Communication Sciences and Disorders

The Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s degree helps you gain the skills to prepare for a variety of possible work environments and settings, including hospitals, acute care, outpatient, skilled nursing, long-term care, schools, and private practices as a speech-language pathologist.

Speech-language pathology ranks #9 in the top 100 Jobs and #3 in Best Healthcare Jobs in the US News and World Report (2025). Not only is it one of the top-ranked career paths, but also the job outlook for speech-language pathologists is 18% growth from 2023 to 2033. The median pay in 2024 for SLPs in the US was $95,410 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Learn more about speech-language pathology career insights and outlook.

Students complete their first three semesters of clinical practicum in the Radford University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. During these first three semesters, clinical training is provided by the COSD faculty at the on-campus clinic. For the last two semesters of the graduate program, students are assigned to external practicum sites and receive their clinical training from ASHA certified speech-language pathologists. We currently have 190 externship sites across the nation.

Speech-language pathology

The Communication Sciences and Disorders (COSD) graduate program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  The graduate program provides students the opportunity to achieve the knowledge and skills outcomes required for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) through ASHA once they have successfully completed a post-graduate clinical fellowship totaling 1260 hours and passed the national certification exam in speech-language pathology obtain the certification.  ASHA certification meets or exceeds state licensing requirements in all 50 states

Some states require additional clinical or educational requirements to work in the school systems beyond the ASHA-CCC-SLP such as a minimum number of clinical hours training in a school system or additional coursework.  These requirements can be met while enrolled in the graduate program at Radford University through individualized academic advising and fieldwork placement.  States with additional SLP licensing requirements to practice in the schools include:  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, and Wisconsin.  More information about national certification requirements can be found at www.asha.org/advocacy/state/. Please refer to the table below, which indicates for each state whether completion of the program alone meets the educational requirements for licensure.

State	Determination
Alabama	meets
Alaska	meets
Arizona	does not meet
Arkansas	meets
California	does not meet
Colorado	meets
Connecticut	does not meet
Delaware	meets
Florida	does not meet
Geogia	meets
Hawaii	meets
Idaho	meets
Illinois	does not meet
Indiana	meets
Iowa	does not meet
Kansas	meets
Kentucky	meets
Louisiana	meets
Maine	meets
Marland	meets
Massachusetts	does not meet
Michigan	meets
Mississippi	meets
Missouri	meets
Montana	meets
Nebrasks	meets
Nevada	does not meet
New Hampshire	meets
New Jersey	meets
New Mexico	meets
New York	does not meet
North Carolina	meets
North Dakota	meets
Ohio	meets
Oklahoma	meets
Oregon	meets
Pennsylvania	meets
Rhode Island	meets
South Carolina	meets
South Dakota	meets
Tennessee	meets
Texas	meets
Utah	meets
Vermont	meets
Virginia	meets
Washington	meets
West Virginia	meets
Wisconsin	does not meet
Wyoming	meets

 

Programs of study are developed so that each student has the opportunity to acquire the academic knowledge and clinical skills needed for ASHA certification. In the Radford University COSD program, students acquire a minimum of 375 clinical clock hours of supervised practicum during their graduate studies. Most students actually complete more than the minimum number of hours required for ASHA certification.

Typically, students complete their first three semesters of clinical practicum in the Radford University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. During these first three semesters, clinical training is provided by the COSD faculty at the on campus clinic. For the last two semesters of the graduate program, students are assigned to external practicum sites and receive their clinical training from ASHA certified speech-language pathologists.   

Students can learn more about the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology, including requirements for professional certification, by visiting the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Clinical Externship Sites

