Non-CSD undergrad, no $$ for new pre-reqs: Doomed?

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Hi everyone,
I'm considering applying to AuD programs for next year. I'm really happy to have found a profession that combines my longstanding interests (neuroscience, language, electronics, sound, healthcare), but here's the problem: my undergrad isn't in communication sciences/disorders--it's in music. (I graduated a few years ago.) I also took a lot of science classes in undergrad (including several neuroscience classes) and did well, but I didn't take, you know, phonetics or A&P of the hearing mechanism or whatnot. I have a great GPA and GRE scores (15xx) and about 100 hours of audiology volunteer time from a couple years ago. But now I have a full-time 9-5 job (so my free time is weekends/evenings, when audiology practices tend to be closed) and also can't afford to take new pre-reqs (I just moved so I'm not going to have in-state tuition anywhere for a year). Is there any way I can strengthen my application, since I can't volunteer or take more classes? Thank you guys!

A lot of programs have close ties with the music department; this will definitely help you. Also, programs do commonly accept people who still need prerequisites. I would contact the schools you're considering and see what their policies are. It could be that they'll enroll you as a five-year graduate or just have you take prerequisites and regular classes at the same time. Hope is not lost!

Oh, and you can pick up some audiology textbooks if you'd like a head-start. This would also prove your dedication and seriousness.

I know someone who got into CUNY with absolutely no prerequisites (he was a Psych major) and there are 4 people in my year in my program (Montclair) who didn't have prerequisites...

Originally Posted by saturnein

I know someone who got into CUNY with absolutely no prerequisites (he was a Psych major) and there are 4 people in my year in my program (Montclair) who didn't have prerequisites...

I know of 1 so far, but don't know you

There was someone on here that was an audio engineer that was in a program. Some programs look for diversification.

Originally Posted by Alojzia

Hi everyone,
I'm considering applying to AuD programs for next year. I'm really happy to have found a profession that combines my longstanding interests (neuroscience, language, electronics, sound, healthcare), but here's the problem: my undergrad isn't in communication sciences/disorders--it's in music. (I graduated a few years ago.) I also took a lot of science classes in undergrad (including several neuroscience classes) and did well, but I didn't take, you know, phonetics or A&P of the hearing mechanism or whatnot. I have a great GPA and GRE scores (15xx) and about 100 hours of audiology volunteer time from a couple years ago. But now I have a full-time 9-5 job (so my free time is weekends/evenings, when audiology practices tend to be closed) and also can't afford to take new pre-reqs (I just moved so I'm not going to have in-state tuition anywhere for a year). Is there any way I can strengthen my application, since I can't volunteer or take more classes? Thank you guys!

i've been looking at schools and some of them (i can't remember them at this moment) are tailored for those who don't have a degree in CSD. i'm still going to school and hopefully by the time i graduate, schools will be available for those who didn't have a related major.

WUSTL has many students with non-CSD backgrounds, even a student with a degree in history. They look at that as an asset to create diversity within the program. There are probably many programs with similar philosophies. We have to retake A&P and similar classes anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much.

I'm in CUNY now, majored in accounting and psychology. There were no prereqs but I did a speech minor for my own benefit (it helps me in class now, but the psych background is far more valuable and no one even endorses that). There are a few sociology majors, one more psych major and even a bio major in my cohort. So you're definitely not doomed for getting in, however you will have to play some catch-up on your own.

Music and audiology definitely go together though! A program that wants diversity will love you.

Originally Posted by KitKat8545

WUSTL has many students with non-CSD backgrounds, even a student with a degree in history. They look at that as an asset to create diversity within the program. There are probably many programs with similar philosophies. We have to retake A&P and similar classes anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much.

I agree. In fact, all schools take students without pre-reqs. You just might have to take one more easy pre-req class for a couple of semesters to play "catch-up." The pre-reqs are not very relevant anyway. Because audiology courses are so limited in undergrad and the limited courses offered varied greatly among undergrad programs, everyone has to take the grad audio classes together. One of my classmates majored in art history.

and don't worry about money to pay for extra classes during the school year--you'll probably cap out at tuition with the semester workload anyway.

Originally Posted by saythewordlaud

and don't worry about money to pay for extra classes during the school year--you'll probably cap out at tuition with the semester workload anyway.

I know someone who did not have a bunch of prereqs and she found it very hard to schedule them during grad school because a lot of the undergrad classes meet 3 days a week, and with 2 or 3 full days in the clinic in the AuD program, it is just really hard to fit them in. So it actually might be necessary to take them elsewhere and pay, but as far as not having them before, that might not be such a big deal.

