Department of
Communicative Disorders

West Chester University

Dr. Michael S. Weiss, Chair
201 Carter Drive
West Chester, PA 19383
Call: 610–436–3401
Fax: 610–436–3388
mweiss@wcupa.edu

Application & Admission Procedures

Who May Apply?

A detailed description of the prerequisites for admission to the MA program is provided on the Admissions Requirements Link. To visit this link, please click here.Admission Requirements Information

Items Required for Application

To apply to the MA degree program, you must submit the following seven items. Forms required for the first two items can be accessed by clicking on the links provided.

1. University Application form

This form is only available on–line, and it can be accessed here: University Application form

2. Communicative Disorders Supplemental Application form

This form should be completed and included in a packet of information that you send to the Office of Graduate Studies (see address below). Click here to obtain a copy of the Supplemental Application form.

3. Official Academic Transcripts

Please provide one official academic transcript from each institution at which you completed undergraduate courses. Transcripts may be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies at the address provided below. Alternatively, they may be sent to you. If they are sent to you, please maintain them in their sealed envelopes and include them in your application packet to be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies.

4. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores

Please instruct the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send your official GRE scores directly to the Office of Graduate Studies at the address provided below.

5. Letters of Recommendation

An applicant to the Communicative Disorders’ graduate program must ask two (2) recommenders to support the application with an electronic letter of recommendation. A link to the electronic recommendation form will be sent to each recommender after the applicant has entered the name and e-mail address of each recommender into the applicant’s on-line application form. If you have questions about this process, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies at GradStudies@wcupa.edu or at 610-436-2943.

6. Personal Statement (aka Goal Statement, Esay)

Please provide a personal statement describing your academic and professional goals. Indicate how your experiences thus far have led you to these goals and how WCU will support you toward goal achievement. The personal statement may be no longer than 500 words in length.

Additional Important Information

1. Office of Graduate Studies

ALL application materials must be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies. Do NOT send them to the D epartment of Communicative Disorders. The address is as follows:

Office of Graduate Studies

102 W. Rosedale Avenue

West Chester, PA 19383.

3. College of Education

For further information about WCU certification requirements please visit the College of Education website.

4. Self-Managed Application Protocol

The University uses a self-managed application protocol. This means that you are responsible for gathering the above application materials and sending them (or arranging to have them sent) to the Office of Graduate Studies. As indicated above, some items (e.g., academic transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation) may be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies by the agencies or individuals from which they originate. The remaining items must be sent by you to the Office of Graduate Studies in a single packet. Please also see the university application form for further instructions regarding the delivery of your application materials to the Office of Graduate Studies.

5. Application Deadline - February 15

The Office of Graduate Studies must receive all application materials no later than February 15th for an applicant to be considered for admission in the following fall semester.

6. Verifying that your application materials have been received

If you need confirmation that your application materials have been received, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies via e-mail at GradStudies@wcupa.edu or via phone at 610-436-2943.

7. Finding out about the status of your application

The process of informing applicants about the status of their application extends from the end of March to the end of June or later. Like all graduate programs in Communicative Disorders, WCU's program typically receives many more excellent applications than there are seats in the program. Also, as is typical of most graduate programs, not all of the applicants who are invited to join the program accept the invitation. To manage these variables, invitations are extended in rounds based on the following schedule:

Round 1 - Invitations are sent at the end of March and recipients must decide by April 15

Round 2 - Invitations are sent by about April 18 and recipients must decide by April 26

Round 3 - Invitations are extended (typically by phone) between 4/26 and about 6/15, and recipients must decide within 1 or 2 days of receiving their invitations. (For this reason, it is crucial that telephone contact information is accurate and current on the application form.)

If an applicant does not receive an invitation during Round 1 but meets the criteria for being accepted into the program, his or her name will be placed on a Wait List for consideration during Round 2 or Round 3.

If an applicant does not meet the criteria for being accepted into WCU's program, he or she will be notified by April 30th.

If an applicant qualifies for admission but remains on the wait list after the program has been filled, he or she will be notified by about June 30th.

8. Daytime Classes

Full-time and part-time students must be available for daytime classes.

9. Questions about Prerequisites for Admission or Program Components

If you have questions about the structure and content of the MA program please click on the FAQS tab of the Graduate Program menu

10. Financial Aid

Information about financial aid is available at the following website:

Financial Aid Website

11. Graduate Assistantships (GAs)

A limited number of half-time GAs are available for Communicative Disorders students. An assistantship provides a waiver for half of the tuition and it provides a stipend. In return, GAs are obligated to work for the University 10 hours per week. To be eligible for a GA position, you must submit a Graduate Assistantship Application Form with your application. The award of GAs is generally made late in August, shortly before the beginning of the fall semester.

If you have questions regarding the application process that have not been addressed by the information above, please contact Dr. Mareile Koenig, the Graduate Program Coordinator for Communicative Disorders. at MareileKoenig@Gmail.com.