Doctor of Audiology
The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree is intended to produce audiologists for clinical practice and is designed to be completed in four years (including summers).
This program has been planned to meet the academic and clinical requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The ASHA Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology accredits this program.
A combined Au.D./Ph.D. track also is available. This track facilitates the completion of both degrees in a 6-year post-baccalaureate period. Students who wish to earn both Au.D. and Ph.D. degrees should contact an advisor.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy.
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
A bachelor's degree is required. It is expected students will have obtained a broad general education to serve as a background prior to graduate study. Undergraduate course work in mathematics and in basic and applied sciences is strongly encouraged.
If the bachelor's degree is not in the area of audiology or communication sciences and disorders, applicants should have 12 hours of basic sciences and mathematics in addition to courses in the following content areas (or their equivalents):
- Physics of Speech
- Principles of Speech Science
- Principles of Hearing Science
- Language Development
- Intro to Aud Assessment and Rehab
- Intro to Speech-Language Pathology
Background Check
The Joint Commission requires all incoming students to obtain a background check. This one-time fee must be paid directly to the company performing the background investigation and the report provided to KU after acceptance into the program. For more information, please see the School of Health Professions background check instructions. A drug screening may be required prior to work in clinical settings.
International Students:
An applicant is considered an international student if he or she requires a visa, or currently resides in the U.S. with non-immigrant status, or currently resides in the U.S. while applying for permanent residency. Additional requirements and documentation, such as proof of English language proficiency, are required for international students to become eligible for KU programs. Please review the information for international students before applying.
All students, both domestic and foreign, must meet minimum English proficiency requirements.
For more information or to contact the program, please visit the IPCD website.
The Au.D. program prepares students to meet the academic and clinical requirements for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence. The degree is designed to be completed in 4 years (including summers, with a common entry point in fall semester). A minimum of 98 credit hours including academic course work, independent research, and clinical practicum is required.
Specific guidelines for certification are contained in the ASHA Certification and Membership Handbook, available on the ASHA website http://www.asha.org/.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| AUD 810 | Diagnostic Audiology | 4 |
| AUD 811 | Hearing Disorders | 3 |
| AUD 813 | Psychoacoustics and Theories of Hearing | 3 |
| AUD 814 | Hearing Conservation | 1 |
| AUD 816 | Speech Perception | 2 |
| AUD 817 | Pediatric Audiology | 3 |
| AUD 818 | Vestibular Systems and Disorders | 3 |
| AUD 819 | Hearing Aids I | 3 |
| AUD 820 | Rehabilitative Audiology and Counseling | 3 |
| AUD 821 | Hearing Aids II | 3 |
| AUD 822 | Electro-Acoustics and Instrumentation | 3 |
| AUD 823 | Cochlear Implants and Hearing Assistance Technologies | 2 |
| AUD 824 | Central Auditory Processing | 2 |
| AUD 826 | Tinnitus Management | 2 |
| AUD 829 | Anatomy and Physiology of the Hearing and Vestibular Mechanisms | 3 |
| AUD 846 | Independent Study in Problems in Audiology | 2 |
| AUD 851 | Auditory Evoked Potentials | 3 |
| AUD 853 | Pharmacology for Audiology | 2 |
| AUD 858 | Business Audiology | 2 |
| AUD 940 | Seminar in Audiology: _____ | 2 |
| AUD 941 | Grand Rounds in Audiology (taken years 1 & 2 for a total of 4 credits) | 4 |
| AUD 942 | Investigation and Conference | 2 |
| AUD 946 | Advanced Grand Rounds in Audiology (taken years 3 & 4 for a total of 4 credits) | 4 |
| CLDP 854 | Principles for the Study of Genetic Disorders | 3 |
| PTRS 828 | Medical Imaging | 1 |
| SPLH 888 | Multicultural Considerations in Speech-Language-Hearing I | 1 |
| SPLH 889 | Multicultural Considerations in Speech-Language-Hearing II | 1 |
| Clinical Experiences | ||
| AUD 842 | Interprofessional Education for Audiologists | 1 |
| AUD 843 | Clinical Practice in Audiology (taken years 1 & 2, minimum of 4 credits) | 4 |
| AUD 944 | Clinical Rotation (taken year 3, minimum of 5 credit hours) | 5 |
| AUD 945 | Clinical Externship (taken year 4, minimum of 13 credits) | 13 |
| Other | ||
| Statistics determined in consultation with academic advisor | 3 | |
| Electives determined in consultation with academic advisor | 5 | |
| GSMC 501 | Foundations of Interprofessional Collaboration I: Introduction to Interprofessional Collaboration | 0 |
| GSMC 502 | Foundations of Interprofessional Collaboration II: Application Interprofessional Collaboration | 0 |
| Total Hours | 98 | |
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
- Pass comprehensive exam taken in year 2
- Completion of 1 of 2 research project options through enrollment in AUD 846
Degree requirements and course descriptions are subject to change. See student handbook for additional program information. In most cases, use the catalog of the year student entered the program. Other years’ catalogs».
For more information or to contact the program, please visit the IPCD website.
