The distance ABSN and MENP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)* and approved by the Illinois Board of Nursing.

The distance pathway for the Master of Science (M.S.) program in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Elmhurst University is under review by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Please have all official transcripts sent to our online records team to ensure the quickest processing possible. They may be sent either electronically or via mail.  

If sending electronic transcripts, send to admissionsrecords@onlinedegrees.elmhurst.edu. Please confirm this receiving address when ordering, as many sending institutions have default email addresses in their ordering systems. If sent to an alternate email address, it could create a delay in processing the application.  

If sending transcripts via mail, send to the address below. Please confirm this receiving address when ordering as many sending institutions have default addresses in their ordering systems. If sent to an alternate address or office, it could delay the processing of the application.  

Elmhurst University 

Online Records Processing 

1501 Woodfield Rd 

Suite 204N 

Schaumburg, IL 60173 

For any questions, please reach out to your enrollment advisor. 

When you’re ready, visit this page to start your application and schedule an appointment with an enrollment advisor to talk through the application process and any questions you have. 

Both the MENP and ABSN programs are available in several authorized states. Students of the MENP and ABSN programs must either reside or be willing to relocate to an approved state during the program. The M.S. CSD program is currently authorized to accept U.S. residents from all states except California, Colorado, New York, South Carolina, and West Virginia. Please visit our State Authorization page for more information.

The online Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders is designed to meet the academic and clinical education requirements for national certification through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (CCC-SLP) and Illinois state licensure in speech-language pathology. Please see licensure information here for details related to individual state requirements. 

Please be aware that some states require a separate credential to practice in the school system, which may have additional requirements. If a state Department of Education requires a separate credential to practice in the school system, you must obtain that credential to practice in schools. It is the student's responsibility to determine what is required to obtain the credential to work in the school system. It is the student’s responsibility to remain up to date on all state licensure requirements. 

No, there is no GRE or MAT test required to apply to the program. 

Your enrollment advisor will help ensure you meet all of the requirements for the distance ABSN. Admission requirements include: 

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university  
• Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA  
• Completion of prerequisite courses 

You will need 25 credit hours of prerequisite courses and you must have earned a "C" or better in each with a minimum 2.8 GPA within the science prerequisite courses. 

• Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)  
• Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits) 
• Microbiology with Lab (4 credits)  
• Statistics (3 credits) 
• General Chemistry with Lab (4 credits) 
• Lifespan Psychology (3 credits) 
• Abnormal Psychology (3 credits) 

If you haven’t yet earned credit for these courses, your enrollment advisor will help you with the next steps. 

Your enrollment advisor will help ensure you meet all of the requirements for the distance CSD. Admission requirements include:

• CSDCAS application for admission
• An undergraduate degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA (and a minimum 3.0 GPA in CSD courses)
• Official transcripts
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• A brief video introduction 

To enroll within the program, students must complete the following prerequisites/leveling courses:

• Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech and Hearing Mechanism
• Child Language Development & Disorders
• Clinical Methods
• Introduction to Audiology
• Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Phonetics
• Speech Science
• Speech Sound Disorders (Articulation and Phonology)
• Aural Rehabilitation
• 25 observation hours with an ASHA-certified, licensed provider
• + ASHA foundational science courses 

Your enrollment advisor will help to ensure that you meet the requirements for the distance MENP. Admission requirements include: 

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university  
• 3.2 GPA  
• Prerequisite courses  

You will need 22 credit hours of prerequisite courses and you must have earned a "C" or better in each. Prerequisites for the MENP program must have been completed within the past five years. 

• Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)  
• Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits)  
• General Chemistry with Lab (4 credits)  
• Microbiology with Lab (4 credits) 
• Intro to Psychology or Sociology (3 credits) 
• Statistics (3 credits) 

If you have not yet earned credit for these courses, your enrollment advisor will help you with the next steps. 

Students will provide assessment and intervention services to pediatric and/or adult clients within various clinical settings in areas such as speech production, receptive language, expressive language, cognitive-communication, fluency, voice, social communication and/or augmentative and alternative forms of communication. Students will use assessment data to construct appropriate intervention plans, develop lesson plans, deliver therapy to address desired goals, and conduct ongoing assessment of client progress.

Our clinical placement team identifies and secures quality placement sites as close as possible to your local community. We manage this process for you so that you’ll have time to focus on your coursework and the core competencies you’ll need to succeed and graduate fully prepared. 

Your placement coordinator will be with you through the entire process by answering your questions, verifying your clearance requirements and walking you through the clinicals checklist. The checklist details the dress code, clinical tools and professional expectations to ensure your success during each placement.

Your responsibilities will include:  

• Reviewing objectives and remaining compliant with your clinical requirements throughout the program  
• Completing daily written objectives and evaluation forms  
• Reviewing existing clinical protocols and Elmhurst University’s protocols with your faculty 
• Documenting all clinical encounters using a SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan) format  
• Ensuring you are always under supervision 

Hands-on patient care in clinical settings is a requisite component of a nursing degree. During your clinicals, with the supervision of a licensed RN, you’ll practice what you learned in the online classroom on real patients. 

