ADMISSIONS PROCESS

AuD Program

For information on coursework in the CUNY AuD program, please go to the Graduate Center website.

Summary of Admissions Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution acceptable to Hunter College
• Completion of prerequisite coursework (15 credits communication sciences foundation courses, 30 credits in liberal arts courses – see below for all details)
• Aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Statement of intent
• Two letters of reference
• For international students, a report of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for applicants who have not studied in English-speaking countries.

Speech-Language Pathology MS Program – Prerequisite Coursework

15 credits in Communication Sciences

The following are required foundation courses in speech and hearing which must be completed prior to acceptance as a matriculated student. These courses are available at Hunter College and comparable classes at many other institutions of higher education.

COMSC 604 – Introduction to Language Science (3 credits) An introduction to the nature of language and communication. Topics include components of the linguistic system, relationship between verbal and non-verbal communication, and language acquisition across the life span.

COMSC 607 – Phonetics of American English (3 credits) Phonetic features of oral American English and dialectal variations of American English and non-native English speech.

COMSC 610 – Anatomy and Physiology (3 credits) An overview of the structure of speech and the basic mechanisms involved the production of speech sounds; a foundation for a more in-depth study of speech science and its application to clinical practice in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; Structure and organization of the ventilatory, laryngeal, supralaryngeal and orofacial mechanisms; issues in basic speech acoustics and perception.

COMSC 620 – Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology (3 credits) Introduction to organic and behavioral correlates of human communication; its development and disorders. The influence of culture, heritage, and socioeconomic status on the disorders of voice, articulation, fluency, and language.

COMSC 640 – Introduction to Audiology (3 credits) Etiology and pathology of hearing disorders, basic properties of the auditory stimulus: measurement of pre tone thresholds by air and bone conduction. Overview of the audiologist in diagnosis and management of hearing disorders.

30 credits in liberal arts and sciences

In addition to the above-listed 15 credits of pre-professional coursework, the following credit-bearing courses in liberal arts and sciences are required of each applicant:

3 credits of study in a biological science examples are botany, biology, genetics, nutrition, oceanography, physiology, zoology

3 credits of study in physical sciences examples are chemistry, physics, earth science, ecology, geology, astronomy, weather

3 credits of study in mathematics or statistics examples are algebra, calculus, trigonometry, statistics; (remedial, historical, or methods courses do not fulfill this requirement)

6 credits of study in behavioral and/or social sciences (including study that pertains to understanding normal/abnormal human behavior, development across the life span, social interaction, and issues of culturally diverse populations) – examples include anthropology, criminology, sociology, psychology, human behavior, cultural diversity, gender issues

6 credits of English (at least 3 credits in composition/writing)

3 credits in U.S. History, or, U.S. Political Science

3 credits in the arts (e.g., pottery, painting, sketching, drawing, theater performance, dance, weaving, musical instrument performance)

3 credits in non-English language (e.g., American Sign Language, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Portuguese, Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, etc.)

Those individuals who have completed all the required background coursework in communication sciences and disorders are ready to apply for admission to matriculate into the COMSC program. Prospective applicants who have not completed the prerequisite coursework either at Hunter College or another institution must do so prior to application process. Applicants are advised to carefully review the catalogue descriptions of other programs in order to determine whether previously taken courses are the same in content as Hunter’s. Catalogues may be obtained in person from the Hunter College’s Welcome Center (East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, North Building Room 203, (212) 772-4490). Our mission in offering the prerequisite courses is to give individuals who have not had undergraduate degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders an opportunity to fulfill the requirements in order to apply to any of the programs that offer the degree.

Taking prerequisite courses offered in the COMSC Program does not mean automatic acceptance into the COMSC Program or an advantage over other applicants. The 15 credits pre-professional coursework required for applying for admission as a matriculant are the following:

The COMSC Program’s Admissions Committee will not consider any pass/fail coursework as fulfilling the liberal arts and sciences requirements. Courses must be taken at an accredited college or university. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores will not be considered as having fulfilled admission requirements.

GRE Scores

The General GRE section is required of every COMSC applicant. Having earned a masters degree in another discipline does not preclude the GRE requirement, nor does graduation from Hunter College or any other CUNY institution.

Three scores are reported on the General GRE test:

• Verbal Reasoning score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments
• Quantitative Reasoning score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments
• Analytical Writing score reported on a 0 to 6 score scale in half-point increments.

The Admissions Committee utilizes the percentile ranking of the GRE score; applicants are advised to understand that each applicant pool has its own competitive standard. If an applicant takes the GREs multiple times, the best single score in each of the three areas (verbal, quantitative and analytical) are considered by the Admissions Committee.

Acceptance Conditions and Provisions

In the event a student was admitted to the COMSC Program under the circumstance of provision or condition, all criteria for complete admission must be finalized by the end of the student’s first year. Students with conditions will be required to take a course at or through an accredited college or accredited distance-learning program.

Transferring Credits Towards Degree

Transfer of credit towards the degree requires advisor and Program Director permission. Faculty will determine whether the requested transfer course is equivalent to the one offered in the COMSC curriculum. A maximum of 12 credits of graduate course work can be approved for transfer. Only courses taken within the five years prior to review will be considered.

Matriculated students must obtain their advisor’s and Program Director’s permission to take off-campus courses prior to enrolling in the desired course. The COMSC Program does not accept transfer of clinical hours obtained at an undergraduate level, nor at a masters level from another program.

Doctoral Program in Speech and Hearing Sciences

The City University of New York, through the Graduate Center on Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan, offers a doctoral program in speech and hearing sciences. For description of the program, see the Bulletin of the Graduate Center or go to http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ClinicalDoctoral/audio/index.htm.

Hunter College Undergraduates

Pre-requisite courses are open to Hunter College undergraduate students who are in the last semester of their senior year and have a minimum 3.5 GPA. These courses are not available to undergraduate students who are not enrolled as matriculated students at Hunter College.