What schools offer an Au.D?

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qwopty99

qwopty99

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starting thread.

can any AuD or AuD student plz introduce us to your field :)
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Hello!! The schools I know of on the east coast are:

Penn. college of optometry- very hard science based!

U of Maryland

Towson

Gallaudet

Montclair state

Good luck! plz post any more q's u have
 
There are approximately 70-75 doctoral programs in Audiology across the US...

Likely best single site to view links to all doctoral programs in Audiology (both the clinical doctorate - AuD, or other doctoral degrees in Audiology, PhD and variants) is:

http://asha.org/students/academic/doctoral/doctoral_programs.htm

This site also links to descriptions of requirements for certification (at the end of the process).
 
Wow! I haven't been on SDN in quite some time and I was surprised to find an AuD forum. I hope it doesnt die out. As far as schools go, some other sites to check out are

www.audfound.org Audiology Foundation of America
www.nafda.org National Association of Future Doctors of Audiology
www.audiologist.org Academy of Doctors of Audiology (formerly Academy of Dispensing Audiologists)
www.audiology.org American Academy of Audiology

If anyone has any questions, I can try to answer from a student's perspective
 
California is an awesome place to get your Au.D. However the only place to go to school is in San Diego... darn :) Apply to the joint doctoral program at SDSU/UCSD.
 
Hello, All!
To answer that initial question about schools...Since the AuD was established about 10 years ago, almost all audiology programs have changed from a masters degree to the AuD. There are too many schools to mention, but you can find a list of schools on ASHA's or the American Academy of Audiology's website.
 
My wife is getting her Au.D. via PCO's distance program. Does this school have a good reputation?
 
It doesnt matter what school you get a distance AuD from. Many factors come into play, especially financing. I think Central Michigan is prob one of the better programs while PCO may be a bit easier. That doesnt necessarily mean that a PCO AuD should or would be any less respectable. I know a really crappy audiologist and several remarkable ones all getting their AuDs from PCO. The individual clinician will stand out based on their clinical skills and knowledge base rather than the particular school they graduate from. (note ASHA does not accredit distance AuD programs, they can be and are highly variable from school to school)
 
There are plenty of programs out there and many people have already listed the sites where you can find them. On audiology.org or ASHA. Also just google (doctorate of audiology programs) lots come up.

The UCSD/SDSU program in CA is a really good program :)
 
If you go to USNews rankings of the best graduate schools Vanderbilt University is #1 followed by the Univ. of Iowa and Univ. of Washington. For anyone looking for the best AuD programs I would use this list as a good reference.

As for distance learning programs, in my opinion, most people doing those are master's audiologists just getting the AuD to stay competitive in the field- not necessarily for the education! However it's well known in the field that the CMU/Vanderbilt program and Florida program are the better ones to go to.
 
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HearingDoc said:
If you go to USNews rankings of the best graduate schools Vanderbilt University is #1 followed by the Univ. of Iowa and Univ. of Washington. For anyone looking for the best AuD programs I would use this list as a good reference.

As for distance learning programs, in my opinion, most people doing those are master's audiologists just getting the AuD to stay competitive in the field- not necessarily for the education! However it's well known in the field that the CMU/Vanderbilt program and Florida program are the better ones to go to.
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What do you base your assumptions on for the distance programs? I have not heard of this, nor has my practicing wife. Regardless, I would venture to say that an Au.D distance program (irrespective of the school) is geared to those who are working...and given that it really doesn't matter where you went to school once you are a practicing audiologist it just becomes more about whether or not you have the degree.
 
I've worked in 3 states and know a large network of audiologists, therefore my "assumptions" are based on discussions with many audiologists. Some of it has to do with how long the programs have been established, what criteria they use for admission (i.e. some schools require at least 5 years of experience), the credentials of the professors teaching the classes, and some schools give "credit" for certain experiences, which is somewhat controversial. As I said in my earlier post, I agree that it's mostly about the piece of paper. I was just responding to someone asking about the better programs.
 
megboo said:
Yes, however Nova is a less-respected school among Aud & SLP programs. They lost accreditation some years back and recently regained it. Not that it's a bad school, I would just look VERY closely at the program.
Click to expand...

