The M.Sc. in Audiology and Speech Sciences program is designed for students who wish to combine rigorous scholarship with challenging professional practice in either Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology. Admission is on a competitive basis. Applicants must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' minimum requirements, i.e., a cumulative average in the B+ range (76% at UBC) in third- or fourth-year courses, or at least 12 credits of third- or fourth-year courses in the A grade range (80% or higher at UBC) in the field of study. Additionally, the School requires applicants to have appropriate undergraduate preparation as defined below. For students who take course work that falls outside their bachelor's degree program in order to improve a low GPA or to meet the 12 credit requirement, this may be taken into consideration, but it does not guarantee eligibility for admission. For additional requirements, see www.grad.ubc.ca/country/canada.
Most students seeking to specialize in Speech-Language Pathology find that degree programs in Linguistics and/or Psychology are the best route to achieving the necessary undergraduate preparation for the M.Sc. degree program. However, students with other academic backgrounds who have outstanding academic records are also welcome to apply.
For students seeking to specialize in Audiology, the routes for preparation are diverse and could include an undergraduate degree in, for example, engineering, psychology, biology, or physics.
The School does not, however, require that the applicant's undergraduate degree be earned in a specific discipline as long as the applicant has completed work in the prerequisite content areas listed below.
Prerequisite Courses
Academic study in the specific content areas listed below is considered to be essential preparation for specialization in either audiology or speech-language pathology in the Master of Science curriculum. Completion of the M.Sc. degree in Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology will require in-depth knowledge in all of the prerequisite content areas listed for the chosen specialization. Completion of the listed prerequisites is one of the major criteria for admission. Students who have completed courses (or the equivalent) in all or most of the required areas (10 content areas for speech-language pathology; 6 areas for audiology) will be more likely to receive offers of admission, all other things being equal. (See the website for further details.)
It is not possible to fulfill prerequisite content requirements and concurrently enrol in the full graduate curriculum. Students who need to extend the M.Sc. program over a longer period of time because of family or health concerns should contact the Admissions Committee prior to applying in order to discuss possibilities.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY: Prerequisites for the Speech-Language Pathology Major
| Course Content | Minimum Credits1 |
|---|---|
| Phonology | 3 |
| Syntax | 3 |
| Speech Science | 3 |
| Language Acquisition | 3 |
| Phonetics2 | evidence of competency |
| Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| Cognitive Psychology or Psycholinguistics | 3 |
| Research Methods3 | 3 |
| Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| Neurolinguistics | 1.5 |
| 1 Courses are to be at the upper-level (300 or 400) when possible. Note that most upper-level courses have prerequisites at the 100- or 200-level. A 3-credit course is equivalent to a one term course which meets 3 hours per week. | |
| 2 Evidence of transcription competencies may consist of (a) completion of a phonetics course that explicitly includes transcription skills, or (b) notice from the applicant’s department that the student has passed a transcription examination. | |
| 3 Must include Research Design. | |
Additional Content Areas Recommended for Speech-Language Pathology Applicants
For students who plan to specialize in Speech-Language Pathology, further preparation could include advanced courses in the areas listed above, or coursework in other areas of psychology, linguistics, social and life sciences, such as adulthood and aging, atypical development, sensation and perception, physiological psychology, neurosciences, counselling, bilingualism, morphology, pragmatics, semantics, and sociolinguistics.
AUDIOLOGY: Prerequisites for the Audiology Major
| Course Content | Minimum Credits1 |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Physics (energy and waves) | 3 |
| Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| Sensation/Perception | 3 |
| Research Methods2 | 3 |
| Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| 1 A 3-credit course is equivalent to a one term course that meets 3 hours per week. | |
| 2 Must include Research Design. | |
Additional Content Areas Recommended for Audiology Applicants
For students who plan to specialize in Audiology, further undergraduate preparation could include additional coursework in the social and life sciences, e.g., acoustic phonetics, adulthood and aging, biology, brain and behaviour, cognitive psychology, additional developmental psychology, additional sensory psychology, neurosciences, counselling, discourse, language acquisition, phonology, syntax, and statistics.
