Both programs begin with the fall semester. The fall semester start date varies from year-to-year, but specific start dates for each year can be found here. Orientation for graduate students generally begins the week prior to the start of classes. We do not admit students to the spring and summer semesters so that all students begin the Master’s degree program as a cohort in the fall. However, if you have interest in transferring after completing some degree requirements from a different university, it is best to contact the MA program coordinator to discuss.  

No. Students are expected to attend the programs on a full-time basis. Students typically register for 12-14 credit hours per semester.

Students typically take two years to complete the Master’s degree program.  It does not matter whether you have an undergraduate degree in the discipline or not.  

The following classes are required pre-requisites:

1. Speech Anatomy and Physiology
2. Child Language Development
3. Phonetics: this course must include transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
4. Acoustics or Speech Science
5. Audiology or Hearing Science: this course must include some content related to audiological testing and treatment

 Most students who have studied speech, language and hearing science or communication sciences and disorders will have taken these courses.  If you do not have a degree in this discipline, you must take the first three courses prior to beginning the MA program at IU.  You may take the last two (Acoustics/Speech Science and Audiology/Hearing Science) while in the MA program. 

If you hope to earn the CCC-SLP from ASHA, you are also required to take coursework in the following four areas: biological sciences, physical sciences, behavioral and/or social sciences, and statistics. 

 For more information on prerequisites, please see the Prerequisite section of our website.

Students with a “nonmajor” undergraduate degree typically take the same amount of time as students who have an undergraduate degree in the major to complete the either program.

However, the Master's program has pre-requisites, as noted above. More Information concerning that required undergraduate course work is provided in the Prerequisites for Master’s Degree Program section of our website and in the Student Handbook located in the Student Portal. 

If you'd like more detailed information, please check out our Student Portal, which has our MA handbook and more information about the curriculum.