MSSLHS Admission Instructions

The application process for SLHS is managed by the Office of Graduate Admissions  (OGA). You MUST submit your electronic application and all required materials listed in the following instructions by the REQUIRED DEADLINE date for your area of interest. Materials missing from your application may prevent your application from going to review with our Admissions Committees.

To be eligible for admission consideration, applicants must meet the Graduate School's minimum requirements.

Applicants must complete all MSSLHS prerequisites before the start of their program. 

MSSLHS Prerequisites

Step 1 - Application

VISIT the OGA web site and complete and submit the Graduate School Application for Admission which opens on September 1 and closes on December 15.

Step 2 - Fee

PAY your on-line application fee ($65 for US students and $90 for International students) per the instructions in the online application.

You must pay the application fee before you will be able to upload any documents to MyStatus. 

It may take 24-48 hours from when you submit your application before you receive the email to access your MyStatus page to upload departmental requirements.

For information regarding fee waivers please visit the Graduate School webpage.

Step 3 - Transcripts

After satisfying the application fee, provide an official transcript from every senior college you have attended. Even if courses taken at one institution are recorded on another college's transcript, transcripts must be submitted from the institution at which the courses were taken. Failure to list all colleges on the application and provide those transcripts will be considered an intentional omission and may lead to the cancellation of your application for admission or withdrawal of your offer of admission.

Official transcripts bear the facsimile signature of the registrar and the seal of the issuing institution. Transcripts from U.S. colleges or universities must have been produced within the last calendar year, and should include the award of degree printed on the transcript unless coursework is still in progress. Transcripts written in a language other than English must be accompanied by a translation. We do not accept outside evaluations of foreign transcripts. Each transcript (mark sheet) should contain a complete record of studies at the institution from which it is issued (i.e., the subjects taken and grades [marks] earned in each subject). 

Below are acceptable submission methods:

• SPEEDE: If your college or university uses SPEEDE, you can have your transcript(s) sent electronically. Check with the registrar of your institution to find out if transcripts can be sent via the SPEEDE server, as well as instructions for placing an order.
• Parchment: If your college or university uses Parchment, you can have your transcript(s) sent electronically. Please note that due to the sending institution’s system limitations, we cannot currently accept transcripts through Parchment from University of Kansas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), National Louis University, Dartmouth College, Southern Utah University and Northwestern University. If you obtain a Parchment transcript directly and upload it to your application, please be aware it cannot be used to clear you for registration upon admission. As such, you should have the transcript sent directly to UT Austin.
• Upload: First, review the guidelines for uploading transcripts, linked below. Then, upload a PDF using the Document Upload System. You can upload an official PDF transcript issued by the institution or a scan of the official paper transcript issued to you by the registrar. Uploads will be considered unofficial if admitted, but can be used to process your application for admission. You should redact your Social Security number from the transcript before you upload, but other alterations are not permitted. Instructions for Uploading Transcripts. Uploads require verification, a process which can take 2 to 3 business days. You should upload your transcripts well in advance of the deadline to allow adequate time for processing. Failure to do so could result in your application being considered late. Do not upload unofficial transcripts or other documents that do not meet requirements, even as temporary placeholders. Doing so will delay processing of your application and could lead to cancellation for being late.

We cannot accept electronic transcripts sent by registrars or third-party entities in any other format (e.g. by email or by links to secure websites). Please do not mail official transcripts or paper copies of your transcripts before you are offered admission. Sending paper copies of documents will significantly delay the processing of your application.

Junior/Community college transcripts are NOT required.

Step 4 - GRE Test (not required - optional)

The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin does not require GRE scores as part of the application for the MSSLHS, AuD, and PhD programs. The GRE score submission is optional for applicants who would like to use the GRE score as supplemental information to show the Admissions Committees their potential to succeed in the program. Applicants who do not submit GRE scores will not be put at a disadvantage. Applicants are encouraged to submit all documents that may help the Admissions Committees evaluate their academic and life experiences, as well as their potential to contribute to the community of the department. All materials of each completed application such as a resume, statement of purpose, recommendation letters, GPA, and GRE scores (optional), will be considered and assessed in their entirety by the Admissions Committees.

The ETS code for UT Austin is 6882.

Step 5 - TOEFL/IELTS Test

International students should ARRANGE for the Educational Testing Services (ETS) to submit your OFFICIAL SCORE for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

The ETS code for UT Austin is 6882. 

The minimum scores considered acceptable for admission by the Graduate School are:

• TOEFL: 79 on the Internet-based test (iBT). TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years after the test date.
• IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination

More information about these requirements can be found on the Graduate School website.

Step 6 - Statement of Purpose

SUBMIT your statement of purpose .pdf format ONLY through your online MyStatus page.
Applicants are required to provide the statement of purpose for the MSSLHS graduate application. You are NOT required to provide Graduate Admissions with an additional statement of purpose or essay.

All MSSLHS applicants MUST submit a Statement of Purpose according to the following guidelines:

Please write a response to the questions below, double spaced (font size 11 or 12) and limit your responses to 500 words for every question (1,000 words total).

Please note that answering these questions replaces your general Statement of Purpose.

1. Why do you think the University of Texas at Austin is a good fit for your post-graduation goals and what sets you apart as an applicant in relation to those goals?

2. Please address any information that you believe your application would be incomplete without and that sheds more light on your unique potential to succeed in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences master’s program and contribute to the University community and the field or profession.

Step 7 - Letters of Recommendation

Submit THREE electronic letters of recommendation – On your application you will be asked to provide the names and emails of your references. After you submit and pay your application fee, an electronic request for reference will be sent to your recommenders. You will be able to re-send or send additional reminder requests for reference through your online MyStatus page. Recommenders have 45 days the time to submit their electronic letter, from the day they receive the request. All letters of recommendation are due January 5th.

Reference letters should NOT be mailed to the SLHS Graduate Office.

Letters from faculty in the field of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences are preferred. Letters from employment supervisors who work in SLHS or a related field are also accepted. Applicants are recommended to submit at least two letters from academic faculty with whom they have taken classes or researched with. It is the student's responsibility to make sure all recommendations are submitted before the deadline. Failure to provide ALL three letters of reference will impact your application. The graduate admissions application allows to submit ONLY three names with emails. DO NOT email to request additional letters of recommendation.

Step 8 - Resume

Submit your one page resume in .pdf format through your MyStatus page.

Your resume should include:

1. Educational background
2. Honors
3. Related field organizations
4. Research and/or clinical experience including area, supervisor and length of rotation
5. Volunteer experience
6. Related field work experience

Step 9 - Additional miscellaneous documents

ANY additional documents you wish to submit must be SAVED in .pdf format and submitted through the Admissions Document Upload System.

Step 10 - Continue to complete MSSLHS prerequisites

If you have not completed your prerequisites at the time of application submission, please continue to complete all MSSLHS prerequisites. Applicants must complete all MSSLHS prerequisites before the start of their program. 

You have now completed all the required steps for the MSSLHS program.