The Application Process
Persons interested in applying to the School's M.Sc. program should visit the School website. Applicants should ensure that the application and all supporting materials are received by the School by the final deadline of February 1. The School reviews applications in February and March and normally makes offers of admission in early April.
The following application must be submitted in order for the Admissions Committee to consider an applicant:
- An online application, including a list of completed prerequisite courses.
All documents, unless otherwise specified are to be submitted using the online application:
- A written statement by the applicant of up to 500 words (typewritten, double-spaced) indicating the reason for wishing to study Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology, the aspects of the field which are of particular interest to the applicant and any other relevant facts. At the end of the statement, a list should be given with the names of at least two professionals (at least one Speech-Language Pathologist and one Audiologist) with whom the applicant has met to discuss their respective professions and/or whom she or he has observed in the course of their practice.
- Applicants are required to submit scanned copies of official transcripts issued by all post-secondary institutions attended, except UBC. Applicants currently completing the last year of their undergraduate degree must submit the most recent transcript available from that institution, as well as a list of the courses in which the applicant is currently enrolled, including course marks at the time of application to the program. If any transcript is not in English or French, an official translation must be provided. For more information, see Transcripts & Academic Documents - Graduate School.
- Three letters of reference, two of which must be academic references. Where possible, at least two of the letters should be written by professors who taught the applicant in the last two years of university work. For more information, see www.audiospeech.ubc.ca/prospective-students/msc-program/application-process. These letters must be submitted electronically.
- Applicants must meet the English proficiency requirement on our website, if applicable. English proficiency examination results and a five to ten-minute recording of your speech must be included in the application.
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required documents are received by the School. No application will be processed until all of the materials listed above have been received.
Post Acceptance Requirements
Students accepting an offer of admission to the Master of Science in Audiology and Speech Sciences are required to pay a non- refundable deposit at the time of acceptance. This deposit will be applied to the student's first-term tuition.
All students admitted to the Master of Science in Audiology and Speech Sciences are required to undergo an immunization review with university health services at their program location to ensure they are up-to-date on all immunizations required by the Office of the Provincial Health Officer and the Provincial Health Authorities. Students are responsible for obtaining their immunization records for diseases outlined in the BC Practice Education Guidelines - Communicable Disease Prevention before booking an appointment with university health services. Once immunization records are reviewed, students may be required to book additional vaccination appointments with health services to complete necessary vaccination and/or lab tests.
In order to participate in any learning activity with patients (either during clinical placements or as part of other required coursework), students must meet all immunization and vaccination requirements set by the Provincial Health Officer and the Provincial Health Authorities for access to care locations. Students must complete immunization requirements by communicated deadlines to maintain eligibility to proceed with coursework and/or clinical placements. Students are responsible for ensuring that all immunizations remain up-to-date throughout their time in the program. Students who are unable to complete the required coursework and/or clinical hours during the program due to missing immunization requirements will not be able to graduate from the Master of Science in Audiology and Speech Sciences.
All applicants who accept an admission offer are required to apply for a Criminal Record Check for charges or convictions related to vulnerable populations. A student’s ability to complete their clinical placements and other learning activities with patients is contingent on receiving a “pass” on a criminal record check as required in the mandatory BC Student Practice Education Core Orientation (SPECO) Preparation Checklist.
Scholarships and Financial Support
The School has only limited funding for first-year graduate students. Whenever possible, students should apply for NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR scholarships in their first year of study. The School will assist outstanding students to apply for support for their second year of study. Other students may qualify for Canada Student Loans, or other awards and financial assistance programs. The University maintains a Student Financial Services office, where information about additional scholarships, fellowships and grants is posted. Some bursaries are available to health sciences students. These awards require direct application by the student. For more information: www.grad.ubc.ca/scholarships-awards-funding.