During clinical placements, you’ll have the opportunity to work in various settings and experience an assortment of RN jobs and responsibilities, all while developing your core competencies and expanding your skill set.  

Clinicals are very similar to an internship or being an apprentice; you provide care for real patients, but you benefit from the supervision and guidance of an experienced RN. 

Your clinical portion of the program will begin after the required clinical clearances, background checks and on-campus residency are successfully completed. 

Nursing clinicals can require you to work shifts as long as 12 hours. You’ll work under an experienced RN who will coach you throughout the process. During your clinical placements, you’ll gain practical experience by learning assessment skills, care coordination, patient advocacy and much more. 

Throughout your clinicals, licensed RNs will serve as student mentors, supervising and guiding your development as a nurse. They will:  

• Bridge the gap between theory and actual practice  
• Orient you to the practice setting (key personnel, organization and institutional policies)  
• Help you plan clinical assignments  
• Provide supervision and daily feedback  
• Review and co-sign all documentation in the clinical records 

*The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and the master’s degree program in nursing at Elmhurst University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. 

The speech-language pathology clinical experiences are designed to provide you with real-world, hands-on experience to complement your classroom learning. These off-campus experiences in practice settings near your home enrich your graduate journey by preparing you for action in the field in a variety of settings.

Coursework is 100% online until the start of clinicals. The program also contains one virtual orientation, which begins before you start your courses, and one campus immersion, which takes place in summer or January, depending on the start date.

The online CSD program is 8 semesters, or 2.7 years. It consists of 62 credits through the portfolio option, or 66 credits through the thesis option, including 400 clinical hours.

All distance MENP coursework is online except for one on-campus residency for two weeks in Elmhurst, IL and nursing clinicals in your local area. During the residency, you will build clinical knowledge and skills through active, hands-on learning in the state-of-the-art Simulation Center. 

The distance MENP program is an intensive, 20-month program. Some students may need to take additional prerequisite courses prior to entering the program. 

All ABSN coursework is online, with the exception of two on-campus residencies in Elmhurst, IL and nursing clinicals in your local area. 

The distance ABSN program is an intensive, 16-month program. Some students may need to take additional prerequisite courses prior to entering the program. 

The cost of the online CSD program is $72,000 (excluding fees) for the portfolio option and $76,645 (excluding fees) for the thesis option.

If you are looking for financial aid, your Enrollment Advisor can help you navigate the financial options that are available. 

Online students can apply for private loans through certain financial institutions. Please visit ELMSelect for more information on available lenders. In addition to Federal Stafford loans, graduate students enrolled in the online MENP program can apply for a Federal PLUS Loan. Both private loans and Federal PLUS Loans are credit-based and require a credit check.

Students should file their FAFSA as soon as they have completed their application to the program. Once you have been admitted into the program, Student Financial Services will be able to assist with the next steps. Please note that Federal Stafford Loans will not be able to cover the entirety of tuition costs and that additional financial resources, such as private student loans, will be required.  

There are 21 courses in the distance MENP program, and typically, this accelerated nursing program requires 71 credit hours and carries a total program cost of $60,000. 

Your cost may vary depending on whether you have transfer credits or need additional prerequisite courses before you can begin the program. 

There is an additional fee of $450 for the purchase of materials used within your courses to help you learn course content and prepare with confidence to pass the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. 

There are 15 courses in the distance ABSN program, and typically, this accelerated nursing program requires 60 credit hours and carries a total program cost of $50,000.  

Your cost may vary depending on whether you have transfer credits or need additional prerequisite courses before you can begin the program. 

There is an additional fee of $450 for the purchase of materials used within your courses to help you learn course content and prepare with confidence to pass the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. 

Elmhurst University does not offer grants or scholarships for online healthcare programs. We encourage you to explore opportunities to apply for private scholarships. With the growing demand for more healthcare professionals, many scholarships are offered to help encourage growth in the profession. 

In addition to private scholarships, some states, such as Illinois, offer a limited number of nursing scholarships and grants designed to grow the nursing workforce in that state, so you may want to research local options as well. 

Please reach out to your enrollment advisor, who can help you navigate any financial aid questions you may still have. If you have not already connected with an enrollment advisor, please fill out the form, and a team member will reach out to you. 

Unfortunately, payment plans are unavailable for the online healthcare programs due to their accelerated timeline. Please note that full payment is required before the start of each term.

Full payment is required by the payment deadline. The payment deadline falls on the 15th before the semester starts. For example: August 15 for Fall, January 15 for Spring. 

We recommend applying for private loans at least one month before your class starts to have it secured before the payment deadline. Please note that different lenders may have different terms and timelines.