Admission Requirement

Applicants must achieve a four-year baccalaureate degree (120 units/credits), will require a minimum average of B+ or 3.3/4.0 or 9/12, calculated over the last 60 units of his/her university course work. Applicants may apply in the 4th year of their degree.

The SLP program has 4 pre-requisite courses. Applicants will require a minimum of:

• one linguistics course at any level with a grade of B or higher;
• one relevant course in psychology at a second-year level or higher (e.g., child development, developmental psychology, aging and perception, cognition) with a grade of B or higher;
• one biological-science course at any level with a grade of B or higher; and
• one research methods or statistics course at any level with a grade of B or higher.

Note: A biological or life science course is considered any of the following: anatomy, biochemistry, biology, biomedical sciences, environmental science, earth science, histology, physiology, ecology, chemistry, physics, health physics, pharmacology, biotechnology, radiation sciences, integrated science, kinesiology or neuroscience.

Applicants must be enrolled in the specified prerequisite courses by the application deadline date (i.e. the course must be listed on an official transcript).

Applicants whose first language is not English and who did not attend an English-speaking university for their undergraduate degree must achieve at least a score of 600 (written) or 250 (computer) or 92 (iBT) (reading-22, speaking-24, listening-24, writing-22) on the TOEFL.

The number of seats in the Speech-Language Pathology program is limited, therefore, possession of published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

September 2017 target enrollment = 28 students
September 2018 (and beyond) target enrollment = 32 students

For further information, please contact:
askSLP@mcmaster.ca

Selection Process

The top-ranked (approximately 125) applicants will be invited to participate in an in-person mini multiple interview (MMI). Personal qualities and life experiences are assessed at these “mini” interviews, two of which are written stations. These interviews will take place in person at McMaster University Campus.  Final offers of admission will be based on a combination of pre-admission GPA and MMI score. Interview dates and Offer dates can be found on the program’s website http://srs-mcmaster.ca/slp-program-information/.

Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI)
Health professionals are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that maintains public confidence in the integrity and dignity of our professions. In selecting students, we are looking for individuals who will conduct themselves in a manner befitting our professions. As such, any and all communications and interactions with the Faculty before and during admission are considered part of the admission process and may be taken into account during admission deliberations. Admission may be denied to applicants who communicate or act in a manner that may be considered inappropriate or unprofessional regardless of academic standing.

What are Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs)?*
McMaster has always been an innovator in the field of medical education. The Multiple Mini-Interview, or MMI, is one example of how McMaster has approached an accepted process, like the traditional interview, and revolutionized it. Researchers at McMaster hypothesized that increasing the number of encounters for each interviewed applicant would lead to a more reliable assessment of the individual. This proved to be exactly the case. The MMI increases the overall reliability of the interview in judging an applicant's merits. It also dilutes the effect of a single misrepresentative showing by an applicant in any one interaction. Pioneered at McMaster in 2002, the MMI has been adopted at other schools across both Canada and the United States and internationally.

What can I Expect from an MMI?
The MMI consists of a series of short, carefully timed interview stations in an attempt to draw multiple samples of applicants’ ability to think on their feet, critically appraise information, communicate their ideas, and demonstrate that they have thought about some of the issues that are relevant to healthcare practice.

During the MMI, applicants will move between interview "stations" in a multi-station circuit. Each station lasts eight minutes and there is a two-minute break between each one. At each station, applicants will interact with a single rater. Topics to be discussed in interviews may include but are not limited to, communication, collaboration, ethics, health policy, critical thinking, awareness of health issues in Canada, and personal qualities.

Applicants have reached this stage of the admissions process because their academic performance has been sufficiently high. For this reason we will not test applicants’ specific knowledge in any given subject. We are, however, trying to assess the applicant’s ability to apply general knowledge to issues relevant to the culture and society in which they will be practicing should they gain admission to (and graduate from) the Speech-Language Pathology program. Equally important is the applicant’s ability to communicate and defend his or her personal opinions.

* Adapted from McMaster University School of Medicine

For further information, please contact:
Email: askSLP@mcmaster.ca

Assessment of Foreign Transcripts & TOEFL Requirements

Applicants with foreign transcripts, excluding the United States, United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand are required to submit the following:

1. Original Documents
2. Notarized English copies of all degree course work completed to date, including the diploma or degree awarded.
3. If possible, a legend from the university explaining the grading scale should also be submitted
4. If your first language is not English, a TOEFL score of 600 (written) or 250 (computer) or 92 (iBT) (reading-22, speaking-24, listening-24, writing-22) is required. The only exception to this requirement is for those who have completed an entire university degree in Canada, U.S.A, United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand. The TOEFL score must be sent directly from the TOEFL Centre to McMaster University (McMaster code: 0936, Department codes: SLP - 55) Scores that are more than two years old are not valid.

For further information, please contact:
Email: askSLP@mcmaster.ca

Indigenous Applicants

The Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University has a policy in place to facilitate the admission of students with Aboriginal ancestry as defined by the 1982 Constitution Act which recognizes First Nations, Inuit and Métis as the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada. These applications must be supplemented by documentation (photocopy of a Indian Status Card or Tribal Enrolment Card, Métis Membership/Citizenship Card, Inuit or Inuvialuit Tribal Corporation Number or Inuit Registry; or a letter from an official representative of the applicant's First Nations band, treaty, tribal or traditional council; Inuit land/territory organization; Métis settlement or community organization; or a recognized Aboriginal organization. This documentation must be sent to School of Rehabilitation Science SLP Admissions Committee.

Applicants who meet the above criteria, have a minimum GPA of 3.3/4.0 and who possess the pre-requisite courses, will be automatically invited to come for an interview (MMI).

Pre-requisite Courses

• one linguistics course at any level with a grade of B or higher;
• one relevant course in psychology at a second-year level or higher (e.g., child development, developmental psychology, aging and perception, cognition) with a grade of B or higher;
• one biological-science course at any level with a grade of B or higher; and
• one research methods or statistics course at any level with a grade of B or higher

After the interviews, indigenous applicants are then ranked with all other applicants using the weighted average of the MMI score and GPA.

For further information, please contact:
Email: askSLP@mcmaster.ca

Please click here to visit the Aboriginal Students Health Sciences Office.

Important Dates & FAQs

Will you be holding an Open House event for new students?

As a new program, we will not be hosting an Open House or Webinar event in 2017. Our website will be updated regularly with information. We welcome any questions via email at askslp@mcmaster.ca

Are letters of reference required to apply?

Reference letters are not required to apply and won’t be reviewed if submitted with the application.

When will the SLP program become Accredited?

In accordance with guidelines from the Council for Accreditation of Canadian University Programs in Speech-Language Pathology (CACUP), we will be applying for Candidacy prior to graduation of the first cohort of students. Students graduating from a Candidate program are entitled to register to practice in Ontario. We have designed the program to meet national standards for accreditation and provincial standards for registration and licensure in Ontario, so we expect that the program will receive Candidate status. As required by CACUP, within three years, the program will apply for Accreditation.