Admission to this program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School and satisfaction of departmental application requirements. 

A minimum of ninety graduate credits beyond the baccalaureate is required for completion of the Ph.D. program. Most students exceed this requirement in the course of completing the degree. The student and his/her advisor work cooperatively to plan a program of study designed to establish the necessary skills and knowledge for successful completion of the degree and in preparation for careers in research, higher education, and advanced clinical practice. As part of the program of study, the student will complete thirty credits in Doctoral Dissertation Research and Direction. The thirty credit dissertation registration requirement is fulfilled by registering for the courses SLP 9991, SLP 9992, SLP 9993, and SLP 9994 (Doctoral Dissertation Research and Direction I, II, III, and IV, respectively), in consecutive academic year semesters.

Candidacy: In order to become a candidate for the Ph.D. degree, an applicant must successfully complete both a written and an oral qualifying examination.