Admissions
NEW FOR 2023!
Quota: 56 + 15 seats for Saskatchewan students
Note for applicants from Saskatchewan: Fifteen spaces are reserved for Saskatchewan residents, and the timeline for application is different for this Fall 2023 only. Applicants from Saskatchewan are strongly encouraged to complete their application no later than February 28, 2023. After February 28, please contact the Department for application procedures, mscslp@ualberta.ca, subject line: Saskatchewan applicant. If offered admission, applicants will be required to provide proof of Saskatchewan residency, a Saskatchewan Health Card.
FOR ALL OTHER APPLICANTS, THE APPLICATION DEADLINE WAS JANUARY 15, 2023.
The application system is now closed for Fall 2023.
The department plans to email all applicants their results by the end of May, 2023. Thank you for your patience during this time.
COVID-19 updates:
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in accordance with the recommendations of the University of Alberta, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders will not be including the grades from Winter 2020 semester toward the calculation of GPA. The credits obtained can still count toward the 60 credits, and prerequisites.
Quota: 56 + 15 seats for Saskatchewan students (same requirements apply)
A plan of action towards an Anti-Racist Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at University of Alberta
In keeping with our commitment to recognize barriers and increase Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI), we are adjusting our admissions process in two ways beginning in 2021. This is in addition to the requirement for all students admitted to the MSc-SLP program to complete a course focused on Indigenous History in Canada.
First, GPA will be primarily restricted to an entrance requirement. Students will need to meet the minimum GPA of 3.3 on most 4-point grading systems ( or B+ on most letter grading systems).
Second, we strongly encourage applicants to highlight their personal experiences with respect to equity, diversity and inclusion. In doing so, applicants can reflect upon how these experiences have inspired their interest in speech-language pathology and/or will influence their role as a Speech-Language Pathologist. This can be accomplished in several ways, for example, 1) the resume, 2) the statement of career interests and/or 3) in the requested reference letters.
Admissions is a THREE STEP process to ensure documents arrive in the department on time.
Starting November 1, 2023, you can start your application for the Fall 2024 term by logging into the Apply Grad Admin Portal.
A non-refundable, mandatory $135 application fee is required BEFORE your application is officially submitted. The department cannot review your application until the application fee has been paid.
All "in-progress" (unpaid) applications will be deleted after 21 days (can request an additional 7 days for a total of 28 days), or the deadline date of January 15th at 11:59pm, whichever comes first.
Applicant referees will be sent a link via email once the application has been submitted (i.e. paid).
- STEP ONE: Begin your on-line application after November 1st for the Master of Science (course). Be sure that your name (first and last) is spelled correctly. An email is automatically generated from the UofA after submitting your application. This email is very important as it has a link to access the Application Portal. Through this portal students can remove and upload documents that are incomplete or missing up until January 15th, at 11:59pm. Do not refer to Bear Tracks.
- STEP TWO: You will be required to provide email addresses of your referees for them to submit their letters of reference online. We do not accept hard copies of reference letters - they must be uploaded online by your referee. If you make a mistake typing the email address DO NOT request a new referee, send an email to mscslp@ualberta.ca Subject line: Referee Correction for (name of referee). It will be corrected and resent to the referee.
- STEP THREE: Check the Apply Grad Admin Portal on a regular basis to make sure your documents are received in a timely manner. Do not wait until the deadline to check on transcripts/reference letters. Contact your sources at least the week before to make sure your materials have been sent.
A detailed list of how to fill out the online application can be found on the Application Process page.
The CSD Aboriginal Admissions Policy can be found here.
What happens after your application is submitted?
After the January 15th deadline, all complete application files are prepared for the Admissions Committee to review. The Committee then has several meetings to discuss applications. The Committee identifies applicants who should be recommended for acceptance, as well as a waiting list of qualified applicants. Applicants whom the department is recommending for acceptance will receive an e-mail or telephone call informing them of the recommendation prior to April 15. The student's application and original transcripts are forwarded through GSMS to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) for processing. Although the Department's Admissions Committee makes the recommendation for acceptance, FGSR makes the final determination of acceptance, after determining that the credentials are valid and the transcripts are admissible. A formal admission letter is sent by FGSR directly to the student through their applicant portal once they have completed their processing of the application.
An applicant responds through the applicant portal to accept or decline their offer. There is no deposit fee for graduate students.
Newly admitted students will receive information via email/eclass throughout the summer months from the Department and OASIS, the student organization. Once students have received the official admission letter, they can at any time complete their registration for Fall/Winter courses through Bear Tracks. The letter of admission will contain information about how to register. Students should register early; to prevent delays in other processes that are internally initiated once registration is complete.
If an applicant declines, an applicant from the waiting list is contacted. Once the quota has been filled, all remaining applicants will hear from the department by the end of September.
Student loan forms must be filled out and signed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, 2-29 Triffo Hall.
For questions about dates and process for submission of transcripts, letters of reference, and/or application components or forms, contact mscslp@ualberta.ca.
To request the review of courses for their appropriateness to satisfy prerequisites, send the full course name, description and syllabus to mscslp@ualberta.ca.
If you have any other questions about admissions, please contact mscslp@ualberta.ca.
*FYI - Each year, the University of Alberta hosts the OASIS Conference designed for health care graduate students, undergraduate students, and community members, addressing areas of interest in the field of speech-language pathology and rehabilitation medicine. The 2023 OASIS conference will be held on Saturday, September (date to be determined).