The Teaching Assistantship for qualified first year doctoral students carries a stipend of $26,000 for 12 months and full payment of tuition is also provided. The normal period for Ph.D. level graduate support is 4 1/2 years (2 1/2 years for masters students).  Renewal of the Teaching Assistantship will be contingent upon the student's satisfactory performance in both the academic program and assigned responsibilities, as well as the continued availability of funds and departmental need.

The online portal will allow applicants to upload their materials. Further information on the submission process and the transcript policy can be found at: https://www.kent.edu/admissions/graduate-degree-student-requirements. International applicants do not need to have WES or any other credential evaluations.

When your application is complete, the departmental Graduate Committee will review it and you will be informed of their decision as soon as possible.

It should be noted that neither the University nor the Department is able to waive the application fee. The fee must be paid before a decision can be made on your admission. In addition, we cannot review your application until you have provided all of the requested information. 

We require three letters of recommendation and a CV/resume, as well as original academic transcripts and a statement of purpose. Please make sure that the statement of purpose includes your area of interest, as well as any faculty whose research interests you. While you do not need to have an advisor chosen in advance, including your research interests within your statement of purpose is advisable. Students may do their research in the following fields:

The Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders offers both full and part-time degree opportunities. When you identify a potential Ph.D. mentor, you should also communicate your interest in attending full or part time. Only full time students may be considered for an assistantship.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All Ph.D. students must complete a Master's Thesis (prior to admission to the Ph.D. program, typically completed during their Master’s coursework) or a project in lieu of thesis (for those who did not complete a Master’s thesis). Typically, in the first two years of the Ph.D. program, students will take courses, engage in research, and individual investigations. Once coursework has been completed, Ph.D. students will enter the comprehensive phase of their studies in which they may select from any of the 9 Doctoral Comprehensive Exams listed in the graduate handbook. Once the Ph.D.

It is recommended (not required) that all applicants have the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) sent directly to the University. The general GRE exam is required and a minimum quantitative score of 45% or higher is recommended. Although the subject GRE is not required, candidates are encouraged to provide a subject GRE score to strengthen their file. Information about the GRE can be obtained by visiting their website.

Funding (stipend and tuition waiver) is not always guaranteed and is subject to review each academic year. Ph.D. applicants who apply to the Ph.D. program in Communication Sciences and Disorders by Jan. 15 will be considered for funding. Our program, however, does offer a rolling deadline to any student not needing funding.

The Ph.D. program in Communication Sciences and Disorders use of a mentor training model requires prospective doc students to identify an area of interest that aligns with at least one of the faculty mentors (listed above). Typically, prospective doctoral students should identify a faculty mentor and area of interest that aligns with that faculty member in their statement of interest (a.k.a. - statement of purpose; letter of intent; goal statement; etc) submitted with their application materials.