So what would be the suggested undergrad prereqs for those going to a school with none\limited CDS or audiology courses? Psychology with a special ed minor? Something along those lines?

Originally Posted by fivescrew

So what would be the suggested undergrad prereqs for those going to a school with none\limited CDS or audiology courses? Psychology with a special ed minor? Something along those lines?

Prereqs are prereqs, so if you don't have the specified courses at your college that the graduate program requires, you might unfortunately have to take them elsewhere or once you start the grad program. Usually you'd need some basic science courses, which I am sure you could find at any school, along with things like Phonetics (perhaps found in a Linguistics department), Language Development (probably through psychology or education), Speech and Hearing Science (probably not easy to find if you don't have the major there, but maybe a course on acoustics could substitute?), Intro to Audiology (again, something you might have to find elsewhere), and Anatomy and Physiology of Speech and Hearing (maybe a general anatomy course could suffice.) You should check the school(s) you are applying to. Some don't have any prerequisites, so be sure to check!

You should keep the syllabuses (syllabi?) of courses you have taken that could be considered as fulfilling the prerequisite requirements. Your program director or advisor will probably need to see them before waiving a requirement. In fact, even if you take a course with the exact title as the prerequisite, they might still want to see the syllabus just to make sure every topic was covered.

Utah State and Longwood University (Virginia) offer prerequisites through distance learning (on-line).

So a pre-med Bio degree with a minor in Physics\Chemistry wouldn't suffice? That's interesting to note.

Originally Posted by fivescrew

So a pre-med Bio degree with a minor in Physics\Chemistry wouldn't suffice? That's interesting to note.

You'll probably be ahead of the curve for biological classes like Anatomy and Physiology of Hearing, but you'll still need the audiology intro class and some serious observation hours.

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Are those observation hours mandatory or vary by program? I've looked into about two dozen programs through their website and most are very slim on the details of what's required to get accepted. In fact, most make it seem like they'll take anyone with a decent GRE score.

Originally Posted by rEliseMe

You'll probably be ahead of the curve for biological classes like Anatomy and Physiology of Hearing, but you'll still need the audiology intro class and some serious observation hours.

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Sure! The bio degree is great, and all the science background will make the technical part of audiology easy for you. But, yes, you may still need those other classes for some graduate programs.

But I would not say you need "serious" observation hours -- you can usually get these (it's 25 hours, I think) in your first semester of a grad program without much of a dent in your graduate student patient contact hours, of which you will need something like 1800, probably 1000-1200 of which you earn in the 4th year anyway. People who came into the grad program I am in without observation hours (one person came from a great CSD program but just forgot to record them!!) earned them easily in the first semester. If you want to earn them beforehand, there may be an audiologist near you that would let you observe.

I meant it more from the perspective of preparedness as opposed to just meeting the application requirements. Without those classes and observation hours, as basic as they are, you will be at a disadvantage.

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Originally Posted by rEliseMe

I meant it more from the perspective of preparedness as opposed to just meeting the application requirements. Without those classes and observation hours, as basic as they are, you will be at a disadvantage.

Yes, and I definitely think with the observation hours, it helps to know what you will be getting into. There is a huge patient counseling component to audiology that I think one would miss without the observation hours.

I have a non-CSD science background. The thing I did find, however, is that even though I took those prerequisite courses, a lot of the same information, especially in anatomy, hearing science, and language development was repeated, starting from a basic level, in grad school. If I had not taken the prereqs but was barred from graduating with my AuD, I would be very annoyed at having to go back and take them after successfully completing the graduate courses. This is not true for every prerequisite. I did not encounter much phonetics in grad school, though I think it is important for audiologists to know. And Intro to Audiology was useful as a prereq too -- my first graduate audiology course really launched right in assuming prior knowledge.

I guess that's a difference in programs, then. My professors have spent, if any, very minimal time reviewing basic concepts.

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Originally Posted by rEliseMe

I guess that's a difference in programs, then. My professors have spent, if any, very minimal time reviewing basic concepts.

Or, you never know, maybe I had really good and in-depth prerequisite courses...

Did you take those during your undergrad or after? Would it look bad to the admissions people if you took some of those courses online?

Way after undergrad. Waaaay after. I took them all online. And I got in to my first choice school.

But one thing to keep in mind about why it might be good to take a class or classes in-person is you will be able to get to know the professor better, and that person may serve as a recommendation letter writer for you. It's less likely that a professor you took an on-line course from would.