Sorry to bring up a dead thread, but I was shocked to read the above. I think that you are confusing Nova's audiology program with their SLP program. Unlike many programs, NSU's audiology department is entirely autonomous from their speech and language department. The audiology school is located within the Health Professions division (with the medical school, dental school, optometry school, etc.). The audiology program has never lost accreditation.

I am a fourth year Au.D. student at NSU and I applied (and was accepted) to many programs when I entered professional school. I chose Nova over Vanderbilt, the University of Florida, the University of Arizona, and Rush as I felt like NSU had the best clinical program and faculty. Many of the top names in the field actually teach classes as adjunct professors (they are not just listed on the website); for example, my genetics and auditory electrophys. classes were taught by Dr. Berlin, my vestibular class was taught by Dr. Gans, my amplification classes were taught by Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Fabry. Any of you with knowledge of the field will certainly recognize these names as some of the top minds in audiology/hearing/vestibular science. The program's director is Dr. Barry Freeman, who is a past president of AAA and was recently recognized by the academy with a distinguished achievement award (one of their highest honors). Although Nova's audiology department does not have Ph.D. students and generate substantial research (which is what U.S. News bases their rankings on), it seems their Au.D. department is near the top in the nation. In fact, when I entered the program, more than 100 students interviewed for 15 spots. This makes the NSU program extremely competitive (more so than the typical audiology program, and closer to the odds of being accepted into medical school

I am currently completing my externship at one of the most competitive sites in the country and several of my classmates are also at very prestigious hospitals and clinics (Johns Hopkins, Michigan Ear Institute, Shea ENT, The American Institute of Balance, etc.). This is not atypical for the NSU program, as previous classes have had similar success when applying for externship positions (which might be the truest indicator of a quality program).

I just thought that I should relay the truth about Nova Sotheastern University's Au.D. program, as the quote above seems somewhat inaccurate... I hope this information helps prospective students. :)
 
I hate to disagree, but I do think that the previous posts about Nova being a less-respected program are generally true. Partially, this is due to the fact that Nova jumped on the Au.D. "bandwagon" early on and started a distance education program (in 1999, I think) that wasn't the best quality, and they've never quite lost that reputation. In addition, the program relies heavily on adjunct faculty - essentially guest speakers - and I believe every instructor you mentioned in your e-mail, with the exception of the program director, falls under this category.

I do agree that externship placements are an important consideration, as are factors such as how these externship placements are handled. Many programs are leaving students on their own to find them. Most importantly, I think, is to visit each program you're interested in attending to find out first-hand about its faculty, facilities, practicum and course offerings, and financial aid. Also, talk to current students to see what they do/don't like about the program. You'll find one or two that you like best, and since there are a handful really exceptional programs out there, you wouldn't go wrong choosing any of those.

I'd say the best programs out there are:

Vanderbilt
Univ. of Washington
Washington Univ. in St. Louis
Univ. of Texas-Dallas
Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
Univ. of Arizona
Univ. of Florida

Part of the problem with the U.S. News and World Report rankings is that they are, in large part, based on the opinions of the chairs of communication disorders departments at U.S. universities. The thing is - most of these departments are chaired by speech-language pathologists who know very little about audiology! The result for audiology rankings is that universities with large speech path programs tend to rank higher for no other reason than the quality/reputation of their speech path program. Iowa is a prime example of this.
 
I must respectfuly disagree. Although Nova's distance education program might have suffered, the residential program has been and is excellent. It seems inapporpriate to base one's judgement on a school's distance education. There are a number of excellent programs that have less than great distance programs (at least one of which has been listed above as a "best program"). Also, Nova no longer has a distance Au.D. program, so it is unfair to use this as a foundation for opinion. Being biased by outdated information does a disservice to potential students. I know Au.D. students from a number of programs who have far less clinical and academic experience than those from Nova.

