Student Learning Outcomes

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1. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of practice, including the biological, physical and psychophysical, cognitive, medical, social, psychological foundations of hearing and hearing loss and the ramifications of hearing loss on communication, educational, vocational, social, and psychological functioning.

2. The student will describe (and when possible) perform clinical procedures that prevent hearing and balance loss, screen those at risk for hearing or balance loss, and promote hearing and balance wellness.

3. The student will describe and perform behavioral and electrophysiological measures of hearing and balance and will combine the results of those measures with relevant case history to arrive at a diagnosis (making appropriate referrals when appropriate).

4. The student will provide (or describe/simulate) intervention services to individuals with hearing loss, balance disorders, and other auditory dysfunction that compromise quality of receptive and expressive communication or balance.

5. The student must demonstrate the ability to critically examine patient outcomes, research findings, and emerging technologies in order to validate current practices and improve services.

Program Description

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The clinical Doctor of Audiology (Au D.) at Syracuse University is a nationally ranked, accredited programs with a long history of excellence. While pursuing an audiology degree, students have the opportunity to work with researchers in state-of-the-art laboratories and to learn from certified audiologists who have expertise that span all areas of hearing. In addition, the location of the University provides students opportunities to gain clinical experience in diagnosis and treatment with a wide variety of clinical populations.

The Au.D. program provides both substantive knowledge and practical experience through a carefully selected sequence of academic study, clinical practice, and research training. The general educational objectives of the Au.D. program of study are to: (1) prepare audiology practitioners who are well-grounded in the basic sciences; (2) provide didactic coursework and supervised clinical practicum experiences necessary to enable students to develop competencies in the areas outlined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and (3) expose students to research in an effort to develop skills that will allow them to use evidence-based approaches to clinical practice.

Any student holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in this country, or its equivalent in a foreign institution, will be eligible for the Au.D. program in audiology. Potential students need not have an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders, but we highly recommend completing background coursework in the areas of anatomy & physiology of the speech and hearing mechanism and basic clinical audiology prior to entering the program.  

Students will have a wide variety of clinical experiences. They will begin work in the Gebbie Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, where they will receive maximum supervision. Later in the program they will be placed at one of our local extern sites, which include clinical rotations in hospitals, private-practices, rehabilitation centers, and schools in the Syracuse area. We have extern sites located in large metropolitan areas and also in less populated areas that serve more rural communities.

Students are not only exposed to a variety of diagnostic and rehabilitative modalities, but also have opportunities to observe procedures such as otologic surgeries and neuroimaging. In the fourth year, students will be engaged in a full-time clinical externship. At the conclusion of their academic and local clinic work, each student must pass an examination designed to comprehensively and intensively assess his/her academic and clinical preparation.

Accreditation:

The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program 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, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. 

Admission:

Admission occurs once per year for fall entry. Applicants must complete a common application on the CSDCAS system for consideration.   See our website for links to the online application: https://thecollege.syr.edu/department-communication-sciences-disorders/graduate-program/apply-ms-slp-and-aud/

Applicants are required to submit GRE scores, undergraduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation.  Although the minimum GPA is 3.0, a 3.4 or higher is recommended to be competitive.  The minimum GRE scores for consideration are: Verbal=145, Quantitative=146, and Writing=3.5.  Additionally, international students must score a minimum of 105 on the TOEFL exam. 

Degree Requirements:

This is a four-year program that requires the completion of 67 credits of academic coursework and 25 clinical practicum credits for a total of 92 graduate credits.  Students will complete the Audiology Intensive Exam at the end of their third year of study, prior to their one-year externship placement.

Students will need to take or show evidence of having taken coursework in math, science, social science, basic human communication processes, and speech/language disorders. If a student has not taken any of these courses as an undergraduate and needs to take them as part of the graduate program, then it may add to the length of the student’s program.

A student must earn an an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher to complete the degree. Students with an academic GPA of less than 2.6 at the end of the first semester in the degree program, or an academic or clinic GPA of less than 3.0 at the end of the first academic year, may be asked to leave the program.

Financial Support:

All applicants are considered for departmental graduate scholarships and assistantships during the admissions process.

Facilities:

The CSD academic department and Gebbie Speech Language Hearing Clinic are located at 621 Skytop Road on South Campus.

Transfer Credit:

Students may petition to transfer up to 12 graduate credits from another university into the Doctor of Audiology program.

Part-time Study:

Part time study is not available in the Doctor of Audiology program.