JMU CSD Holistic Admissions Philosophy: We commit to the mission and vision of JMU’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, by adopting a holistic review process that fosters inclusive excellence and values the experiences and attributes that students from diverse backgrounds bring to our university. We welcome students who can think critically and who embody compassion, collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and openness to feedback.
Admission to the MS SLP Program (Residential)
- Applicants are required to have a minimum 3.25 in the major GPA or the overall GPA
- Application is two-step process, requiring completion of Step 1 the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System (CSDCAS) application followed by Step 2. JMU's Graduate School Application.
- Applications open on September 15th and close January 15th.
- Incomplete applications are not eligible for review.
- Virtual and in-person information sessions and a dedicated email are available to support you through the process. slp@jmu.edu
- Decisions will be announced in mid-March, with courses beginning in August 2026.
Submit the Following Required Application Materials Through CSDCAS:
- Clinical Essay – respond to a clinical scenario using evidence-based practice.
- Video Personal Statement –share your compassion, collaboration, adaptability, and resilience.
- Achievements & Experiences – tell us about all that you have done and what you have accomplished.
- Professional Letters of Recommendation – Obtain two (2) letters from faculty, colleagues, and/or employers who can support your potential for success.
- Provide official transcripts.
- Verify completion of pre-requisite coursework.
Communication with the Program:
You will receive information from the program about the application status, information sessions, and deadlines directly through CSDCAS.
Application decisions will be made available in early to mid-March and communicated through the JMU portal.
Please don’t hesitate to contact with your questions about our program, the admissions process, deadlines, and information sessions by emailing us at slp@jmu.edu.
All applicants must apply to the JMU CSD Program through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System (CSDCAS) at https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login.
Complete all aspects of the CSDCAS application including:
- a clinical scenario essay and a video statement. See prompts in CSDCAS.
- experiences and achievements sections
- official transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation. The letters should address your ability to think critically and provide evidence of your interpersonal skills such as compassion, collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and openness to feedback. Consider asking a faculty member, an employer, or a leader in one of your extracurricular organizations/activities. Letter writers should not be friends or family members.
All applicants must apply to and be admitted to the JMU Graduate School.
This will serve as your portal to JMU
You will need to provide evidence of Verified status in CSDCAS before completing the JMU Graduate School Application. Complete the JMU Graduate School Application online: https://www.applyweb.com/apply/jmug/index.html.
- You must complete the Application and submit the application fee.
- You do NOT need to submit letters of recommendations, GRE scores, transcripts, or essays as part of the Graduate School application.
- When application decisions are completed by the CSD faculty, the Graduate School (TGS) will send you an email notification with a link to your “Applicant Status Page” where you may view your admission decision.
- If you are admitted to the CSD program, you will need to send original transcripts to the JMU Graduate School prior to beginning classes.
- If you have problems accessing your applicant status page, please contacttgs@jmu.edu. Questions about the program and open houses should be directed to slp@jmu.edu
Students must have completed required science, math, and social sciences and the five CSD courses below prior to starting the master’s program:
The Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC) of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), the SLP credentialing organization, requires that you have all of the following coursework:
- one biological science
- one physical science (chemistry or physics)
- one statistics course
- one social science.
- See Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards
JMU requires the following CSD courses or their equivalents to have been successfully completed at an undergraduate level:
- CSD 207 - Phonetics
- CSD 208 - Anatomy & Physiology of the Ear & Voice Mechanism
- CSD 209 - Acoustics of Speech and Hearing
- CSD 300 - Language Development
- CSD 301 - Introduction to Audiology
Students who have not successfully completed a course in Aural Rehabilitation (graduate or undergraduate level), will be expected to complete the coursework in order to meet competencies.
Licensure/Certification
This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please refer to the JMU Professional Licensure Program Status by Jurisdiction Index to determine if this JMU program meets the educational requirements specified by the associated licensing or certification agency in the state or territory in which you are located while enrolled. You can also determine if the program meets the educational requirements specified by the licensing boards in other states and territories. Requirements vary by state and are subject to change. The information provided is current as of the review date indicated in the table.
Important Notice
In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Education released rules that created a difference in the amount of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans that students in graduate and professional programs can borrow annually. Prior to this, there was no distinction between the limits for these programs, as students in both were eligible to borrow up to $20,500 per year. These final rules set the annual limit to $50,000 for programs that meet the professional program definition outlined in the regulations. At that time, JMU did not have any programs that met this definition.
On June 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia imposed a preliminary stay on the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of a professional degree program for purposes of eligibility for the $50,000 annual loan limit. This order added the following JMU programs as qualifying professional programs.
- Audiology (AuD)
- Speech Language Pathology (SLP)
- Physician Assistant (PA)
- Athletic Training (MAT)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Registered Nurse (MSN)
Under the authority granted to institutions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (a.k.a. Working Families Tax Cut Act), JMU is setting the loan limit for the following programs at $20,500, rather than the $50,000 limit possible under the court-ordered preliminary stay. This means all JMU graduate, professional, and doctoral programs have a $20,500 maximum annual limit for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The primary reason for this decision is that the court order is preliminary and temporary, meaning it could be reversed, which would reduce loan limits for these programs back down to the $20,500 limit. Our concern is the potential harm to students if we award them $50,000 and then the stay is overturned; if that happens, it could put students in a challenging financial situation.
JMU will continue to monitor the situation. Should the order become permanent, we will re-evaluate the loan limits associated with these programs in relation to the $50,000 limit.
MSC 4304
235 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
