Apply | Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in Downers Grove

An international student must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, or from a recognized post secondary Canadian institution that uses English as its primary language of instruction and documentation. Of the 30 semester hours, 15 hours must be in the sciences, 6 hours in non-remedial English composition, and 3 hours in speech/public speaking.

Applicants who wish to receive transfer credit for prerequisite coursework completed outside the U.S. or at a Canadian institution that does not use English as its primary language of instruction and documentation must submit an official, detailed, course-by-course evaluation obtained from one of the following evaluation services:

• Education Credential Evaluators (ECE): 414/289-3400 or Fax 414/289-3411 (www.ece.org, e-mail: eval@ece.org)
• World Education Service (WES): 212/966-6311 or Fax 212/739-6100 (www.wes.org)
• Josef Silny & Associates International Education Consultants: 305/273-1616 or Fax 305/273-1338 (www.jsilny.com, e-mail: info@jsilny.com)

International applicants who do not provide documentation of acceptable US or Canadian course/degree equivalency will not receive credit, and will be required to complete all prerequisite courses at an accredited college or university in the United States, or at a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada that uses English as its primary language of instruction and documentation.

For clarification about recognized post-secondary institutions in Canada that use English as a primary language of instruction and documentation, international applicants should contact the Midwestern University Office of Admissions.

International Applicant Packet

To be considered for admission to the Speech-Language Pathology Program, applicants must submit the following to the Office of Admissions:

1. CSDCAS Application
   Applicants are required to submit their applications to CSDCAS at http://www.capcsd.org/csdcas by July 1, 2021. Please refer to the CSDCAS application instructions for specific details about completing the application, required documents, and processing time. Due to the large number of applications and the limited number of seats available, applicants are encouraged to complete their CSDCAS application early in the cycle. An advantage of a centralized application service is that students can monitor the status of their applications online.
2. Letters of Recommendation
   Applicants are required to submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation to CSDCAS (http://www.capcsd.org/csdcas). The Office of Admissions will accept only letters of recommendation received via CSDCAS. Letters should be contributed from professors, speech-language pathologists, or other professionals with whom the applicant has interacted. They should address academic, clinical and professional qualities that will contribute to the applicant's readiness for graduate study. Please refer to the CSDCAS application instructions for specific guidelines and requirements for submitting letters of recommendation.
3. Completed Applications
   The Office of Admissions will send letters verifying receipt of completed CSDCAS applications to applicants who meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement of 3.00. The letters will include instructions for checking the status of the required application materials online. Applicants are responsible for tracking the receipt of their application materials and ensuring the submission of all required documents. Only applicants who submit complete application packages will be considered for potential entrance into the Program.

Please note: Applicants are responsible for notifying the Office of Admissions of any changes in their mailing address or email address. All application withdrawal requests must be made in writing via e-mail, fax, or letter to:

Midwestern University
Office of Admissions
555 31st St.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Fax: 630/971-6086
admissil@midwestern.edu

When applicants are considered eligible for interviews after review of their completed files they will be notified of available interview dates and invited by the Office of Admissions to schedule an on-campus interview.

A typical interview day involves participation in the following activities coordinated by the Office of Admissions: an interview with two department faculty, lunch with current Midwestern University students, a campus tour, and consultations with counselors from the Office of Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid.

During interview sessions, department faculty will engage students in conversation regarding topics relevant to educational or healthcare settings. Students will also be asked to provide a writing sample in response to a clinical prompt. Interview and writing sample responses will be evaluated using rubrics established for this purpose. Prospective student's application, interviews, and writing samples are evaluated using rubrics that were developed by the SLP Program. The Speech-Language Pathology Admissions Committee makes admission recommendations to the Program Director who submits them to the Dean of the College of Health Sciences for action. The Dean, via the Office of Admissions, notifies each applicant in writing of the admission action/decision.

The Technical Standards set forth the nonacademic abilities considered essential for students to achieve the level of competence required by the faculty to obtain the academic degree awarded by the college.

Candidates must have abilities and skills in five areas: 1) observation; 2) communication; 3) motor; 4) intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and 5) behavioral and social. Technological compensation can be made for some limitation in certain of these areas, but candidates should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.

