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Program Information
The MSc-SLP program (formerly MSLP) is the principal degree program in the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology. It is designed to accommodate students who hold a four-year baccalaureate degree in another area of study. Although most applicants have either a linguistics or psychology degree, applicants are admitted with degrees from a wide variety of other areas. The reason that most applicants have linguistics or psychology degrees is that eight prerequisite course content areas are typically accessed through linguistics and psychology programs at most North American universities.
The MSc-SLP program is a "Master's level entry program," meaning that it has been designed to accept students with degrees in linguistics, psychology or related fields. Regardless of the degree obtained, students are required to have taken the prerequisite courses, either during or after their programs of study. Students with degrees from other fields may take coursework that will fulfill our prerequisites in order to qualify for the program. Note that this cannot be done within our program; the courses may be taken at any university that offers the courses, including the University of Alberta. Students interested in taking the prerequisite courses after completing a degree should check with the Registrar at the university of their choice about application procedures.
Because the program is designed to build on the information learned in Linguistics and Psychology degree programs rather than on information conveyed in terminal or non-terminal undergraduate degree programs in Speech-Language Pathology, S-LP degrees do not automatically make their holders eligible for the MSc-SLP program at the University of Alberta. Should an individual with a non-terminal degree in Speech-Language Pathology be interested in applying, the prerequisite courses must be taken. Courses taken within undergraduate programs in speech-language pathology and audiology will not be accepted as prerequisites for the program unless they are identical in content to prerequisite courses (e.g., a course in normal child development might be considered for the corresponding prerequisite, but a course in child language disorders would not be acceptable). Similarly, speech-language pathology or audiology courses taken at the undergraduate level would not be accepted in lieu of MSc-SLP courses. Regardless of undergraduate major, students who have taken the prerequisite courses will be considered for admission.