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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Communication Sciences & Disorders

Graduate admissions: Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders

Application procedures and checklist

Deadlines for application materials

  • If interested in financial aid: Jan. 15
  • Not interested in financial aid: Apr. 15

Step 1: Wayne State Application

To initiate your application to the Ph.D. program in communication sciences and disorders, you must complete and submit the Wayne State graduate application for admission. Note: The Ph.D. program only admits new students in the fall semester.

Your online application should include:

  • Application for Ph.D. admission
  • College/university academic transcripts
  • Application fee of $50 (subject to change). Important: Applications will not be processed without a fee
  • Financial aid application

For international students, the following additional materials are also required:

  • TOEFL score (only required for international students who are non-native English speakers). Official transcript from ets.org.
  • Financial statement as described by the WSU Office of International Student Services (OISS).
  • Student visa status must be documented as described by the WSU Office of International Student Services (OISS).

Step 2: Department submission

Simultaneously with your WSU online graduate application submission, please send the following supplementary materials to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

  1. Personal statement that describes your interest in the program, research interests, and teaching interests.
  2. Resumé; or curriculum vitae: Please include your research background, graduate courses, languages spoken or written other than English, employment, education, audiology or speech-language pathology work (i.e. clinic hours, types of placements, types of clients), and volunteer experiences.
  3. Writing sample (e.g. research paper or publication).
  4. GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores from within the past five years.
  5. Three letters of reference using the WSU CSD Ph.D. Reference Form (should be submitted directly by your referees).

All supplementary materials should be emailed to Dr. Margaret Greenwald at mgreenwald@wayne.edu or may be sent to:

Communication Sciences and Disorders Ph.D. Program
5201 Cass Ave.
103 Prentis Bldg.
Detroit, MI 48202

For more information on these criteria, please see detailed instructions below.

Step 3: Transcripts

Please have official copies of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts sent directly from the institution(s) you attended to the Wayne State University Office of Graduate Admissions. Have a second official copy sent to the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Wayne State University Graduate School Admissions
5057 Woodward, Suite 6000
Detroit, MI 48202

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Attention: Graduate Admissions Officer
5201 Cass Ave.
103 Prentis Bldg.
Detroit, MI 48202

Step 4: Interview

When the department receives your online application and the above supplementary materials, a department member will contact you and inform you about the Ph.D. committee's decision regarding your application. If you're selected for an interview, the interview will be in person if you work or reside in the metro Detroit area. Interviews can be conducted via video call for applicants who work or reside outside of the metro Detroit area.

Questions?

Please contact our Ph.D. coordinator, Dr. Margaret Greenwald at mgreenwald@wayne.edu for more information or if you wish to schedule an appointment to discuss the Ph.D. program.

Detailed application instructions and helpful hints

  • Personal statement

    A personal statement (maximum of five pages) is required that describes your interests in the Ph.D. program, research and teaching interests.

  • Resumé/CV

    Your resumé/CV should include:

    • Research background
    • Education (major area of Baccalaureate and prior graduate courses)
    • Languages spoken or written other than English
    • Employment history
    • Experience in audiology or speech-language pathology, if applicable, including clinical hours, types of placements and types of clients
    • Volunteer experiences
    • References
  • GRE scores

    The below information about the GRE applies to subsequent years:

    GRE general test scores from within the past five years are required. If you have your GRE test scores, please upload the score form into your WSU online application.

    Please note:

    • If you need to take or re-take the GRE, please allow enough time for your scores to reach Wayne State by Jan. 15 (if being considered for financial aid) or Apr. 15 (if not being considered for financial aid).
    • To register or find GRE test dates, see the ETS' Registration, Test Centers and Dates.
    • Include Wayne State University's code 1898 on the test form when you take the GRE to request that your test scores be sent directly to WSU.

    For information about the GRE, visit ets.org/gre.

  • Letters of recommendation

    Three letters of recommendation are required. At least two of these letters should be from academic faculty. As part of your Wayne State application, please provide the names and contact information of three individuals who have agreed to write letters of recommendation for you. The writers of your three letters will then be contacted by the university and can upload their letters online confidentially.

    It is the applicant's responsibility to submit the online application in enough time to allow the letter writers to submit the letters of recommendation by the application deadline.

    Please note:

    • It is most desirable to receive letters from previous college instructors or from individuals who are knowledgeable regarding the individual's performance in academic areas.
    • Letters of recommendation should address the applicant's knowledge and experience in the discipline, special or unique skills and knowledge, and capability for doctoral study and development as an independent researcher.
    • The admissions committee is particularly interested in previous research activity, general scholarship, writing abilities, oral communication skills, research/analytical and/or clinical skills and performance in previous undergraduate and graduate work.
    • Letter writers must also complete the evaluation form that is provided online.
    • In rare instances that a letter writer is unable to submit their letter of recommendation online, please provide that person with the paper version of the letter of recommendation form. Paper format letters must be sent to the department in a sealed envelope with the writer's signature across the seal. Letters should be mailed to the graduate admissions officer at the address above by Jan. 15 (if being considered for financial aid) or Apr. 15 (if not being considered for financial aid).
  • International students

    International students are also required to submit the following:

    • Financial statement as described by the WSU Office of International Student Services (OISS).
    • Student visa status must be documented as described by the WSU Office of International Student Services (OISS).
    • Official transcripts of TOEFL test battery scores (only required for international students who are non-native speakers of English). The minimum scores acceptable for admission are:
      • TOEFL: Score of 600
      • iBT: Score of 100
      • IELTS: Score of 7.5
      • Duolingo: Score of 130

    Official scores must be sent directly to Wayne State University. All exams must be taken prior to Feb. 1 to ensure receipt of the score report by the Feb. 15 deadline. For test schedules and fees, visit Wayne State University's Testing, Evaluation and Research Services. Additional information on the tests is available at ets.org.

  • Grade point average

    In evaluating students for admission to the Ph.D. program, the Ph.D. admissions committee considers all of the student's post-secondary academic transcripts. The Wayne State University Graduate School requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 for admission and the department recommends a GPA above 3.0 for serious consideration.

  • Tuition costs

    Tuition information can be found at the Office of the Registrar. Graduate students from Michigan, select counties of Ohio (Fulton, Lucas, Ottawa and Williams) and the Canadian province of Ontario pay resident tuition rates (Ohio/Ontario Good Neighbor Policy). All other students are required to pay the non-resident tuition rate.

  • Part-time study

    Our department accepts applications from students who plan to complete their Ph.D. part-time. However, we strongly encourage part-time students to plan for one to three semesters of full-time work to complete their dissertation.

    Note: INS regulations require that foreign students be registered on a full-time basis with at least eight graduate credits per semester.

  • Financial resources

    Wayne State funding

    External funding