Master's Programs in Nursing and Health Professions

Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDO)

The Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders is offered by the Department of Health Professions. The degree is clinically oriented and is designed to prepare students to be Speech Language Pathologists working in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and schools. The program meets the clinical requirements for state licensure as a Speech Language Pathologist and for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The Master of Science (MS) education program in speech-language pathology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard #310, Rockville, MD 20850; Phone: (800) 498-2071 or (301) 296-5700.

Students who wish to enroll in the Graduate Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDO) must present evidence of completion of an undergraduate major in Speech-Language Pathology or completion of all undergraduate courses required of an undergraduate major in Speech-Language Pathology. Also, coursework in the following areas is required: biology, chemistry or physics, math, psychology, and basic statistics. The overall GPA and CSDO GPA are part of the evaluation for admission to the graduate program.

Per ASHA accreditation requirements, the program runs criminal background checks on students as part of the admissions process. Students should also be advised that the Texas Department of Licensing may deny a license to an applicant because of conviction for a felony or misdemeanor if the crime directly relates to the professional duties of a speech-language pathologist or audiologist.

Social Work (SCWK)

The Master of Social Work (MSW) with a concentration in Clinical/Activist Social Work is offered by the Social Work program in the Department of Health Professions. The MSW degree program requires 60 credits (regular track) for those without a BSW degree accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and 30 credits (advanced standing) for those with a BSW degree accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Regular track students take the foundation year of content, followed by the Clinical/Activist concentration year, where they join their advanced standing colleagues who only take the concentration year of content in Clinical/Activist Social Work.

The MSW degree in Social Work with a concentration in Clinical/Activist Social Work is offered as a non-thesis option. A minimum of 900 clock hours of field education (supervised practice) is required. The MSW degree program will prepare students to function in a variety of Social Work and/or Social Service settings. Students will be required to obtain a Criminal Background Check prior to placement in a practicum site. The MSW degree program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is in candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the master’s level social work examination in Texas; however, students should be advised that it is their responsibility to check with their particular state concerning their eligibility to sit for the master’s level licensing examination, as such requirements may vary by state.

Students who wish to enroll in the MSW program with a concentration in Clinical/Activist Social Work must present evidence of successful completion of undergraduate courses or their equivalent in human biology (3 credits), introduction to psychology (3 credits), introduction to sociology (3 credits), and statistics (3 credits). The BSW degree or credits in social work is not required to pursue graduate study in social work for the two year program; but is required for the Advanced Standing program. All admitted students are given full admission with stipulations; they must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first semester of study to gain full admission without any stipulations.