Hearing and Speech Sciences (HESP)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Behavioral and Social Sciences

Abstract

The Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences provides the opportunity for advanced graduate study in the communication sciences and disorders. The department offers three degrees; this entry is for the Ph.D. program, with concentrations in Hearing, Speech or Language.

Students applying to the Ph.D. program can opt to receive an MA in Speech-Language Pathology en route to the final degree. Students interested in the clinical MA degree in Speech-Language Pathology should see SPLA and use this code when applying for admission to study; students interested in a clinical doctorate in Audiology should see CAUD and use this code when applying for admission to study). At the doctoral level, the Ph.D. is offered in Hearing and Speech Sciences, with concentrations in Hearing, Speech or Language.

Financial Assistance

A limited number of graduate assistantships and fellowships are available through the Department. Assistantships that carry teaching, research or clinical responsibilities are awarded on a competitive basis. The Department also recommends outstanding students for Graduate School Fellowships; many of these fellowships have early deadlines for recommendations, so students are encouraged to submit their applications to the department early to ensure full consideration for funding. Students may also seek assistantships elsewhere on campus (such as through the Dean’s office or through other departments) or doctoral fellowships sponsored by Federal agencies (e.g., NIH or NSF) or private foundations (e.g., American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation). Fellowships in Support of Diversity and Inclusion (optional): If you're interested in applying for the Fellowships in Support of Diversity and Inclusion in the Behavioral and Social Sciences, please be sure to upload your materials under "Supplementary Application" when submitting your online admissions application.

Fellowships in Support of Diversity and Inclusion (optional): If you're interested in applying for the Fellowships in Support of Diversity and Inclusion in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (2017-18), please be sure to upload your materials under "Supplementary Application" when submitting your online admissions application.

Contact

Website: http://www.hesp.umd.edu

Courses: HESP

Relationships: Clinical Audiology (CAUD)    Human Development (EDHD)     Linguistics (LING)     Neurosciences and Cognitive Science (NACS)    Speech Language Pathology (SPLA)

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume
• Description of Research/Work Experience
• Writing Sample: Writing Sample should be recent, 5-10-page scholarly writing, such as a first-authored peer-reviewed publication or other scholarly assignment – uploaded to the Uploads Requirements section of the application. (one required, second one optional)

Admission to the doctoral programs is on a very competitive basis. Our program is a mentoring-based program; we only accept doctoral students for whom there is an obvious mentor who is willing to work with that student. Students typically have high GPA and GRE scores, excellent letters of recommendation and statements of purpose, and a high-quality writing sample. Admission is currently confined to fall matriculation; early application is encouraged.

Admission to the Ph.D. degree program may be offered to applicants with either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Clinical certification is not required for the degree, although a clinical graduate degree may be needed in addition to the Ph.D. degree for employment in some university settings. Students who wish to receive both degrees can apply to the Ph.D. program and receive a clinical MA while working towards the doctoral degree. Requirements for completion of a program of doctoral study are dependent on a student’s prior background in the communication sciences and disorders.

Applicants interested in pursuing an integrated research-clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology (M.A./Ph.D.) should apply to the Ph.D. program and indicate their intention in the Statement of Purpose. Applicants interested in pursuing the dual-degree path in Audiology (Au.D.-Ph.D.) should apply to the Au.D  and indicate their intention in the Statement of Purpose. Students may enter the Ph.D track towards the end of their 2nd year, pending decision of the departmental admissions committee.

Application Deadlines

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

Program Website: http://www.hesp.umd.edu
Application Process: gradschool.umd.edu/admissions

The Department’s facilities include

1. numerous modern research laboratories equipped to support research in the areas of: acoustic phonetics, psychoacoustics, infant and adult speech perception,neuropsychology, language and language development, voice, fluency and electrophysiology. There are multiple sound-attenuating chambers and one electrically-shielded chamber devoted to research with humans, which are all integrated with computers and peripheral equipment for acoustic signal development, signal analysis, presentation and on-line data collection;
2. the Hearing and Speech Clinic at UMCP: this clinic serves as the initial practicum site for all students pursuing clinical training. The Clinic includes multiple audiological test suites equipped for diagnostic testing, a complete hearing aid dispensary, a group rehabilitation room, and state-of-the-art equipment for behavioral and electrophysiological diagnostic testing, as well as hearing aid selection and fitting. Ten speech and language diagnostic and therapy rooms are integrated with observation areas; and
3. an on-site language pre-school (LEAP, the Language-Learning Early Advantage Program), also equipped for observation. Students pursuing clinical training in Audiology will also have access to the Audiology Service, Division of Audiology-Head and Neck Surgery, of the University of Maryland and University Hospital in Baltimore (UMB), for part-time clinical rotations or full-time clinical externships. This Service provides a full range of auditory and vestibular diagnostic and rehabilitative services in a large metropolitan hospital setting. Externally-funded research projects are an integral part of the activities at UMB. All of the clinical and research facilities are potentially available for the conduct of student-directed research projects, or for student participation in faculty-initiated research projects. Additional research and clinical facilities are available in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas. The Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine and the libraries of various medical schools in the Washington-Baltimore area supplement the University’s extensive libraries at College Park.

The Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences participates in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences graduate program (see NACS), the Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing Training Grant, and the Maryland Language Science Center, and has ties to the Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL); these connections afford students the opportunity to work with faculty in other departments at the University of Maryland, College Park, or at UMB.