The AudD, or Doctor of Audiology, is a clinical doctorate degree awarded to students who have completed an audiology graduate program and plan to work in clinical settings in the United States. For new audiologists in the United States, this degree is now the prerequisite for clinical work. Those audiologists who earned master’s degrees before the AudD were created can continue to work or enroll in classes to earn a Doctor of Audiology degree. Obtaining a Doctor of Audiology degree is contingent on your current level of education and your ability to locate a program that meets the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology’s standards for accreditation. It’s worth noting that a master’s degree program in audiology may still exist in the United States, but it won’t be geared toward preparing students to work as audiologists.
The majority of AudD programs last four years and are designed for students who do not already have a master’s degree in audiology. Although a few programs are only three years long, make sure they are accredited to ensure that the degree they issue is recognized by licensing and certification agencies. Three years of classwork and in-school clinic work are usually followed by one year of outside clinical experience. Basic audiology and hearing anatomy, basic speech pathology, hearing aid fitting and troubleshooting, hearing and speech science, electrical circuits and systems, auditory rehabilitation, assistive listening devices, pediatric issues, medical issues, and other related subfields are among the topics covered in the curriculum. It’s also worth noting that the official names of the programs don’t always include the term “audiology,” instead opting for phrases like “communication disorders,” “speech and hearing sciences,” or “communication sciences and disorders.”
An undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or a similar field that is specifically designed to provide the background needed to begin taking graduate-level courses once you enter a Doctor of Audiology program is typically required for preparation for graduate work in audiology. Many schools allow students with a variety of undergraduate degrees to spend time at the start of the program taking prerequisite courses to catch up before beginning the graduate program. Taking courses in linguistics and anatomy, regardless of your undergraduate degree, may help you meet some of the prerequisites, though this will vary by program and school.
The Doctor of Audiology is not a research degree in the same way that a PhD is. It is not intended to lead to academic research, but rather to routine clinical work in a private practice, hospital, hearing aid dispensary, or other medical setting where an audiologist is needed. The research and writing requirements for each program differ. It’s important to note that earning a bachelor’s degree does not guarantee you a job or the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Certificate of Clinical Competency. You will still need to apply for licensure and pass a standardized exam in the state where you plan to work.
Those with a master’s degree and a Certificate of Clinical Competency in Audiology can earn the AudD by upgrading their education and completing additional courses and clinical work, but many AudD programs are not designed to bridge the gap between a master’s and a doctorate. Rather, those who want to update their degree should look for a program that is tailored to their level of education and experience. These programs are frequently offered as distance-learning courses, allowing students to continue working while pursuing their new degree.
The Doctor of Audiology degree is only required in the United States. In some countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, bachelor’s or master’s degrees are still required. For those planning to work in the United States, American schools with satellite locations in other countries may offer the AudD.