MA-SLP Prerequisite Information
Prerequisite Courses
Please be aware that having a large number of outstanding prerequisite courses to take at the time of application may cause evaluators to lower their estimation of the competitiveness of the application.
As many prerequisites as possible should be completed by the time you apply.
At least one course in each of the following areas is required:
- Phonetics and phonetic transcription (SPHHRNG 3320 at OSU)
- Normal language development (SPHHRNG 3330 at OSU)
- Anatomy, physiology and science of speech (SPHHRNG 4420 at OSU)
- An introductory course in audiology focusing on evaluation (SPHHRNG 4540 at OSU)
- Aural rehabilitation (SPHHRNG 5732 at OSU)
- Research Methods (SPHHRNG 5785 at OSU)
- Note: Any course with “research methods” in the title will suffice
- For example, OSU PSYCH 2300 Research Methods in Psychology, fulfills this prerequisite
- For example, OSU PSYCH 2300 Research Methods in Psychology, fulfills this prerequisite
- Note: Any course with “research methods” in the title will suffice
- a course in college-level statistics
- a course in college-level physics or chemistry
- a course in behavioral/social sciences
- a course in biological sciences, which emphasizes content related to human or animal sciences such as biology; human anatomy and physiology; neuroanatomy and neurophysiology; human genetics; veterinary science
Note
At many schools, including OSU, the audiology course and aural rehabilitation course each have their own prerequisites and this creates a sequence of four courses.
Students without a strong background in science and math are encouraged to take the full sequence:
- SHS 3340 Basic Acoustics
- SHS 4440 Anatomy, Physiology, and Science of Hearing
- SHS 4540 Introduction to Audiology
- SHS 5732 Aural Rehabilitation.
Students who plan to take SHS 4540 or 5732 at OSU and who feel comfortable taking those courses without their prerequisites should contact the course instructor(s) to ask whether the instructor would allow them to take the course without its prerequisites.
Determining Which Prerequisites You Need and How to Obtain Them
The check sheet PDF below is a resource to help you determine which prerequisite courses you need to begin OSUs MA-SLP program.
We encourage you to refer to your college transcripts, course descriptions/course syllabi, and the information below to assess which prerequisites you may need.
If you are uncertain of whether a course from another institution fulfills our prerequisites, please send course information (name of institution, course title and number, and a detailed course description/syllabus) to Graduate Program Coordinator, Sarah Wendel at wendel.13@osu.edu.
We do not provide full transcript reviews for prospective students.
The most up-to-date OSU course descriptions can be found in the course catalog.
Please select the option that best describes your current situation below.
Options for Completing the MA-SLP Prerequisite Courses
Please review:
Students who are working on an undergraduate degree at a university that has some, or all, of the prerequisite courses available can take the courses at that university as electives—a degree in Speech and Hearing Science is not necessary for admission.
If not all of the courses are offered there, the remainder can be taken on-line. Some students take the prerequisite courses as online distance education through OSU or other universities that offer equivalent courses
The Department of Speech and Hearing Science at OSU has a Summer Prerequisite Bridge Program, which offers many of the pre-requisite courses online.
Students can complete up to five online courses during the OSU Summer Term.
Students who have earned a bachelor's degree in a field outside Speech and Hearing Science and are interested in learning more about the prerequisites to apply to the MA-SLP program should review the following information:
If you still have questions about prerequisites after a thorough review of the information and resources listed above, please email Graduate Program Coordinator, Sarah Wendel, at wendel.13@osu.edu.
Clinical Observation Hours
Many programs require clinical observation before entry into their programs. Our MA-SLP program requires 25 guided observation hours, but we provide the opportunity to obtain these hours in the first term of the MA-SLP program if needed.