International Applicants

Applications to the Master of Clinical Science in Audiology and Master of Clinical Science in Speech-Language Pathology are made through the Ontario Rehabilitation Sciences Programs Application Center - ORPAS. Applications on ORPAS are accepted yearly, beginning mid-October until the first week of January.

If you require guidance on your ORPAS application please reach out to us: earandmouth@uwo.ca or the International Recruitment Coordinator for The Faculty of Health Sciences: cozkurt@uwo.ca.

• A 4-year degree from an accredited university.
  • Transcripts outside of Canada and US must be evaluated for equivalency by WES (World Education Services).
• Both the original transcript and WES evaluation must be submitted to ORPAS.
• Possess a minimum 3.30 SubGPA in the final 2 years (10 Full or 20 Half Courses) of your undergraduate program.
• Applicants who did not complete their entire undergraduate degree in an English-Speaking institution must submit proof of English Language proficiency.
  • TOEFL IBT Score 105.
  • IELTS Academic Score 7.5
• Applicants must submit a professional or personal reference from someone who knows the applicant from a non-academic setting (e.g. work supervisor, coach, clergy member)
• Two Academic letters.
• A CV (upload through ORPAS)
• Completion of Statement of Intent on ORPAS online application.

Students in both Audiology and Speech- Language Pathology programs are required to utilize specialized computer software as part of their courses. As such:

• Students are required to have access to a personal laptop / computer that runs recent Windows or Mac OS for the purposes of completing coursework and utilizing specialized software.
• App-based devices (Chromebook, Android Tablet, IPAD) do not have the computing capabilities to run the required specialized software.

Given the intensity, breadth and depth of the information and clinical training, students in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Programs must possess very strong cognitive, communication, sensory and interpersonal skills necessary for provision of safe, ethical, and effective assessment, treatment, counseling, and educational services. Prior to applying to our programs, potential candidates are encouraged to review the ‘Essential Skills’ documents and carefully reflect on whether they meet the requirements for these professions.

• Speech Language- Pathology Essential Skills and Attributes.
• Audiology Essential Skills and Attributes.

To be considered for admission, students must have successfully completed the following six prerequisite half-courses:

1. Developmental Psychology or Child Development
   
   Introduction to all (or most) of the following areas of infant and child development:
   
   
   • Sensorimotor
   • Perceptual
   • Cognitive
   • Language
   • Social
   • Emotional

Must include a section on language acquisition. Students who did not receive an introductory instruction in language acquisition in either their Developmental Psychology or Introduction to Linguistics course are expected to have completed a separate language acquisition/ development course and list this course under prerequisite #6.

2. Introduction to Linguistics
   
   Introduction to all (or most of) the following areas:
   
   
   • Phonetics
   • Phonology
   • Morphology
   • Syntax
   • Semantics
   • Pragmatics
   • Language acquisition

Must include a section on phonetics. Students who did not receive introductory instruction in phonetics in their Introduction to Linguistics course are expected to have completed a separate phonetics course and list this course under prerequisite #6.

3. Statistics
   
   Introduction to all (or most) of the following areas:
   
   
   • Statistical inference
   • Experimental design
   • Sampling design
   • Confidence intervals and hypothesis tests for means and proportions.
   • Regression and correlation

4. Human Anatomy, Human Physiology
   
   Introduction to the structure and/ or physiological principals of human neural, muscular and respiratory systems.

5. Life/ Biomedical/ General Sciences
   
   Courses must cover basic human processes important for communication sciences and disorders. Acceptable courses include:
   
   
   • Anatomy*
   • Neuroscience
   • Physiology*
   • Physics
   • Biology
   • Pharmacology
   • Physiological Psychology
   • Brain & Behavior
   • Neuropsychology or Equivalent

6. Social Science/ Psychology/ Linguistics
   
   Courses must cover basic human processes important for communication sciences and disorders. Acceptable courses include:
   
   
   • Perception
   • Learning and Memory
   • Normal Lifespan Development
   • Cognition
   • Social Psychology
   • Abnormal Psychology
   • Language Acquisition
   • Phonetics
   • Semantics
   • Syntax
   • Pragmatics
   • Introduction to Speech and Language Disorders or Equivalent

In order to be considered for admissions students must complete at least one half-credit course from each of the following four areas (2 credits in total):