Also, you are correct in your observations about the faculty in my comment being adjunct. In addition to these professors, Nova has several other excellent professors. One of whom is a protege of Dr. Jack Katz, another who is on the AAA ethics board and recently received recognition from AAA, Nova recently hired the creator of Neuromonics (who also helped develop some of the new hearing aids for Phonak), and a number of other excellent clinical audiologists.

As I stated previously, I was accepted to a number of other excellent programs and I chose Nova. I would encourage any potential student to visit each program, talk to faculty members, and talk to current students. Also, it is important to ask about clinical opportunities. Nova happens to be located in S. Florida, with one of the highest concentrations of elderly people in the country (lots of hands-on experience). This allows Nova students a wide array of excellent clinical opportunities (which is what the Au.D. degree is ultimately about). Nova is also in the process of building a large on-campus teaching hospital and one of the largest medical research laboratories in the nation. Both of which will greatly influence NSU's audiology program (for the better).

Lastly, I absolutely do not think you can fault a program for being ahead of the curve. Yes, Nova did accept the Au.D. early by "jumping on the bandwagon," but look where the field is now. The Au.D is now the accepted entry level degree. Dr. Freeman is a visionary in our field and Nova is often ahead of the curve.

Sorry for the rant, but I think several of the previous points are unfair to potential students. Basing your opinions on outdated (and currently inaccurate) information, does a disservice to future Au.D. students.
 
Even though the AuD is a clinical program, there would certainly be benefits to completing the degree in a research environment. It is the case that medical students/interns/residents often complete lab rotations during their training. This could be quite a beneficial experience for an AuD student as well. That is, an AuD student receiving a research assistantship to work in a big lab. Just to let some of the future AuD students know what some of those big research institutions with AuD programs are:

University of Texas at Dallas
Northwestern University*
University of Iowa
Indiana University*
University of Buffalo (CUNY)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Washington

The programs with * used to be 3-year AuD programs but I believe they have since switched to a 4-year model. One look at the internationally-reknowned faculty from both of these institutions should dissuade anyone from making criticisms about the quality of these programs based on their former 3-year model.
 
Prospective students looking for an AuD program (or any other professional clinical degree program) should assess the individual programs based on the opportunities for diverse clinical experiences. The goal at graduation should be to enter the profession ready for clinical practice. The so-called school rankings are based on the research generated by these institutions and the academic program.

The model Au.D. curriculum includes research courses to assist the student become a consumer of the literature and critically assess the literature to assist with clinical decision-making. Unfortunately, many programs require students to write dissertations/capstone projects so that they can be contributors to the literature. Other programs have eliminated the dissertation requirement and want the students to acquire clinical competencies so that they can be contributors to the demands of their patients. There is a difference.

So, when looking at programs, don't go by the research rankings, go by the clinical contributions and experiences available. Ask yourself if when you graduate, you will be ready to enter independent practice or will you feel like you still need additional experiences before you are ready to practice independently. If the answer is the latter, don't choose that program. Also, ask yourself the importance of spending time writing a dissertation/thesis rather than spending that extra time in the clinic. How many physicians, dentists, optometrist write dissertations in order to complete their professional education? The Au.D. defines the clinical profession of Audiology. Choose a program that prepares you to enter that program.
 
chicoborja said:
Even though the AuD is a clinical program, there would certainly be benefits to completing the degree in a research environment. It is the case that medical students/interns/residents often complete lab rotations during their training. This could be quite a beneficial experience for an AuD student as well. That is, an AuD student receiving a research assistantship to work in a big lab. Just to let some of the future AuD students know what some of those big research institutions with AuD programs are:

University of Texas at Dallas
Northwestern University*
University of Iowa
Indiana University*
University of Buffalo (CUNY)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Washington

The programs with * used to be 3-year AuD programs but I believe they have since switched to a 4-year model. One look at the internationally-reknowned faculty from both of these institutions should dissuade anyone from making criticisms about the quality of these programs based on their former 3-year model.
Click to expand...

