The SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, being interdisciplinary, draws from a variety of disciplines including communicative sciences and disorders, psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, engineering, or other related sciences. Students should have adequate preparation in mathematics, statistics and biological sciences. A background in neurosciences and/or language sciences, or language disorders is helpful, but not required for admission.
- Students must meet the general admission requirements for both universities. Generally, these include: (a) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; (b) a GPA of at least 3.25 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 semester (or 90 quarter) credits of upper division and/or graduate courses; (c) good standing in the last institution attended; (d) suitable scores in the quantitative and verbal sections of the Graduate Record Examination, general test**; and (e) submission of appropriate application forms and supporting materials as outlined below.
- The policy of the program concerning students with advanced degrees (M.A., M.S.) is that they enter the program at the same level as all other students. Any student has the right to attempt to waive a specific class requirement. Such waivers must have the consent of the instructor and approval of the Program Directors.
- Students applying to the Joint Doctoral Program must be admitted by both SDSU and UCSD.
**Due to COVID-19, we have suspended the GRE requirement for the upcoming 2021 admissions cycle.
PhD Applicant Student Profile
Admission to the program is highly competitive. While the minimum requirements for admission are listed above, the scores and GPAs of admitted students are generally higher:
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 25 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 35 | 28 | 31 | 15 | 23 |
| Offered Admission | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Overall GPA of applicants offered admission | 3.83 | 3.83 | 3.7 | 3.82 | 3.52 | 3.64 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Overall GRE (V+Q) of applicants offered admission | 317 | 320 | 324 | 319 | 314 | 1192 | 1385 | 1288 | 1050 |