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.

The Office of Graduate Admissions WILL NOT allow documents to be uploaded until you have paid your application fee.


Once you have paid your application fee, then you may upload your documents through your MyStatus page.

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 - ApplyTexas Application

VISIT the OGA web site and complete and submit the ApplyTexas Application which opens on September 1 and closes on December 15.

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

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

If an applicant is unable to afford the application fee and are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident pursuing your first graduate degree, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Fee waivers are not available for international citizens. For more information please visit the Graduate School webpage.

Step 3 - Transcripts

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. 

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).

If your college or university uses the SPEEDE service 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.

If your college or university uses Parchment, you can have your transcript(s) sent electronically. Please see the Parchment ordering guide for more information.

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.

Otherwise, create and upload a PDF of the official paper transcript issued to you by the registrar using the Document Upload System. It will be considered unofficial 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. Complete guidelines for uploading transcripts are available in Instructions for Uploading Transcripts, a downloadable guide. Please note that uploaded transcripts must first be verified, a process which can take 2 to 3 business days.

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 (waived for Fall 2024 admission)

Please note that the GRE requirement has been waived based on COVID-19 related admission guidance from the Graduate School for Fall 2024 Admissions. When submitting your application, please allow 72 hours for the GRE requirement to be removed from your “to do” list in MyStatus. There is no need to reach out in the interim.

If you still wish to submit your GRE scores, you are able to do so. The GRE will appear in your MyStatus list of submitted documents once we receive the scores.

Arrange for the Educational Testing Services (ETS) to submit your OFFICIAL SCORE for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE® General Test). The Analytical Writing Portion is considered in our review. If you did not take this portion of the GRE exam then your Statement of Purpose which is required to submit will be used to evaluate your writing skills.

GRE scores are valid for a maximum of 5 years.

The ETS code for UT Austin is 6882.

The GRE Concordance for the prior OLD test scale and currently NEW REVISED test scale is here

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 (SOP) (.pdf format ONLY) through your online MyStatus page.
Applicants are ONLY required to provide the Statement of Purpose for SLHS. You are NOT required to provide Graduate Admissions with a separate 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. Describe a challenge you have faced in your life and how you navigated that challenge.

Step 7 - Letters of Recommendation

Submit THREE 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. If the 45 days extend beyond the December 15 deadline, this will not jeopardize your application.

The electronic recommendation letter is a standard method used across universities in the U.S. We strongly recommend adhering to this policy to avoid lost letters or a delay in the processing of your application. 

Reference letters should NOT be mailed to the SLHS Graduate Office!  Please contact the SLHS Graduate Coordinator if you have further questions. Make sure to include your name and UT EID in all correspondence.

Letters are preferred from academic faculty in the field of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Letters from employment supervisors are accepted but from those who work in SLHS or a related field. We recommend to submit at least two letters from academic faculty with whom you have taken classes with or researched with. Failure to provide ALL three letters of reference may result in your application NOT going to review with our admission committees. The ApplyTexas application allows to submit ONLY three names with emails. DO NOT email to request additional letters of recommendation. Choose your faculty wisely.

Step 8 - Resume

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

Your résumé 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.

 

The Application Decision

Successful applicants will be those who, in the judgment of the faculty admissions committees, show the greatest promise for success as graduate students in our program and as professionals after graduation. We do not employ arbitrary threshold or minimum values for such factors as GRE scores or GPA to determine which applications are evaluated for admission, nor do we have geographic preferences or quotas; all applications are considered carefully on the basis of all required materials listed on this page.

To find out the status of your application you can check your MyStatus Page. If you wish to visit us, please make arrangements to attend our SLHS Info Day in the Fall. Admissions decisions are typically announced the second week of March prior to UT Austin closing for Spring Break. Decisions are announced on your MyStatus Page regarding our decision of either ‘ADMIT’ or ‘DENY’. Those students who may be placed on a 'waiting list' will have their admission decision posted on the MyStatus Page after all those admitted in early March have responded with a decision.

PLEASE NOTE: Applications for Teaching and Research Assistantships are announced in August to ONLY those students who are admitted and accept our offer. Those students who will receive an assistantship will be notified in August prior to Fall semester enrollment.