Welcome

It takes four years to complete your 120-semester hour communication sciences and disorders major when you average 15 credits per semester. The program consists of 38 general foundational education credits, 41 communication disorders credits, and 41 related content credits. Courses within the major begin your freshman year.

Undergrad Catalog
The academic catalog is updated yearly and subject to change. 

BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders Four-Year Plan

Freshman Admission Guarantee

When you transfer to Minot State, it is important to visit the Transfer Equivalency System at https://tes.collegesource.com/ to determine which courses will be accepted. It will also be helpful to talk with the department chair during this process.

It’s best when you transfer to Minot State with an A.A. or A.S. degree for your general education requirement to be satisfied.

When you transfer into communication sciences and disorders from another institution without general education requirements met, you may have to take an increased credit load or extend your program in order to complete the baccalaureate degree.

Undergrad tracking worksheet

Undergrad catalog The academic catalog is updated yearly and subject to change. 

Are you interested in a career as a speech-language pathologist but have an undergraduate degree in something other than communication sciences and disorders?

Our post-baccalaureate program has been created with you in mind!

This program helps bridge the gap from your current undergraduate degree to the master’s program. It takes one year, on-campus, and involves 35 credit hours of courses averaging 18 hours per semester.

Admission to the program is by application. Admittance dates roll the start date to the fall semester. You will be offered an optional clinical experience the summer following completion of your post-bac year. Students who attend Minot State for the post bac program are given special consideration in the graduate admission process.

Post-Baccalaureate advising sheet

Undergrad catalogThe academic catalog is updated yearly and subject to change.

Our program has a rich history of educational and clinical excellence with a 95% Praxis pass rate. Students from across the country and Canada are admitted and, at the same time, we prioritize Minot State students for acceptance.

The residential program takes five consecutive full-time on campus semesters to complete. You will have required clinical experiences every semester. Admission is in the fall and your final externship will take place in the setting of your choice. We place students across the United States and Canada. Previous students have been awarded placements at prestigious sites such as the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the OHSU Doernbecher Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Our highly regarded graduates are employed across North Dakota, the United States, and Canada.

As of Fall 2022, we offer an online graduate program. The online program is offered part-time and takes eight consecutive online semesters to complete. CLinical experiences begin during the fourth semester and culminate in two externships Admission is in the Fall and your final externship will take place in the seventh and eighth semesters.  

To be considered for admission, applicants must have:

• A Bachelor degree (BS) in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) or successful completion of a Post Baccalaureate program.
• A minimum 3.25 grade point average (GPA).
  We look at the following GPA configuration:
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) core coursework GPA of 3.25 and
  • Overall GPA of 3.25 or cumulative GPA of 3.25 for all semesters encompassing the last 60 credits 
• Three letters of recommendation from academic instructors and/or supervisors (two from within the communication disorders major and one external evaluator) who can attest to the individual’s ability to work in teams, diversity experiences, and community service.
• For Statement of Purpose use this prompt: Describe your experiences that align with our program mission.
• Graduate Program UG Coursework Worksheet.

Potential students are advised of the following:

1. Application deadline is January 15^th will receive priority consideration.
2. Applications received after January 15^th will be reviewed upon seat availability.
3. North Dakota students and those who have completed an undergraduate degree or post-baccalaureate program at Minot State will receive priority consideration.
4. Qualified students will be rank ordered based on overall GPA, CD GPA, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose.
5. Under rare circumstances, with substantial evidence that a person’s undergraduate record does not appropriately and accurately represent a student’s abilities and promise, the Faculty may recommend and the Department Chairperson may approve the acceptance of persons who do not meet the stated minimum requirements for acceptance.
6. At times, applicants are admitted on a provisional-probational basis. This admission will be considered as the single allowable semester of probation.  

If a student enters the program on a full-time basis and has met ASHA requirements for the biological sciences, basic chemistry or physics, statistics (not research methods), the social/behavioral sciences, and diversity then it is possible to complete the degree in five semesters. Students will be on campus for four semesters and will complete an external practicum in their fifth semester. If you do not have previously stated ASHA required courses, you must complete them prior to degree posting.

Graduate catalog
The academic catalog is updated yearly and subject to change.

The Mission of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is to provide entry level Speech-Language Pathology professionals who meet the needs of the state and region by:

1. Providing students with high quality educational and clinical experiences

2. Encouraging active engagement through a variety of community service and clinical experiences

3. Delivering integrated experiences that allow students the opportunity to connect theory with practice, work in teams, respect the diversity of today's world, and understand connections between research, evidence-based practice, and the therapeutic environment. 

Goals of the Graduate Program in Speech Language Pathology:
1. To provide course offerings and clinical experiences reflecting pertinent and current content preparing students for personal growth and professional competence as a beginning practitioner in the field of speech language pathology.

2. To offer information and experiences in factors that foster students’ abilities to serve a diverse clientele considering cultural and social variables as well as language exposure/acquisition on clients/patients and their families.

3. To facilitate student understanding of communication, cognitive, hearing, speech, language, literacy, and swallowing development and disorders across the life span.

4. To create intellectual excitement, curiosity, and student involvement in community service and inter-professional activities as well as encourage application of research evidence into everyday clinical practice.

TUITION, SCHOLARSHIPS, & FINANCIAL AID

• A record number of scholarships are now available at Minot State.
• We are the most affordable university in the U.S. for out-of-state students.
• Our new Automatic 4-Year Academic Award is available to qualified incoming freshman.
• 57% of our students graduate with no student loan debt.

• Residential Program: Initial accreditation was granted to the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology residential program at Minot State University on August 1,1970, and reaccreditation takes place on a recurring schedule. 
  • Reaccreditated March 1, 2020 - February 29, 2028
• Distance Education Program: Initial accreditation was granted to the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology distance education program at Minot State University on September 23, 2021, and reaccreditation takes place on a recurring schedule.
  • Reaccreditated March 1, 2020 – February 29, 2028

Program Completion: Student Graduation Data
    3 year average all modalities 94.52%

Praxis Examination Pass Rates of Graduates
     3 year average all modalities 95%