The Doctor of Audiology (AudD) is a clinical doctorate for audiologists in the US, taking four years to complete. It is not a research doctorate and is required for clinical work. Those with a master’s degree can upgrade, but need to find a specific program. The degree is only required in the US.
The Doctor of Audiology, or AudD, is a clinical doctorate awarded to students who have completed a graduate program in audiology and intend to enter clinical work in the United States. This degree is now the foundational degree for clinical work for new US audiologists. Audiologists who received a master’s degree prior to the creation of AudD may still work, or may take classes to obtain a doctor’s degree in audiology, if they wish. Earning a doctorate in Audiology depends on your current level of education and your ability to find a program that meets the standards needed for accreditation by the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Therapy. Note that a program in the United States may still offer a focused master’s degree in audiology, but it will not be geared towards preparing students to actually practice as an audiologist.
Most AudD programs take four years to complete and are intended for students who do not already have a master’s degree in audiology. Some programs are only three years old, but check that these programs are accredited to ensure the degree issued is accepted by licensing and certification agencies. Programs generally consist of three years of classroom and clinical practice work and one year of external clinical experience. Courses consist of basic audiology and auditory anatomy, basic speech pathology, hearing aid fitting and troubleshooting, hearing and speech science, electrical circuits and systems, auditory rehabilitation, assistive listening devices, pediatric problems, medical problems, and other related subfields. Also note that official program names do not always include the word “audiology”, instead they use variations of “communication disorders”, “speech and hearing sciences”, or “communication sciences and disorders”.
Preparing for graduate work in audiology typically involves a degree in communication sciences and disorders or a similarly named field, the specific purpose of which is to provide you with the necessary background to begin the undergraduate courses you enter in the Doctor’s program. in Audiology. Many schools offer students with different undergraduate degrees the opportunity to spend time early in the program taking prerequisite courses to catch up before starting the graduate curriculum. Regardless of your major, taking courses in areas such as linguistics and anatomy can help you meet some of the prerequisites, although this will naturally vary by program and school.
The doctorate in Audiology is not a research doctorate. It is not intended to lead to academic research, but to everyday clinical work in a private practice, hospital, hearing aid dispensary, or other medical environment that requires an audiologist. Program requirements related to research and writing vary by school. Please note that earning the degree does not automatically grant you a license to work or grant you the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Certificate of Clinical Competency. You will still need to apply for a license in the state where you plan to work and take a standardized exam.
Those who already hold a master’s degree and a Certificate of Clinical Competency in Audiology can further their education and complete additional courses and clinical work to earn the AudD, but many AudD programs are not designed to bridge the master’s to doctoral gap. Instead, those looking to upgrade their degree need to find a program designed specifically for that level of education and experience. These programs are usually offered through distance courses that allow students to keep their jobs while earning their new degree.
A Doctor of Audiology degree is a US-only requirement. Other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom still use a bachelor’s or master’s degree as a qualification. US schools that have satellite locations in other countries can offer AudD to those planning to look for work in the US.
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