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News | Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)

Biola CSD Graduates Beat National Averages Again

June 8, 2021

Getting into graduate school in speech-language pathology and audiology is very competitive, but Biola CSD majors continue to beat the national averages for acceptance into these graduate programs. According to the latest data from the CSD Education Survey, the national acceptance rate for master’s programs in speech-language pathology is 39.0% while Biola graduates had an acceptance rate of 95.2%. In California, one of the most competitive states, the acceptance rate was 22.5% while Biola students were accepted 90.5% of the time.

It is a similar story for doctoral programs in audiology. The national acceptance rate was 42.5% while Biola graduates had an acceptance rate of 100%. For programs in California, the national acceptance rate was 29.1% compared to a 100% acceptance rate for Biola graduates. We believe these numbers show that Biola has a strong program that prepares students for graduate work in both speech-language pathology and audiology. Congratulations, graduates!

MS-SLP Accreditation Public Meeting

August 25, 2020

The Communication Sciences and Disorders Department invites and and appreciates your input and participation at a Public Meeting through Zoom during our accreditation site visit for the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program. Site visitors will be interacting with the Biola community (including students, alumni, supervisors, and employers) in order to gauge investment and support for the Master's in Speech-Language Pathology program. Please support our program by attending this public forum.

The public meeting will be held Thursday, October 1st, at 5p.m. through Zoom. If you would like to provide comments but are unable to attend this public meeting, you can submit your comments through the CAA's Call for Public Comments site in the 15 days prior to the meeting .

Please R.S.V.P. by emailing alicia.m.mccormick@biola.edu with your name, email address, and phone number. The Zoom link will then be sent to those who R.S.V.P. before October 1st.

MS-SLP Accreditation Public Meeting

January 29, 2020

The Communication Sciences and Disorders Department invites and and appreciates your input and participation at a Public Meeting during our accreditation site visit for the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program. Site visitors will be interacting with the Biola community (including students, alumni, supervisors, and employers) in order to gauge investment and support for the Master's in Speech-Language Pathology program. Please support our program by attending this public forum.


The public meeting will be held Monday, April 6th, at 4–5 p.m. in Business Building 209. If you would like to provide comments but are unable to attend this public meeting, you can submit your comments through the CAA's Call for Public Comments site.

Biola CSD Graduates Continue to Beat National Averages

October 10, 2019

Getting into graduate school in speech-language pathology is very competitive, but Biola CSD majors continue to beat the national averages for acceptance into these graduate programs. The national acceptance rate is 31% while Biola graduates had an acceptance rate of 94%. In California — one of the most competitive states, the acceptance rate was 18% while Biola students were accepted 77% of the time. We believe these numbers show that Biola has a strong program that prepares students for graduate work. Congratulations, graduates!

Biola's MS-SLP Alumn Receives Award

April 1, 2019

Katie McGrath ('18), a graduate of Biola's MS-SLP program, received the NOC SELPA Above and Beyond Award. This award honors individuals within the North Orange County (NOC) Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) who have provided extraordinary services to students. Katie graduated with the inaugural cohort as part of the MS-SLP program and is currently working as an SLP for the La Habra City School District. 

Biola's MS-SLP Graduates First Cohort of 20 Students

June 6, 2018

This year, 20 students graduated as the first cohort of Biola’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program.

The communication sciences and disorders department at Biola enrolled its first cohort of 20 students in 2016. Over 80 applications were submitted, competing for 20 spots. Students enrolled included ten from Biola, some graduating five years ago, and ten from other universities, including CSU Northridge, Chapman, and Arizona State.

All 20 students completed 63 units including earning 400 clinical hours working as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) under the supervision of a mentor. At the end of the program, all 20 of the students passed the national licensure exam on the first attempt. These students have already received job offers in public schools, private rehabilitation clinics, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities.

One SLP from the community who supervised some of our graduate students said, "I cannot say enough about Biola SLP students...[school employees have heard from them] how God's love has impacted their lives and how they see their profession as a way to serve others in His name. Biola's MS-SLP program is fulfilling the mission of Biola University by preparing students to impactful in their fields; this first graduating cohort of speech-language pathologists are excellent clinicians with a heart for God."

Biola CSD Graduates Beat National Averages Again

June 6, 2018

Biola’s communication sciences and disorders (CSD) students have beaten the national averages again for acceptance into speech-language pathology and audiology programs by 60 percent. The average national acceptance rate is 28 percent, and the acceptance rate for California-based programs is 18 percent. Biola graduates who graduated this year had an acceptance rate of 88 percent to both California programs and programs in the country.

Biola’s 2017-18 CSD graduates were accepted to the following graduate programs:

  • Biola University
  • Chapman University
  • CSU East Bay
  • CSU Northridge
  • San Francisco University
  • San Jose State University
  • University of Oregon
  • University of Hawaii
  • Washington State University

Congratulations, graduates!

Pre-Accreditation Status Awarded to Biola's Speech-Language Pathology Program

August 15, 2016

The masters degree program in speech-language pathology at Biola University is now a Candidate for Accreditation by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This is a "pre-accreditation" status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of five years.

Biola CSD Graduates Beat National Averages

October 8, 2015

As most people know, getting into graduate school in speech-language pathology and audiology is very competitive, but Biola CSD majors have beaten the national averages for acceptance into these graduate programs. The national acceptance rate is 23.29% while Biola graduates had an acceptance rate of 60.87%. In California (one of the most competitive states), the acceptance rate was 11.18% while Biola students were accepted 40% of the time. We believe these numbers show that Biola has a strong program that prepares students for graduate work. Please check out our site to learn more about our program.

Update on Masters Program

September 14, 2015

Biola University has received a level one approval from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ASHA) Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) to move forward in the accreditation process toward offering an MS degree in speech and language pathology. This means that we will submit more application materials and potentially have an accreditation assessment site visit. We anticipate being able to receive applications sometime towards the end of the fall and will have more information available soon. There is no guarantee we will be able to admit students in fall of 2016 but the level one approval is a positive and welcome step. If interested, your name will be added to a list we are maintaining of individuals to contact as more information becomes available. In the meantime, you are encouraged to continue checking the website. We are happy to answer questions you may have but this is the extent of our information at this time.

Speech-Language Pathologist Among Best Jobs for 2015

December 5, 2014

CareerBuilder partnered with Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) to make a list of the "hottest" jobs for 2015 based on supply and demand. Along with registered nurses and physical therapists, speech-language pathologists appear to be in demand. Speech-language pathologists had a job growth of 5% between 2010 and 2014, and there is currently an 8,001 gap between job postings and hiring.

Source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careerandeducation/the-10-best-jobs-for-2015/ss-BBeUJoZ#image=10