• Adler Therapy Group
• Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland
• Aegis Therapies, Inc.
• Alleghany Health District
• Allegheny Health Network
• Alliance Physical Therapy Group, LLC
• Ashe County Schools
• Augusta Health
• Aveanna Healthcare
• Ballad Health
• Bedford County Public Schools
• Benchmark Rehabilitation Partners, LLC
• Benchmark Therapies, Inc.
• Blue Mountain Therapy, LLC
• Blue Ridge Therapy Associates
• Botetourt County Public Schools
• Buford Kids’ Spot, LLC
• Carilion Clinic
• Carolina HealthCare System
• Caroline County, Maryland Public Schools
• Center for Pediatric Therapies, Inc.
• Centra Health
• Charleston County School District
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools
• Charlottesville City Schools
• Chelsea, Michigan School District
• Chesapeake Virginia Public Schools
• Cheshire Center
• Child Development Resources
• Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Inc.
• CHS Therapy, LLC
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
• Clark-Pleasant Community Schools
• Coastal Virginia Rehabilitation, LLC
• Coastline Therapy Group
• Continuum Therapy Partners
• Craig County Child Care Center
• Craig County Department of Social Services
• Craig County Public Schools
• Crawford Central Pennsylvania School District
• EBS Healthcare
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Cardinal Hill, LLC
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fredericksburg, LLC
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Kingsport, LLC
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo, LLC
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Virginia, LLC
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Petersburg
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Princeton
• Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sunrise, LLC
• Encore Rehabilitation Services, LLC
• Fairfax County Public Schools
• Falls Church City Public Schools
• Fauquier Health
• First Quality Rehabilitation
• Floyd County Public Schools
• Frederick County Maryland Public Schools
• Friendship Health & Living Community
• Frye Regional Medical Center
• Galax City, Virginia Public Schools
• Galax Department of Social Services
• Gormas Speech Pathology, Inc.
• Grayson County Public Schools
• Greenbrier VMC, LLC
• Guggenheimer Health and Rehabilitation Center
• H2Health
• HCA Capital Division, Inc.
• HCA Healthcare - Mountain Division, Inc.
• HCA South Atlantic Division
• Heritage Hall – Blacksburg
• Heritage Healthcare, Inc.
• Highland Ridge Health and Rehabilitation
• Hispanic Services Organization of Southwest Virginia
• Innovative Healthcare Group, LLC
• Inova Health System
• Iredell Health System
• Ivy Rehab Network and Southeastern Therapy for Kids
• Jeanes Hospital
• Johnston Memorial Hospital
• Kids First Therapy
• Kissito Healthcare
• Language Fundamentals, Inc
• Legacy Healthcare Services, Inc.
• Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District (Illinois)
• Linguacare Associates Inc.
• Loudoun County Public Schools
• Madison Metropolitan School District
• Mary Washington Hospital, Inc.
• Medical Facilities of America, Inc.
• Medical Facilities of North Carolina, Inc.
• MedStar Health, Inc.
• Miami County Educational Services Center
• Mini Miracles Pediatric Therapy
• Montgomery County Public Schools
• Neuro Restorative Virginia
• Occupational Therapy Associates
• Odyssey Rehabilitation
• Pender County, North Carolina Schools
• Powerback Rehabilitation/Genesis Eldercare Rehabilitation Services, Inc.
• Prince William County Public Schools
• Professional Therapies of Roanoke
• Pulaski County Schools
• Radford City Public Schools
• Rehab Without Walls NeuroSolutions
• RehabCare
• Renewal Rehab
• Resolute Therapy
• Results Physiotherapy
• Richfield Living
• Riverside Healthcare Association, Inc.
• Russell County Public Schools
• Salem VA Medical Center
• Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital Limited Partnership
• Select Rehabilitation, LLC
• Sentara Hospitals
• SLC Loudoun
• Smyth County Community Hospital
• Smyth County Public Schools
• Southern Healthcare Management LLC
• Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute
• Speechcenter, Inc.
• Stafford County Public Schools
• Stonerise Therapy, LLC
• Surry County, North Carolina Schools
• The American Oncologic Hospital
• The Chateau at Moorings Park
• The Glebe
• The Rehab Department, LLC
• The Shandy Clinic
• The Speech and Language Center
• The Speech and Language Connection
• Therapy Talk, Inc.
• Total Communication, Inc.
• Trinity Rehab
• UNC Rockingham Health Care
• Upper Arlington Speech Therapy Services
• UVA Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital, LLC
• Valley Health System
• VCU Medical Center
• Vidant Health
• Virginia Beach City Public Schools
• Virginia Hospital Center
• Virginia Lutheran Homes, Inc.
• Vita Healthcare Group, LLC
• Waddell Nursing and Rehab Center
• Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
• Washington County, Virginia, Public Schools
• Waterman Speech-Language Pathology
• Waynesboro Public Schools
• Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center
• Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
• Wise County Public Schools
• Wythe County Community Hospital

 

When getting your degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Radford, you will work closely with your professors and have opportunities to work on faculty-student research collaborations.

The experience we offer in this program is very hands-on: we have an on-campus clinic that provides training and clinical services to 60-80 adult & pediatric clients from the community each semester. Students will provide therapy in this clinic for their first 3 semesters with clinical training provided by our faculty.

Beyond hands-on learning, we have 15 graduate assistantships ($4,500 per AY) and 6 department scholarships ($5,000-7,000) to award with additional funding available.

Students in COSD can join the Radford University Chapter of the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA)

Admission Requirements

Application Deadline: February 1

Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0
• GPA of 3.0 in all major core coursework

To ensure equitable treatment of all applicants, all applications are evaluated using the same published criteria. No exceptions to the program’s admissions requirements will be made. The following components must be included for the applicant to be considered for admission: 

Application to Program

Apply through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS):

Official Transcripts

Must be submitted to CSDCAS for verification from all institutions attended, including:

• Community colleges
• Dual-enrollment coursework

Additional guidance:

• Transcripts may be submitted before fall grades are finalized to begin verification.
• Final fall semester grades must be submitted by the February 1 deadline via an Academic Update request in CSDCAS.
• CSDCAS will not verify updated transcripts unless an Academic Update is requested.

Personal Essay

We use a holistic review process to better understand each applicant’s goals, experiences, and readiness for graduate study. Graduate education involves both pursuing professional aspirations and navigating new challenges. These prompts invite you to reflect on your goals as well as areas where you anticipate growth and may benefit from support. 