Example Plan of Study
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| AUD 810 | 4 | AUD 811 | 3 | AUD 843 | 1 |
| AUD 819 | 3 | AUD 821 | 3 | AUD 853 | 2 |
| AUD 829 | 3 | AUD 843 | 1 | AUD 858 | 2 |
| AUD 941 | 1 | AUD 851 | 3 | AUD 942 | 1 |
| SPLH 888 | 1 | AUD 941 | 1 | ||
| SPLH 889 | 1 | ||||
| 12 | 12 | 6 | |||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| AUD 817 | 3 | AUD 814 | 1 | AUD 828 | 2 |
| AUD 822 | 3 | AUD 816 | 2 | AUD 942 | 1 |
| AUD 843 | 1 | AUD 818 | 3 | AUD 944 | 1 |
| AUD 941 | 1 | AUD 823 | 2 | PTRS 828 | 1 |
| BIOS 704 | 3 | AUD 843 | 1 | AUD 842 | 1 |
| AUD 941 | 1 | ||||
| 11 | 10 | 6 | |||
| Year 3 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| AUD 813 | 3 | AUD 820 | 3 | AUD 945 | 3 |
| AUD 826 | 2 | AUD 824 | 2 | ||
| AUD 846 (Research Option 1) | 1 | AUD 846 (Research Option 1) | 1 | ||
| AUD 940 (Scientific Reading) | 1 | AUD 940 (Scientific Reading) | 1 | ||
| AUD 944 | 2 | AUD 944 | 2 | ||
| AUD 946 | 1 | AUD 946 | 1 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 13 | 13 | 3 | |||
| Year 4 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| AUD 945 | 5 | AUD 945 | 5 | ||
| AUD 946 | 1 | AUD 946 | 1 | ||
| 6 | 6 | ||||
| Total Hours 98 | |||||
Technical Standards
Applicants for the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) must meet technical standards for admission, including clinical requirements as stated by the ASHA Association.
The Certificate of Clinical Competence required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) signifies that the holder has met all technical standards.
Therefore, all individuals admitted to the University of Kansas Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders must meet the following abilities and expectations with or without accommodation(s). KU is an AA/EO/Title XI institution.
The following technical standards, in conjunction with the academic standards, are requirements for admission, promotion and graduation. The term “candidate” refers to candidates for admission to the program as well as current students who are candidates for retention, promotion or graduation.
KU School of Health Professions maintains a strong commitment to equal educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities who apply for admission to the program or who are already enrolled. The technical standards are not intended to deter any candidate for whom reasonable accommodation will allow the fulfillment of the complete curriculum.
Requesting Accommodations
Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Academic Accommodations Office early in the application process to begin a confidential conversation about what accommodations they may need to meet these standards. This process is informed by the knowledge that students with varied types of disabilities have the ability to become successful health professionals.
KU Medical Center
Academic Accommodation Services
ada-kumc@kumc.edu
913-945-7035 (711 TTY)
Room 1006 Dykes Library
KU Lawrence Campus
Academic Achievement & Access Center
1450 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 22
Lawrence, KS 66045
shoe@ku.edu
785-864-4064 (711 TTY)
Clinical Reasoning Requirements
The culminating activity in the preparation of an audiologist is clinical reasoning. Therefore, as a candidate for the Au.D. degree, you must be able to make correct observations and have the skills of measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis.
Observation/Sensory Motor:
- Observe demonstrations and learn from experiences in the classroom, laboratory and clinical situations.
- Carry out speech/language/hearing assessments and intervention strategies/techniques including the operation of complex, electronic instrumentation. Diagnosis, assessment and intervention of speech/language/hearing problems typically involves the functional use of the senses in order to palpate certain areas of the patient's head and neck.
- Interpret and comprehend text, numbers and graphs displayed in print and video.
- Observe and respond to subtle cues of patient’s moods, temperament and social behavior.
Physical/Psychomotor:
- Perform actions requiring coordination of both gross and fine muscular movement, equilibrium and use of the senses.
- Respond quickly in clinic situations, not only for safety, but also therapeutically.
- Travel to numerous clinical sites for practical experience.
- Use an electronic keyboard to operate instruments and to calculate, record, evaluate and transmit information.
Communication:
- Share and elicit information from patients/clients, supervisors, peers and other health professionals verbally and in a recorded format.
- Effectively, confidently and sensitively converse with patients and their families.
- Interpret and comprehend technical and professional materials.
- Prepare papers, produce reports and complete documentation for patient records.
- Assimilate information from written and/or electronic sources (texts, journals, medical/school records).
- Take paper, computer and laboratory examinations and prepare scholarly papers.
Judgment:
- Demonstrate judgment in the classroom, laboratory and clinic situations that shows the intellect and emotional health necessary to make mature, sensitive and effective decisions in the following areas:
- Relationships with professors, supervisors, peers and patients/clients.
- Professional and ethical behavior.
- Effectiveness of diagnostic, assessment and intervention strategies.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale and justification for one’s performance.
- Critically evaluate one’s own performance and be flexible toward change to promote professional and clinical processes.
- Recognize and correct behaviors disruptive to classroom teaching, research and patient care.
- Manage the use of time to complete clinical and academic assignments within realistic constraints.
- Recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment and situations and proceed in a manner to minimize risk of injury to those in the area.
- Make correct observations and have the problem-solving skills necessary for measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis.
NOTE: Reasonable accommodations will be considered and may be made to qualified students who disclose a disability, so long as such accommodation does not significantly alter the essential requirements of the curriculum and the training program, and don't affect the safety of patient care.