Communication Disorders, M.H.S.

MHS Program in CDIS Mission

The College of Health and Human Services  offers a graduate major in Communication Disorders.

The mission of the graduate program in Communication Disorders is to prepare confident, critically-thinking, clinically proficient and culturally competent speech-language pathologists to work in health care, education, and private practice environments. Through an innovative, community-focused model of clinical and academic training, a foundation in evidence-based practice, and a diversity-infused curriculum, the program aims to develop civic-minded and engaged clinician-researchers. 

The program provides rigorous coursework and clinical practicum experiences necessary to obtain the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Professional License from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and the Professional Educator License from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the graduate program in communication disorders, the student will be able to:

1. Assess the communication and relevant behaviors of individuals with disorders of fluency, articulation/ phonology, voice, oral language, hearing, and feeding/swallowing.
2. Develop individualized intervention goals consistent with the requirements of federal and state laws.
3. Design individualized intervention plans for individuals with disorders of fluency, articulation/phonology, voice, oral language, and feeding/swallowing.
4. Provide appropriate speech-language pathology services to culturally diverse client populations.
5. Develop, select, and prescribe multimodal augmentative and alternative communication systems.
6. Apply scientific principles to evaluate the effectiveness of services.
7. Behave in a manner consistent with the ASHA code of ethics and the ASHA Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology.
8. Integrate and apply clinical knowledge by successfully completing the national written certification examination (Praxis) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) examinations for the Professional Educator License endorsed in Non-Teaching Speech-language Pathology.

Program Accreditation and Certification

The graduate program is accredited in speech-language pathology by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 2200 Research Boulevard #310, Rockville, Maryland 20850, 800.498.2071 or 301.296.5700. The period of accreditation extends through October 31, 2023. Graduates meet all academic and practicum requirements for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). This major also meets the academic requirements for licensure in speech-language pathology in Illinois.

The program is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and meets academic requirements for the Professional Educator License endorsed in Non-Teaching Speech-Language Pathology. This license is required for any speech-language pathologist employed in Illinois public schools. Graduates meet the ISBE requirements for Licensure through Approved Programs (entitlement).

The program in Communication Disorders is designed to serve both part-time and fulltime students.

Special Admission Requirements

This program accepts a limited number of applicants and generally admits students only for the fall term. Students must apply for admission by January 15 of the year in which enrollment is sought. Applicants will be ranked for admission on the basis of academic potential. The number admitted will be based on the number of available openings in the program. Priority will be given to the applications of qualified Illinois residents.

In addition to meeting university criteria, applicants must:

1. have completed a bachelor’s degree  at a university with regional accreditation;
2. have completed a minimum of 15 graded credit hours of coursework in the discipline;
3. have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all undergraduate coursework; and
4. have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher for all undergraduate courses attempted in the discipline.

Application to the graduate program in Communication Disorders at Governors State University is made through a centralized application service: CSDCAS. To apply to our program, you should access the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service at www.csdcas.org/. All application materials are due by January 15 of the year you wish to begin graduate school.

Additional information about the application process to the graduate program is available on the department’s website: http://www.govst.edu/chhs/dcd/mhs/.

Recommended Preparation

In order to meet the general education requirements for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), applicants must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of biological sciences, physical sciences, statistics, and social/ behavioral sciences. Students are required to have the equivalent of at least one 3-hour course in each of the four content areas. Courses with grades below “C” cannot be applied toward general education requirements.

Thesis/Non-Thesis Option

In the non-thesis option, a student enrolls in a least 1-credit hour of CDIS - 8000 Current Topics (1-3) . The course explores current clinical and scientific issues in communication disorders. Topics will vary and may be repeated for credit.

With faculty approval, students may choose the thesis option. In the thesis option, a student completes a master’s project, prepares a formal thesis manuscript, and presents the study in a formal seminar. The thesis option is designed for students who have focused research interests or who intend to pursue doctoral study. The thesis proposal must be approved before starting the practicum sequence.

More information about these options is available in the Communication Disorders Graduate Student Handbook.

Admission to Candidacy

After completion of nine graduate credit-hours in Communication Disorders courses, a student must apply for candidacy. Application forms are available in the program office.

To qualify for degree candidacy, a student must:

1. apply for candidacy in the term after completing nine graduate credit-hours in Communication Disorders courses;
2. have an approved study plan;
3. complete all undergraduate requirements in the approved study plan;
4. successfully complete graduate Communication Disorders courses taught by at least two different faculty in Communication Disorders;
5. earn a minimum G.P.A. of 3.00 in the first nine credits of graduate Communication Disorders courses;
6. earn no more than one grade of “C” in graduate Communication Disorder courses;
7. demonstrate acceptable speech, language, and hearing abilities; and
8. demonstrate interpersonal skills appropriate for the profession.

More detailed candidacy information is available in the Communication Disorders Graduate Student Handbook and through the student’s academic advisor.