UNT establishes doctoral degree in audiology

Health-care professionals who specialize in diagnosing and providing therapy for people with hearing disorders will soon have another outlet for advanced education.

The UNT Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences will offer a doctor of audiology degree (Au.D.) beginning in Fall 2002. The four-year degree is a response to a mandate by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requiring audiologists to earn doctoral degrees before attaining professional certification. The requirement starts in 2007.

The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences has offered a two-year master's degree with a major in audiology since 1967. Miriam Henoch, UNT associate professor of speech and hearing sciences and the department's director of graduate admissions for audiology, says graduates of the master's program have consistently scored above the national average on the professional examination in audiology and have a near-perfect job placement rate upon graduation.

However, the master's degree in audiology will soon be obsolete "because the professional organizations felt two years of training is not enough," Henoch says.

"The field of audiology has expanded because of new technology. There are new ways of fitting hearing aids and testing the auditory system. We can now test babies' hearing as soon as they are born," says Henoch.

Because children can now receive treatment as soon as hearing problems are identified, audiologists need to have a background in child development, Henoch adds.

She says the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association was particularly concerned that graduates of master's programs in audiology throughout the nation did not have enough clinical experience.

Students in UNT's master's program complete approximately 350 clock hours of clinical training, often while taking courses relative to the training. After earning their degrees, they must complete a clinical fellowship — nine months working under a certified audiologist.

Doctoral students will complete 2,000 clock hours of clinical training, completing their courses during the first two or three years of the program and spending a year in clinical training, Henoch says.

"They may be able to work at many different clinical sites and in different kinds of practices. Right now, a lot of our students work at only one site and in one kind of practice during their clinical fellowship," she says.

In addition to their clinical training, students in UNT's doctor of audiology program will complete 73 academic hours of courses. Students in the master's program in audiology currently complete either 45 academic hours of courses in addition to their clinical practicum, or 39 hours of courses plus six hours of thesis credit and the clinical practicum.

UNT's program will be the third doctor of audiology program offered at a Texas college or university. Henoch says 10 to 12 students are expected to enroll in UNT's doctor of audiology program this fall. Eighteen students are currently enrolled in the master of audiology program.

BY NANCY KOLSTI nkolsti@unt.edu

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