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Master’s Program Goals
Goal 1: To prepare speech-language pathologists who have the knowledge and skills to provide
quality services to diverse populations in a variety of settings for individuals with communication disorders across the lifespan.

Goal 2: To prepare speech-language pathologists who will conduct themselves ethically and professionally.

Goal 3: To prepare speech-language pathologists to work collaboratively with other professionals.

Goal 4: To prepare speech-language pathologists who will advocate for individuals with communication disorders as well as for appropriate prevention, assessment and intervention services in a variety of settings.

Goal 5: To provide graduates with the knowledge and skills to seek and find appropriate employment.

Goal 6: To instill in students an appreciation for life-long professional learning.

M.A. Program – Traditional Option
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers professional education leading to the Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The program requires the equivalent of two years full-time attendance and is designed to meet the certification requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and licensure by the State of Florida. The program is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology. Full-time registration (at least 9 hours) in the program is required.

The program combines theoretical foundations and clinical skills in a prescribes sequence of courses. Supervised clinical practica are offered in the Communication Disorders Clinic on campus as well as in external settings throughout the greater Orlando area dn the State of Florida. Current information on the program can be found at www.graduatecatalog.ucf.edu/programs/.

Admission
Admission into the graduate program occurs three times a year in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. Students must submit all required materials by the published deadlines for consideration. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all graduate students.

Program of Study
The Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program consists of required courses, electives, and clinical practica and externships. A thesis option is available. Prospective students must either have a bachelor's degree in the field or complete special prerequisite courses as arranged with the program coordinator. In order to graduate students must complete and achieve a minimum score of 600 on the PRAXIS Examination in Speech-Language Pathology.

Below is a sample of courses that students take:

Fluency Disorders

Preschool Language Disorders

Aphasia and Related Disorders

Voice Disorders

Motor Speech Disorders

School Aged Language Disorders

Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Articulation/Phonological Disorders

Practicum

Externship

Thesis

M.A. Program – Consortium Option
UCF also offers a Consortium Option (or "Track") in its Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders program. It is a “summers mainly” program consisting of five consecutive summers of full-time enrollment and occasional enrollment during fall or spring semesters. This track is designed specifically for students with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders or Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology who work in participating Central Florida public school districts and who have been providing speech and language services for at least one year prior to application.

Students enrolled in the Consortium Option follow a prescribed sequence of academic and clinical courses. To learn more, see the UCF Graduate Catalog online at www.graduate.ucf.edu/currentGradCatalog/content/Degrees/ACAD_PROG_98.cfm#top

Admission and program of study information is the same for both the Consortium Option and Traditional Option (see above).

M.A. Program with Additional Preparation in Language and Literacy

Preparing School Speech-Language Pathologists for New Educational Roles
in Language and Literacy

This educational project, funded by a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, will end on December 2010.

The focus of the "Language and Literacy" specialization program at UCF is to meet the urgent state and national shortage of school speech-language pathologists (SLPs) qualified to enhance services for children with language, learning and literacy disabilities. This innovative, first-of-its-kind, program facilitates new approaches to practice, develops tomorrow’s instructional leaders, and addresses the critical shortage of qualified personnel available to serve students with language, learning and literacy disabilities. The program will prepare 68 entry-level SLPs for new instructional leadership roles in America's schools.

Current "Language and Literacy" students

To complete the "Language and Literacy" specialization, students enroll in one additional semester beyond the traditional master’s degree program in communication sciences and disorders. After completing the core master's degree course work, they undertake specific requirements for the specialization in "Language and Literacy." The specialization consists of 18 credit hours in reading, three credit hours of electives and a six-credit-hour school-based internship.

Students who complete the specialization are eligible for a Reading Endorsement from the Florida Department of Education. Currently, 36 students have graduated with specialized knowledge, experience and leadership skills needed to collaborate with professionals to propel literacy-learning.

The program is no longer accepting applications. However, students interested in language and literacy should contact Dr. Linda I. Rosa-Lugo to discuss alternate options to obtain specific requirements for the specialization in "Language and Literacy."

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, Coordinator
Phone: 407-823-4798
Fax: 407-823-4816
E-mail: lrosa@mail.ucf.edu

Preparing School Speech-Language Pathologists to Serve English Language Learners with Communication Disorders (Project SLP-ELL)

The focus of this four-year project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), is to meet the urgent state and national shortage of school speech-language pathologists (SLPs) qualified to enhance services for children who are English language learners (ELLs) with language, learning and literacy disabilities.

The project supports an innovative, interdisciplinary specialization in school speech-language pathology and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at UCF. The specialization will prepare SLPs to (1) address the specialized needs of children who are ELLs with disabilities in the public school setting, (2) integrate research-validated practices throughout the program curricula to produce SLPs with highly specialized skills and knowledge in assessment and service delivery for ELLs with communication disorders, and (3) be eligible for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP).

The specialization focuses on developing school SLPs who can respond to the language, learning and literacy needs of all children, especially those from lower income and diverse backgrounds. Students will acquire the knowledge and skills they need to partner with other professionals. Dual certification in speech-language pathology and ESOL will enhance the marketability of graduates, broaden their scope of practice and provide advanced credentials commensurate with their education. Above all, program participants will be empowered to pursue new instructional leadership roles in America’s schools.

This specialization requires one additional semester beyond the traditional master’s degree program in communications sciences and disorders. The specialization consists of 15 credit hours in ESOL, (3) three credit hours in school speech-language pathology and a six-hour school-based internship focused on working with ELLs with communication disorders.

Partial funding for tuition and books are provided through the USDOE, Office of Special Education Programs.

To be considered for the specialization program, submit an application to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, HPA II - Room 101.

Dr. Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, Coordinator
Phone: 407-823-4798
Fax: 407-823-4816
E-mail: lrosalugo@ucf.edu