2023-2024 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Audiology

• Admission

For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Health Professions section in this catalog.

Website: gvsu.edu/csd

An audiologist is a licensed allied health practitioner focused on the ear and hearing. The entry-level degree to practice as an audiologist is the doctorate. A Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) is a professional who specializes in diagnosing, managing, and treating hearing- and balance-related disorders, treating patients from birth through adulthood.

Accreditation

The accrediting body for programs in audiology is the Council for Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA), which is affiliated with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The entry-level for practitioners of audiology is a doctoral degree, and only doctoral-level programs are accredited by CAA. Programs desiring accreditation must first apply for candidacy status, which must be granted prior to enrolling students. Candidacy is a preaccreditation status with the CAA, awarded to developing or emerging programs for a maximum period of five years. The rationale for the candidacy program is that CAA standards include a number of student outcome measures that would be impossible to demonstrate without any students. Applicant programs must be able to demonstrate sufficient resources and commitment on behalf of the institution, and a plan must be in place for complying with all of the standards. During the candidacy period, the program demonstrates that the plan has been implemented and that students are achieving the required outcomes. At that point, a program must apply for full accreditation status.

The profession of audiology is a licensed field of practice that requires completion of a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. It is not possible to become licensed as a new audiologist without the doctoral degree. The Doctor of Audiology degree program at Grand Valley will prepare students to qualify for licensure.

Minimum Number of Hours in Program: 84

Admission

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Generally, a 3.0 cumulative grade point average is the minimum required for admission. The Graduate School will allow programs to admit students who do not meet this requirement if they are exceptional in other ways (please see number six as follows).
2. Prerequisites: The program is designed as a self-contained program with very few prerequisites. Applicants with a background in communication sciences and disorders (speech and hearing) have an advantage in the program's coursework, but neither the major nor any speech and hearing coursework are required to apply. The program also encourages applicants from diverse majors to apply as they frequently bring perspectives and experiences that enrich the learning of all students. If applicants from other majors wish to take a few leveling courses prior to starting the program, they should contact the program director who can customize some suggestions. All applicants, regardless of major background, must have completed coursework in:
   • Basic Sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, statistics)
   • Basic Science Skills (e.g., scientific methods, critical thinking)
3. Students at most institutions will have completed similar courses as part of their bachelor's degree programs.
4. Professional vitae/resume.
5. Essential Functions: Applicants must be able to perform all essential functions specified by the program.
6. English Proficiency: Test scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), or PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) for applicants whose native language is not English. The following minimum scores are expected: TOEFL = 80; IELTS = 6.5; MELAB = 77; PTE Academic = 53. Exceptions can be requested but are not usually granted.
7. Exceptional Qualifications: The program is providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate to the faculty why the applicant should be admitted. The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is not required, but is one of many ways in which an individual with high scores could demonstrate that they are an exceptional candidate. Letters of Reference are not required, but a candidate with particularly strong references could submit letters of recommendation. (Note: CSDCAS requires that all applicants enter contact information for three references; those individuals can disregard the email request sent by CSDCAS if the applicant chooses not to use references as demonstration of exceptionality.) Candidates who have participated in research, particularly if it resulted in a product (manuscript, paper, poster) could submit this as evidence of exceptionality. Each applicant could use any one or more of those mentioned or anything of their choosing that would demonstrate to the faculty that they are an exceptional candidate for this degree program. In other words, it is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate to the program that they should be considered for admission.
8. Personal Interview: Interviews are scheduled for selected finalists upon invitation by the program, not the applicant, after the application deadline and review of applications by the faculty.

Program Requirements

The following program is available:

• Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)