I agree with you about research experience, but you should also have Washington University in St. Louis on your list. As a student in this program, I know first-hand how well they integrate both research and clinical experience into their program. As students, we benefit from the fact that Washington University receives more NIH funding than that of any other audiology program. This means that, in addition to offering assistantships to work in research labs, all students learn about research methods/statistics, complete research rotations, complete Capstone Project research under the supervision a faculty member of their choice (and there are literally hundreds of faculty mentors in the School of Medicine), and have the opportunity to do summer and/or full-year research rotations that include a stipend and the option to receive an additional master's degree. Also, all students' Capstones are published and many are eligible for additional funding that goes directly to the student for this work.

This is in addition to a wide variety of clinical experiences (40 local sites and at least as many across the country). We have hands-on experience from day one and can choose our own areas of interest along the way, which gives us additional practical experience at sites that match our interests.

You should also look at how many students the program enrolls each year, scholarships available, how the program helps with the externship placement, and who is teaching the classes (do they "practice what they teach"?).

Someone earlier mentioned ASHA as the accrediting agency, and this is true, but changing. ACAE is the newest accrediting agency and the first two sites to go through this new process are Central Michigan and Washington University.

I do think the MOST important thing is to find the program that you like best. Every program is different and visiting is the best way to learn if it's the right program for you.

Also, I don't think either Northwestern or Indiana have changed to a four-year program - both are still advertising themselves as three-year programs.
 
Hi,

Any opinions or information on University of North Carolina's Au.D program? They have some information on their website, but it's basic, such as course listings, etc.

Appreciate all comments. Thanks!
 
LOOK at the schools you are interested in. Don't base your decision on what school is ranked #1 or last. Research the faculty and the facilities. I go to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere, and I wouldn't change it for the world. The faculty is very diverse, each bringing their own interests to the table. We are a very small, close knit program, and we have great affiliations with local hospitals allowing us amazing off campus clinical experiences starting in our first semester. We have a state of the art Vestibular clinic, as well as top of the line new audiometric and ABR equipment. I am starting my second semester and I've already done 12 newborn hearing screenings, 5 vestibular evaluations, am proficient (I feel) with the ABR equiptment, and cannot even tell you how any initial/annual audio evals I've done or the number of hearing aids I have programmed. Not to mention I'm currently undergoing IRB approval with my faculty adviser to begin research in the balance/vestibular area. Oh, and I've got 1 of my 9 Intraoperative Monitoring specialization classes under my belt. Pretty sure my uni is one of the very few offering a separate education in this area, at this moment. Ok, I'll stop bragging.. :love:

Sometimes those small schools are gems - they have the funding for great equipment and research, and class size generally stays small, allowing for more concentrated attention and one on one time. I can honestly say I know each faculty member and classmate on a personal level. Honestly, unless you're thriving for a research career in Audiology, employers really aren't going to care if you came from Vanderbilt or somewhere virtually unknown. They're going to look at your competencies and ability to handle yourself with patients and procedures.
 
Does anyone want to share any experience or info in regards to Auburn's AuD? I have applied to the program there for Fall of 2008 and I was wondering what is the word on the "street" about their program. Any info would be greatly appreciated and helpful. I have had some prior experience with Auburn University in the past but not with the Audiology program.

Thanks
 
Hello,
I am currently a second year student in an audiology program. I am enjoying it very much. I would like to welcome any questions here.
Please do not hesitate to send me a message.
Sincerely,
AuDNaples
 
I was curious about 3-year programs. I know there are a few (Indiana, Purdue). What other 3-year programs are there? Also, are they looked down upon because they have a shorter program? What are the pro's and cons?
 
Lambert another school is Syracuse. I don't know what the pros or cons might be. What I understand is that the externship is basically done within those three years instead of your last year. I guess a con would be that you'd have a lot on your shoulders. A classmate of mine just got her acceptance letter from them, Ill ask her what she knows and report back.
 
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