Communication Sciences and Disorders, PhD

Admission Requirements

Acceptance of a student into the COMD PhD program is determined on an individual basis by a number of factors:

1. Interview with potential mentor - Applicants must complete a virtual or in-person interview with a COMD faculty member and obtain a tentative agreement from the faculty member to serve as the student’s mentor.
2. Official transcripts - Prospective students must submit official transcripts from each college or university previously attended, including the degree(s) earned and date(s) awarded.
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. Curriculum vitae or résumé - An academic curriculum vitae or a résumé illustrating the applicant’s relevant background and experience.
5. Statement of interest - A personal statement of interest that explains why the student is applying to the program.
6. Additional documentation and English-language proficiency requirements for International Graduate Applicants.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are neither required nor taken into consideration during our doctoral program admissions process.

Degree Requirements

Credit hours required for this degree: 54.0

The curriculum of the COMD Ph.D. program is designed to provide students with the necessary foundational courses and research experiences to support a productive academic career. Every student will have a unique curriculum designed to ensure academic rigor, quality instruction and future marketability.

The COMD Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 54 credit hours of graduate coursework beyond a master’s degree. Students applying to the Ph.D. program having completed only a bachelor’s degree must complete an additional 30 credit hours at the graduate level in COMD and related fields for a minimum of 84 total credit hours.

Students will successfully complete an initial research project in their area of concentration that includes a written manuscript and an oral presentation of the project. Nearing the completion of the course work (typically after 4 full terms or about 40 credit hours), a Comprehensive Examination, the format of which will be determined by the student’s committee, must be successfully passed before commencing dissertation work and admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.

Both full time and part-time students will be accepted into the program. Full-time enrollment constitutes 9 credit hours per term, and students taking 6 or fewer credit hours are considered part-time. Students can complete the program as part-time as long as their plan of study fits within the 10-year timeframe allowed by the university.

In accordance with UH policies, up to 9 credits of graduate coursework may be transferred from other accredited institutions and counted towards the minimum hours required to complete the program, subject to the approval of the primary mentor and the University of Houston.

Required Courses

A set of core classes are required from all PhD students to ensure the quality of their training:

• COMD 8392 - COMD Advanced Research Methods Credit Hours: 3
• COMD 8x91 COMD Research
• COMD 8x93 COMD Proseminar

•  

• COMD 8397 - Selected Topics in COMD Credit Hours: 3

• OR

• COMD 8398 - Special Problems - Independent Study Credit Hours: 3

•  

• COMD 8x99 Dissertation

Academic Policies

• University of Houston Academic Policies  
• Academic Policies: College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences  
• Department Academic Policies
  • Two grades of C or lower during the course of the graduate program are grounds for automatic dismissal. The PhD degree is expected to be completed by students within four-five years after admission to graduate school. The maximum expected time allowed for the completion of the PhD degree after admission is six years unless an exception has been granted. A satisfactory rate of progress toward completion of the degree requirements is required throughout enrollment. The department may terminate a student’s enrollment at any time if the rate of progress or academic performance is not satisfactory.