1. Developmental Psychology or Normal Lifespan Development
   
   Introduction to all (or most) of the following areas of infant and child development:
   
   
   • Sensorimotor
   • Perceptual
   • Cognitive
   • Language
   • Social
   • Emotional

2. Statistics
   
   Introduction to all (or most) of the following areas:
   
   
   • Statistical inference
   • Experimental design
   • Sampling design
   • Confidence intervals and hypothesis tests for means and proportions.
   • Regression and correlation

3. Human Anatomy, Human Physiology
   
   Introduction to the structure and/ or physiological principals of human neural, muscular and respiratory systems.

4. Social Science/ Psychology/ Linguistics
   
   Courses must cover basic human processes important for communication sciences and disorders. Acceptable courses include:
   
   
   • Physiological Psychology
   • Neuropsychology
   • Sensation
   • Perception
   • Learning and Memory
   • Cognition
   • Social Psychology
   • Abnormal Psychology
   • Linguistics
   • Language Acquisition
   • Phonetics
   • Phonology
   • Pragmatics
   • Introduction to SL and/or Hearing Sciences or Disorders

Students considering enrollment in the CSD programs must have a strong foundation in math, anatomy and physiology, and science, and should consider acquiring some back knowledge in the topic areas to better prepare for the courses.

Before applying or accepting an offer of admission to the School of CSD, prospective students should be aware of the following:

• The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology programs are two-year (6 term), full-time, in-person programs. We do not have the traditional Fall and/or Winter reading weeks that University undergraduate programs have. Applicants must be prepared to be a full-time student during the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer terms. Students must be prepared to participate in daytime and evening classes.
• Students must obtain and complete all mandatory immunizations, vaccinations, medical and non-medical requirements specified by Western University, the School of CSD, and other clinical facilities.
• Students must also be aware that at this time most placement partners including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community clinics, have pre-placement policies for students that include mandatory vaccination requirements. Students will be required to be compliant with the policy requirements of our placement partners in order to attend placements in those facilities. If students are not compliant with those policies, they will not be able to attend those placements and will fail to meet clinical graduation requirements. Students who fail to meet clinical graduation requirements will not be eligible to complete the program.
• Students must obtain, pay for, and submit documentation of a clear police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) as required by clinical placement facilities.
• Students are encouraged to have a strong foundation in math, anatomy and physiology, and science prior to applying to the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology programs.
• Students must attend and pay for all costs associated with the clinical placements assigned to them. It is important for you to realize that this may mean paying for housing in two locations (one at Western and one where your clinical placement happens). There is very limited funding and bursaries to cover costs associated with participation in the program, including in clinical placements.
• Students are expected to participate in all aspects of the CSD program, including:
  
  
  • Oral presentations in front of groups/peers
  • Fast turn-around in lesson plan and report writing.
  • Talking with families and clients
  • Receiving feedback about clinical and academic performance
  • In-person and individual practical evaluations
  • Speech-Language Pathology students are required to participate in anatomy cadaver labs.

These are program expectations that cannot be waived. Please consider that you must participate in these important aspects of clinical training and help guide your admission acceptance decision-making process.

Co-op Work Permit and Study Permit

International students require a study permit to study at Western. In the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology program, an additional permit is required: a co-op work permit. A Co-op work permit is a special type of permit that allows you to work in Canada as part of your academic program.

As part of your degree requirements, students in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders participate in clinical placements. International students need a co-op work permit with their study permits when starting the program, thus, you must apply for a co-op work permit alongside your study permit. 

To avoid delays, the best time to apply for a co-op work permit is at the same time that you apply for your study permit. We will supply you with a letter to include with your co-op work permit application stating that placements are a required part of your studies. If the co-op letter is not included in your offer, please reach out to the school to request.

It is very important for international students to understand the rules and regulations when it comes to working as an international student in Canada. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure a co-op work permit is obtained prior to starting the program.

Follow this link for more information regarding applying to a co-op work permit, or visit IRCC Website.

You can book an appointment with Western University International Student Advisors for assistance and your questions.

All international students should complete the International Student Orientation for Graduate Students offered through Western’s International & Exchange Student Center. You must present your study permit and co-op work permit to the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders by September 1.