1. Observation: The candidate must be able to accurately make observations at a distance and close at hand, including those on a computer screen or electronic device. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and sense of touch and is enhanced by the functional use of all of the other senses.
2. Communication: The candidate must be able to communicate in English, proficiently and sensitively, in verbal and written form and be able to perceive nonverbal communication.
3. Motor: Candidates must be able to coordinate both gross and fine motor movements, maintain equilibrium and have functional use of the senses of touch, hearing and vision. The candidate must possess sufficient postural control, neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination to perform profession-specific skills and tasks. Candidates must be able to lift 20 pounds.
4. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: The candidate must be able to problem solve, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, record and synthesize large amounts of information in a timely manner. The candidate must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand spatial relationships.
5. Behavioral and Social Attributes: The candidate must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the consistent, prompt, completion of all responsibilities, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. The candidate must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, effective interpersonal skills, willingness and ability to function as an effective team player, interest and motivation to learn are all personal qualities required during the educational process.

Candidates are required to verify that they understand and are able to meet these Technical Standards at least 4 weeks prior to matriculation (or if admitted later, within 1 week of deposit). Candidates who may only meet Technical Standards with accommodation, must contact the Disability Services Office to make a formal request for accommodation. The Disability Committee, in consultation with the College Dean/Program Director, will determine what reasonable accommodations can be provided. The College is not able to grant accommodations that alter the educational standards of the curriculum.

Students must meet the Technical Standards for the duration of enrollment at the College. After matriculation, if a student fails to continue to meet the Technical Standards during subsequent enrollment, the student may apply for accommodation by contacting the Disability Services Office. If the accommodation needed to meet the Technical Standards alters the educational standards of the curriculum, the student's ability to satisfactorily progress in the curriculum will be evaluated by the appropriate College's Student Graduation and Promotion Committee.

The matriculation process begins after applicants receive notification of their acceptance. To complete the matriculation process, applicants must:

1. Submit the matriculation agreement and required deposit monies by the date designated in the matriculation agreement. Deposits are applied towards the first quarter's tuition.
2. Submit official final transcripts from all colleges attended post-high school by the deadline of two weeks (14 days) prior to the first day of classes. Students who are accepted to MWU less than one month prior to the first day of classes will have 30 calendar days from the date of their acceptance to submit all official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Any special circumstances or requests for exceptions to this policy must be sent to and approved by the Office of the Dean of the college. Students who fail to submit all official final transcripts by the stated deadline may jeopardize their acceptance or continued enrollment in the College.
3. Submit completed medical files documenting completion of a physical exam, immunizations, tuberculosis and titer blood testing as instructed by the Office of Student Services and detailed in the Student Handbook.
4. Meet the Technical Standards for the college. 
5. Submit proof of medical and disability insurance coverage. Students may select either a plan offered by an MWU-approved carrier or a comparable plan offered by an outside carrier of their choice, as determined by the Office of Student Services. Insurance must be maintained throughout the entire period of enrollment.
6. Submit additional documents as requested by the Office of Admissions or college.
7. Students who are requesting an F-1 visa or who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must prepay tuition and in some cases other mandatory program fees for the first year of their educational program 6 weeks before the first day of the first quarter of each academic year. Furthermore, the student must prepay tuition and in some cases other mandatory program fees for each successive year at the start of each academic year on the University’s stated due date.
8. Submit a signed Credit Policy Statement.
9. Authorize and pass the MWU criminal background check and/or fingerprinting background check as required by the specific College/School/Program.
10. Submit a signed MWU Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy Statement.

Applicants who fail to satisfy these matriculation requirements or who omit or falsify information required on official admission documents automatically forfeit their seat in the program. Any individual accepted for admission to the college/program who does not comply with stated timelines for submission of all required materials receives no further notification from the college regarding the forfeiture of their seat.

Students who receive denial or end-of-cycle letters may reapply for the following year's admissions cycle. Before reapplying, however, individuals contemplating reapplication should seek the advice of an admissions counselor. To initiate the reapplication process, prospective students must complete and submit a new application and proceed through the standard application process.