About Us

Project Communicate is a federally-funded master's program designed to professionally prepare special education teachers and speech-language pathologists to be highly-qualified to demonstrate skills in: (a) promoting high expectations to improve student outcomes, (b) differentiating curriculum and instruction, (c) providing individualized evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students with autism spectrum disorder, (d) providing culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, (e) collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and (f) supporting inclusion in least restrictive environments. Scholars will participate in a master's degree program in Special Education (Autism Intervention) or Speech-Language Pathology that consists of coursework, integrated and embedded supervised field experiences, and other professional development opportunities for developing knowledge and skills for working with students with ASD in school-based settings.

Dr. Miriam Boesch (Project Director/Principal Investigator) is an Associate Professor of Special Education. Her research is in the area of augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. She teaches courses on autism, intervention strategies, and behavior management.

Dr. Boesch's headshot

Dr. Kat Aoyama (Co-Principal Investigator) is an Associate Professor of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, and the Director of Graduate Studies in Speech-Language Pathology. Her research is in the area of phonetics/phonology, psycholinguistics, and first and second language acquisitions. She teaches courses on Phonetics (ASLP 2020) and Language Development (ASLP 3035).

Dr Aoyama's headshot

Benefits

Project Communicate students (aka scholars) will be part of a high-quality program with a lot of benefits. Scholars will receive tuition benefits, textbook stipends, one-on-one mentoring/supervision on evidence-based practices, paid travel to attend a state or national conference, attend workshops and seminars from prominent researchers in the field, and more.

To receive these benefits, scholars will need to sign a Pre-Scholarship Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs agreeing that they will agree to be employed in a high-needs public school for 2 years for every 1 year of funding they receive. For specific information about this agreement, please visit: https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Home/Agreements/

How to Apply

  • Individuals wishing to earn a Master's degree in Special Education - Autism Intervention (SPED/ASD) will need to first apply to the Autism Intervention program at: /autism-intervention/online (click on the “Apply” tab for detailed instructions on how to apply. In the personal statement, please indicated that you are wishing to be considered for Project Communicate. Please note that admission into the department does not mean automatic admission into Project Communicate.
  • For individuals interested in earning a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), please use this link to obtain more information on how to apply: https://hps.unt.edu/aslp/slp-ms-application-info. Please note that admission into the department does not mean automatic admission into Project Communicate. 

    Frequently Asked Questions
  • What is considered a “high-needs” school?
    • The federal government defines a high-needs school as: (a) it serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line. For the purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty school means: a school in which at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or in which at least 50 percent of students are from low-income families as determined using one of the criteria specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. For middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available data (www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2010-4/121510b.html).  The term persistently lowest-achieving schools is defined according to the final requirements for School Improvement Grants authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), which were published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2010 (75 FR 66363). According to Section I.A.3 of these requirements, the term “persistently lowest-achieving schools” means, as determined by the State: [A] Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; and [B] Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.
  • Will I be required to take summer courses?
    • Yes, all scholars are expected to take summer courses.
  • What happens if I'm unable to successfully finish the program?

Scholars who drop out of the program or are dismissed due to low academic performance or fail to meet other expectations of the program are required to pay back all the funds they received up to that point. This means any tuition support, book stipends, travel funds, etc.
FAQs for SPED/ASD scholars

  • Is it mandatory to enroll full-time throughout the SPED/ASD program?
    • No, most scholars will be enrolled part-time (2 courses + field experiences) throughout the program (regular semesters and summers). Those who are enrolled full-time will take 3 courses + field experiences.
  • Is Fall 2023 the only option available to start the program?
    • No, we anticipate admitting 17 SPED/ASD scholars for Cohort 1 (Fall 2023), 17 scholars for Cohort 2 (Fall 2025), and 3 scholars for Cohort 3 (Fall 2026). If we still have any spots available, we will continue accepting applications until we fill the vacancies with highly qualified applicants.
  • Is it possible for me to start classes during another semester instead of the fall and still be part of the cohort?
    • Because the goal of this program is to deliver the content in cohorts, we do not anticipate admitting students in a semester that does not correspond with the start of the cohort.
  • Am I required to take the GRE to apply to Project Communicate?
    • The GRE requirement can be waived for SPED/ASD applicants who have a GPA of 3.25 or greater when apply to the Autism Intervention program. Those with lower GPA will be required to submit their GRE scores as part of the application process.
  • I took the GRE many years ago. Can I submit those scores with my application?
    • The graduate school requires that GRE scores be no older than 5 years.
  • When will decisions be made as to which SPED/ASD applicants were chosen to be part of Project Communicate?
    • It is anticipated that decisions will be made as early as late spring or early summer for the SPED/ASD applicants. Decision will continue until all vacancies are filled. Please note that admission into the department does not guarantee admission into Project Communicate.
  • When is the deadline to apply for Project Communicate?
    • There is no hard deadline to be considered for the SPED/ASD program. However, maximum consideration will be given to those who submit their application materials by May 1st, 2023.
  • What is the expected timeline for completion?
    • Scholars in the SPED/ASD program are expected to finish in 2.5 years or 6 semesters (including summers).

FAQs for SLP scholars

  • Is it mandatory to enroll full-time throughout the program? 
    • Scholars in the speech-language pathology program will be required to enroll on a full-time basis.   
  • Is Fall 2023 the only option available to start the program? 
    • We will be recruiting 5 scholars for Cohort 1 (Fall 2023), and 5 scholars for Cohort 2 (Fall 2025). If we still have any spots available, we will continue accepting applications until we fill the vacancies with highly qualified applicants. 
  • Is there any way I could start classes during another semester instead of the fall and still be part of the cohort? 
    • All of the SLP scholars of Project Communicate will start in the Fall with the rest of the students in the SLP program.  
  • Am I required to take the GRE to apply to Project Communicate? 
    • For those applying to the SLP program, GRE scores are required.  
  • I took the GRE many years ago. Can I submit those scores with my application? 
    • The graduate school requires that GRE scores be no older than 5 years. 
  • When will decisions be made as to which applicants were chosen to be part of Project Communicate? 
    • It is anticipated that decisions will be made as early as mid-spring (e.g., March/April), particularly for the SLP applicants. Please note that admission into the department does not guarantee admission into Project Communicate. 
  • When is the deadline to apply for Project Communicate? 
    • The deadline for applicants interested in the SLP program (Cohort 1) is March 1, 2023. 

Contact Information

COE-Project-Communicate@unt.edu

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
Project period: 9/1/2022 - 8/31/2027
Amount: $1,244,239