Admissions Requirements
- Undergraduate Admission Requirements
- Undergraduate Transfer Admission Requirements
- Post-Baccalaureate for SLP Majors
- Post-Baccalaureate for non-SLP majors
- Transfer of Graduate Credits
Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Misericordia University has announced that it will continue test-blind admission review for the first-year class entering in Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 in all academic programs. Students who have taken the SAT or ACT are not required to submit their scores. Test scores will not be used in determining admission or academic scholarship awards.
These students have graduated from high school but have not yet entered college. For these students, the Speech-Language Pathology curriculum is a 5-year program leading simultaneously to the baccalaureate and master's degrees.
Prospective undergraduate applicants must meet both Misericordia University's and the Speech-Language Pathology department's admissions criteria.
Misericordia University's general criteria for acceptance into an undergraduate program are:
- Evidence of the completion of 16 Carnegie Units, or evidence of a High School Equivalency Diploma.
- Results of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) program (optional).
- Two letters of recommendation from the high school principal, a guidance counselor, or a teacher.
The Speech-Language Pathology department includes additional admissions criteria. Traditional students entering the 5-year professional program must have the following criteria to be considered for acceptance into the Speech-Language Pathology department:
- The student must provide a typewritten essay of no more than 500 words indicating why the student wishes to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.
Evidence of exposure through volunteerism or service learning related to working with children and adults is highly desirable.
Graduate study begins in what is the fourth (traditionally the senior) year and continues through to the fifth year of study. For traditional students to advance to graduate study, certain pre-requisite criteria must be met:
- Maintain an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 at all times.
- Successfully master all course objectives for all speech-language pathology courses taken prior to the senior year (first year graduate school).
- Students begin their speech-language pathology courses in their freshman year and will typically complete all undergraduate coursework by their junior year. Upon completion of each semester, the progress of each student in terms of which course objectives were and were not mastered during that semester will be reviewed.
- For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.
Once criteria (1) and (2) above are successfully met, the candidate is automatically granted permission to commence to graduate study (i.e., there is no need for the student to make a formal application to graduate school).
Undergraduate Transfer Admission Requirements
Students who transfer into the program, either from another academic unit within Misericordia University or from another institution of higher education, will be required to meet the department's admission criteria. Students will be required to meet Misericordia University's requirements for a baccalaureate degree by taking the necessary coursework to ensure compliance with the requirements. Please refer to undergraduate admission requirements for traditional students for more details. A recommendation letter from a current professor may be substituted for a letter from a principal, guidance counselor, or teacher. Undergraduate students who are currently at Misericordia University must apply directly to the Speech-Language Pathology Department. The applications of these students should include the required documents from the admission requirements for traditional undergraduate students as well as Misericordia University transcripts.
Graduate study begins in what is the fourth (traditionally the senior) year and continues through to the fifth year of study. For traditional students to advance to graduate study, certain pre-requisite criteria must be met:
- Maintain an overall cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 at all times.
- Receive a grade of "B" or better in the undergraduate speech-language pathology courses.
- Successfully master all course objectives for all speech-language pathology courses taken prior to the senior year (first year graduate school).
- Students begin their speech-language pathology courses in their freshman year and will typically complete all undergraduate coursework by their junior year. Upon completion of each semester, the progress of each student in terms of which course objectives were and were not mastered during that semester will be reviewed.
- For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.
Once criteria (1) through (3) above are successfully met, the candidate is automatically granted permission to commence to graduate study (i.e., there is no need for the student to make a formal application to graduate school).
Post-Baccalaureate for SLP Majors
These students have earned a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology and are eligible for direct entry into the graduate program in Speech-Language Pathology at Misericordia University.
Before the candidate can begin graduate studies, he or she must successfully complete prerequisite undergraduate courses. These courses provide the individual with the appropriate framework and background in communication sciences and disorders so that he or she will be prepared to enter graduate study. To be granted entry into graduate study, the candidate must complete prerequisite undergraduate coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3, and must have earned a grade of "B" or better in each of the courses. For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.
Students who apply to the graduate program in speech-language pathology and possess a baccalaureate degree in communication sciences and disorders must meet the following departmental admissions criteria:
- A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
- GRE scores are optional.
- TOEFL scores for international students.
Post-Baccalaureate for non-SLP majors
These students have earned a baccalaureate degree in any discipline other than communication sciences and disorders (e.g., biology, communications, education, English, linguistics).
Before the candidate can begin graduate studies, he or she must successfully complete prerequisite undergraduate courses. These courses provide the individual with the appropriate framework and background in communication sciences and disorders so that he or she will be prepared to enter graduate study. To be granted entry into graduate study, the candidate must complete prerequisite undergraduate coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3, and must have earned a grade of "B" or better in each of the courses. For any course objectives not mastered, the student will be given an assignment to assist them in mastering those objectives. Students cannot take graduate level coursework if they have not mastered all objectives.
Students who apply to the graduate program in speech-language pathology and possess a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than communication sciences and disorders or speech-language pathology must have the following admission requirements:
- A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
- GRE scores are optional.
- TOEFL scores for international students.
Transfer of Graduate Credits
Students accepted into the Speech-Language Pathology program for graduate study as a transfer from an accredited Speech-Language Pathology program at another institution of higher education will have their transcripts reviewed to determine which courses are transferable. The student must show evidence that the course(s) taken are similar in content to the corresponding courses offered at Misericordia University. Evidence may be provided in the form of a course syllabus and/or catalog description of the course. A plan of study will then be established accordingly.
If the graduate transfer student obtained clock hour credit for clinical practicum, up to 75 clock hours will be accepted (including 25 observation hours) toward the requirements for certification as long as they were obtained while attending an accredited institution of higher education and under the requirements set forth by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
Application Process
Applying online for all SLP programs is free. Traditional and transfer students will need to fill out an internal online application for Misericordia University.
Traditional & Transfer Students
Apply Here
Post-Baccalaureate programs for SLP majors and non-SLP Majors will apply directly to the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service provided by CAPCSD. It is the centralized application service for graduate programs offering clinical education in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
Post-Baccalaureate - Non-SLP Majors
Post-Baccalaureate - SLP Majors
Apply Here
If at any time during the application process you have any questions please feel free to call the SLP Department directly at (570) 674-8255.