Essay requirements:

• Two responses (maximum 300 words each; 600 words total)
• Single-spaced, 1-inch margins
• Font: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman

Prompt 1:

Describe two professional goals you hope to pursue in your career. How do you see Radford University’s graduate program supporting your progress toward these goals? In your response, highlight aspects of the program (e.g., coursework, clinical experiences, faculty mentorship, research opportunities) that align with your interests and aspirations. 

Prompt 2:

Graduate study can be both rewarding and challenging. Reflecting on your transition into a graduate program, what are two challenges you anticipate encountering? For each, please describe how you plan to respond, including specific strategies, resources, or supports that will help you be successful in the program. 

References

Applicants must submit contact information for three references. 

• References should be individuals who can speak to the applicant’s academic preparation, professional behaviors, and potential for success in graduate-level coursework and clinical training. 
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize faculty members from their major. 
• References may be contacted as part of the application review process. 

Experiences and Employment

In addition to academic preparation (including overall and major GPA), the Admissions Committee closely considers non-academic factors that demonstrate readiness for graduate study and the speech-language pathology profession. These components are weighed in combination with academic performance, providing an opportunity for each applicant’s experiences, strengths, and potential for success in the program and the profession to be considered. 

Applicants should clearly present experiences such as:

• Employment (especially in CSD, healthcare, or education)
• Clinical, practicum, or volunteer experiences
• Extracurricular involvement and service
• Leadership roles
• Research experience
• Scholarships
• Athletics or sustained commitments demonstrating time management and perseverance

ASHA Certification Requirements

While not required for admission, students must demonstrate knowledge in the following areas to meet ASHA certification standards: 

• Biological sciences
• Physical sciences
• Social sciences
• Statistics 

Required coursework must be completed prior to graduation from the master’s program. Additional information is available on the ASHA website.

Admitted Students

Students who are recommended for admission must:

• Complete all items in the Radford University Application Status Portal.
• Accept offer of admission via link in portal
• Submit any final remaining documents on checklist including immunization forms. Learn more about Immunization Form and Instructions.
• Set up OneCampus student account
• Submit a non-refundable $500 seat deposit by April 15
• This deposit is applied toward fall tuition

Additional funding information:

• Graduate assistantships are awarded at the time of admission decisions.
• Initial funding notifications are included in decision letters.
• Additional opportunities may become available after April 15. 

Next Steps for Incoming Students

• Tentative programs of study and advising materials are sent in early summer
• Students are strongly encouraged to register for courses promptly

• New Graduate Student Orientation
• A mandatory two-day new student orientation will be held on the Thursday and Friday prior to the start of classes.
• Details will be shared via email during the summer.
• Students moving to the area should plan housing accordingly.

Our Admissions Philosophy

Consistent with Radford University’s mission to empower students to create brighter futures and build stronger communities, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders utilizes a mission-aligned, criterion-based graduate admissions process.

Our goal is to admit and support students who demonstrate alignment with:

• Academic preparation
• Professional goals
• Personal values
• The mission, vision, and core values of the university and COSD program

Through their experiences in the program, students develop:

• Knowledge
• Compassion
• Professional identity

These qualities prepare graduates to:

• Pursue meaningful careers
• Positively impact individuals and communities

Application materials are intentionally designed to reflect key qualities, including:

• Commitment to inclusive and ethical practice
• Engagement in evidence-based decision-making
• Capacity for reflection and growth
• Dedication to serving individuals, families, and communities with compassion and excellence

Applicants are strongly encouraged to thoughtfully reflect on their experiences, values, and professional goals and document these in their CSDCAS applications, as these elements play an important role in both admissions decisions and long-term success in the program.  

Contact Information 

Questions regarding admissions decisions, funding opportunities, seat deposits, programs of study, or orientation may be directed to: 

Dr. Corey Cassidy 
cherd@radford.edu 
540-831-7273 

Questions related to tuition or financial aid should be directed to the Bursar’s Office or Financial Aid Office; questions regarding additional financial support should be directed to the Office of Graduate Affairs. 

Pass Rate on Praxis Examination Series

The 3-year average for the pass rate of the Praxis Examination is 100%.

Period	# of students taking exam	# of students with passing score	RU COSD pass rate (%)
2024-2025	23	23	100%
2023-2024	26	26	100%
2022-2023	29	29	100%

Program Completion Data

The 3-year average program completion rate is 92%.

Period	# of students who completed program within expected timeframe	% of students who completed program within expected timeframe	# of students who required additional time to complete the program	Number not completing program (due to academic or clinical circumstances)
2024-2025	22	96%	1	0
2023-2024	24	89%	2	1
2022-2023	27	93%	2	0

Employment Rate for Program Graduates

The 3-year average employment rate for graduates is 100%.

Academic Year	Number of Graduates	Employment Rate in Professions (%)
2024-2025	23	100%
2023-2024	26	100%
2022-2023	29	100%