Information
International Applicant Information
Visa Information for F-1 Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors
Nontraditional Applicants
Graduate Nonmatriculated Students
We don’t accept graduate nonmatriculated students to the UW Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program.
Visiting Graduate Student Applicants
We accept applications from students who are actively pursuing a graduate degree at another college or university to take a limited number of courses in the UW Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program. Please review our Non-Degree Enrollment page for further details and instructions.