COMMUNICATIONS SCIENCE

Graduate Admissions Information

Application Procedure
Master's and Doctoral Students

On Line Applications

Applicants are encouraged to apply to our program on-line by accessing the On-Line Application link on the School of Graduate Studies website at http://www.case.edu/provost/gradstudies/. 

Paper Application Materials

Prospective students can download a paper copy of the Application for Admission from the School of Graduate Studies website at http://www.case.edu/provost/gradstudies/.

The application consists of and must include the following:

Part A and Part B Application Form

Part A Form is designed to provide our department with all documentation necessary (except official test score reports) to make admission decisions and financial aid offers.  Part B Form provides the School of Graduate Studies with the information needed to create the official university file.

Statement of Objectives

There is no specific form--you should put "Statement of Objectives" as the heading of the document. The statement should be one or two pages and should include your purpose in undertaking graduate work and an explanation of your study and research interests as they related your undergraduate/graduate study and professional goals. Your complete name and the major field of study to which application is being made should be included at the top of each page.

Academic Transcripts

You are required to identify all post-secondary educational institutions you have attended on your application form, and to submit an official transcript from each institution. The colleges or universities should mail official transcripts directly to you to be submitted, unopened, with the application. (If that is against the institution's policy, the transcripts can be mailed directly to the program or department). If admitted while you are completing a degree, you must arrange to have the final transcript with degree posted sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies. Admission to the Graduate School is conditional on final certification of degrees awarded. All transcripts, or academic records, must be official documents. If not issued directly by the university as original documents, they should be notarized full-sized photocopies. All official certification of each degree is also required. Note to International Students: Documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by certified translations into English.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters or recommendation must be submitted from those individuals sufficiently familiar with you, and who can assess your academic preparation, abilities and accomplishments. Letters should be from your most recent instructors in your proposed field of study. If you have been out of school for several years, one letter may be from your employer, supervisor, or other person familiar with your most recent activities. Letters of recommendation can be completed and submitted when using the on-line application process.  If the person writing your recommendation will not be using our on-line process, please be advised that the recommendation letter must be enclosed in an appropriate envelope, sealed, signed across the seal, and returned.  If a pre-printed envelope is not an option, a regular letter sized envelope will suffice as long as it is sealed with the signature across the seal. All letters of recommendation should be returned directly to you to be submitted, unopened, with the application. If the person making the recommendation prefers, a letter may be sent directly to the department or program. In this case you must make certain that the person making the recommendation has the correct department address.

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of $50 is required for each application submitted. Payment must be in U.S. dollars in the form of a check or money order payable to Case Western Reserve University. Applicants from outside the United States must remit the fee either by International Money Order or by a check drawn on a U.S. bank. If your fee is being paid by check from another person, your name must appear on the face of the check.

GRE

The Department of Communication Sciences requires you to complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Score reports will be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies by the Educational Testing Service. Official score reports designated for receipt by the University (Code 1105) will be coordinated with your application by the School of Graduate Studies Office. The Department of Communication Sciences recommends a minimum GRE score requirement of 500 for verbal and 500 for quantitative.  However, the department always looks at the application as a whole and not just the scores.

The School of Graduate Studies requires that international students whose first language is not English demonstrate English proficiency by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam and earn a minimum paper based (PBT) score of 550, computer based score of (CBT) 213, and internet based score (IBT) of 79. International applicants cannot be admitted to full standing without receipt of an acceptable official TOEFL score.  Test scores are valid for two years after the test date.  GRE test scores are valid for five years.

GPA

To be admitted to full standing the applicant must meet all the admissions criteria. Applicants must have a good academic record, e.g., a B average or rank in the upper third of his or her graduating class at an institution whose status and programs are readily assessed.

Other Documentation

International students must submit an affidavit of support indicating sufficient funds to cover the expenses for tuition and living expenses for one academic year. There is no specific form for the affidavit of support. Bank statements and other supporting financial documents will suffice. For further information contact International Studies Services by telephone at (216) 368-2517.

Application Submission

The Department of Communication Sciences accepts application for the Fall semester only. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in December. Applications will not be accepted for review after February 15th. All appropriate application materials are to be assembled and sent in an envelope and should be properly addressed to the Department of Communication Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 11206 Euclid Avenue Room 410, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7154.  Please do not send the appropriate application materials to the School of Graduate Studies.  Again, we recommend that you do not submit application materials separately. Please wait until you have all required materials before sending.

If you are admitted to the program, you are admitted only for the term specified in the letter of admission. If you are unable to enroll in the semester for which you were initially admitted, you may request to postpone matriculation up to two regular academic semesters. In such cases, the Department may accept or reject your request and the terms of readmission may differ from the original offer. If a delay of more than two semesters is requested, your file must be reviewed and reevaluated by the Department. If more than two years elapse since acceptance, you must reapply in the same manner as a new applicant. Because non-enrolled applicant files are only kept for a maximum of two years, all documentation will have to be resubmitted.

Financial Aid

The Department of Communication Sciences offers financial aid in the form of a tuition waiver which is applied directly to the cost of tuition. In order to be considered for this aid, please indicate in the appropriate box on Part A Application Form that you are applying for financial assistance from the University. U.S. citizens can also apply for Federal financial aid and receive student loans. For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office by telephone, (216) 368-4530 or visit the web site at http://finaid.cwru.edu/.

Leveling Students

Students interested in applying to the graduate program are not required to have an undergraduate degree in communication disorders however; they are required to take additional undergraduate coursework to meet the requirements for ASHA certification. Although the actual number of classes will vary depending on the student’s prior area of study, the following courses or their equivalent are required:

(Some of the following information referenced above has been excerpted from the School of Graduate Studies Application for Admission).

If you have any questions regarding our admissions process or requirements, please e-mail cosigrad@case.edu or call the department at 216-368-2470.