Communication Disorders and Sciences

A doctoral degree is the entry-level requirement for employment as an audiologist. Doctoral degrees for audiologists are categorized as either a clinical doctorate or a doctorate in philosophy. The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program at CSUN is a clinical doctorate, which emphasizes both academic instruction and clinical instruction, as well as being practice oriented.

The Doctor of Audiology program provides academic instruction, clinical instruction (assessment, treatment, rehabilitation) and participation in research investigations in the areas of normal hearing and balance, as well as disorders of hearing and balance. The program progresses students’ knowledge and skills for patient-centered care for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hearing, balance and a range of auditory disorders that occur in people across all ages of life. The program also emphasizes advancement of students’ knowledge and skills for existing and emerging technologies that are associated with the field.

Because the scope of practice for audiologists emphasizes treatment rehabilitative services, counseling and guidance to patients, the program’s pedagogy heavily emphasizes skill discovery and skill practice. This pedagogy is emphasized in both academic instruction as well as clinical instruction.

The program’s philosophy and curriculum are constructed to align with the Standards of the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE), which is associated with the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), as well as with the Preferred Practice Patterns for the Profession of Audiology identified by the Council of Academic Accreditation in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (CAA), which is associated with the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

Completion of the Doctor of Audiology program enables students to satisfy academic and clinical requirements for:

1. License in the State of California (and most states) to practice in medical, rehabilitative or private practice settings.
2. Education credentials for employment in public schools.
3. Professional certification by the Council for Clinical Certification through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

A. Requirements for Admission to the Doctoral Program

Potential graduate students must apply simultaneously and separately to the University and to the department. Those who meet both the University’s and the department’s minimum requirements will be considered by the department in a competitive process for admission as conditionally classified or classified graduate students.

Students having a baccalaureate degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences or equivalent may not pursue a second baccalaureate degree in the department. Potential Open University CDS students should discuss options with a department advisor as access to Open University status may change according to University admission policies.

Application Materials

Department materials and detailed instructions for application to the graduate programs may be obtained from the department office; information is also accessible through the department website. The department requires that applicants must use the department application form and the forms for letters of recommendation. Completed department application materials must be returned directly to the department.

B. Minimum Requirements for Consideration for Department Admission to the Doctoral Program

The following requirements must be met:

1. Completion of a B.A. degree.
2. Completion of approved undergraduate courses in Communication Disorders and Sciences, including the specific course prerequisites described below.
3. Submission of the department graduate application.
4. Submission of three letters of recommendation on departmental forms.
5. Submission of scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

It is understood that some of the required academic and/or clinical courses may be in progress at the time of application, but that they would be completed before the anticipated starting date.

C. Prerequisites for Admission to the Doctoral Program and Advancement to Classified Graduate Status

1. Admission to Graduate Program

1. Overall, applicants must possess 18 semester units (including courses in progress) of qualifying coursework in Communication Disorders and Sciences to include:
   1. 9 semester units of basic communication sciences, including CD 410, CD 415 and CD 442 or the equivalent.
   2. 3 semester units on the acoustics of sound, including the acoustics and psychoacoustics of speech, such as PHYS 305/L or the equivalent.
   3. 6 semester units of courses in basic audiometry and auditory rehabilitation, such as CD 445 and CD 446 or the equivalent.
2. Applicants requesting to substitute equivalent coursework must submit transcripts, course descriptions and course syllabi for evaluation. Students admitted to the graduate program with the above completed coursework are admitted as conditionally classified.

D. Requirements for the Doctor of Audiology Degree (Au.D.)

Once admitted to the department’s graduate programs, a student must attain classified graduate status, submit a department-approved plan of study (i.e., the doctoral’s degree formal program) to the graduate school for review and approval, satisfactorily complete all courses on the plan, and pass a final, comprehensive examination. It is noted that for state licensure, and professional certification, additional graduate courses are taken as part of the course of study.

1. Required Courses (114 units)

Core Curriculum

CD 708 Advanced Anatomy and Physiology of Auditory System (3)
CD 717 Management of Speech and Language Disorders for Audiologists (3)
CD 720 Psychoacoustics and Speech Perception (3)
CD 724 Advanced Audiometry Evaluation (3)
CD 730 Clinical Methods and Instrumentation (3)
CD 740 Rehabilitation Audiology (3)
CD 742A Auditory Amplification I (3)
CD 742B Auditory Amplification II (3)
CD 744 Interviewing and Counseling in Audiology (3)
CD 745 Pathologies of Auditory System (3)
CD 748 Educational Audiology (3)
CD 750 Assessment and Intervention of Vestibular System (3)
CD 752 Implantable Auditory Prostheses (3)
CD 753A Electrophysiology of Auditory System I (3)
CD 753B Electrophysiology of Auditory System II (3)
CD 755 Advanced Pediatric Audiology: Development, Assessment and Intervention (3)
CD 760 Research Methods in Audiology (3)
CD 762 Business Aspects in Audiology (3)
CD 764 Industrial, Occupational and Forensic Audiology (3)
CD 767 Interdisciplinary Aspects in Audiology: Contemporary Issues (3)
CD 796 Directed Graduate Research in Audiology (3)

Clinical Practica

CD 770 Clinical Practicum in Audiology I (3)
CD 771 Clinical Practicum in Audiology II (3)
CD 772 Clinical Practicum in Audiology III (3)
CD 773 Clinical Practicum in Audiology IV (3)
CD 774 Clinical Practicum in Audiology V (3)
CD 775A Advanced Clinical Practice in Audiology I (6)
CD 775B Advanced Clinical Practice in Audiology II (6)
CD 775C Advanced Clinical Practice in Audiology III (6)
CD 776A Required Professional Experience in Audiology I (6)
CD 776B Required Professional Experience in Audiology II (6)
CD 776C Required Professional Experience in Audiology III (6)

2. Culminating Experience (3 units)

Comprehensive Examination: Successful completion of a comprehensive written examination covering speech and hearing science, speech-language pathology and audiology; student must register for CD 797.

Total Units Required for the Au.D. Degree: 117

State Licensure

State licensure in Audiology requires student clinicians to obtain experiences through direct client contact. State licensure also requires that student clinician competencies associated with client contact experiences are appropriately supervised and regularly evaluated. Direct client contact hours required for state licensure in Audiology are obtained primarily through enrollment in the following practica within the formal program:

CD 770 Clinical Practicum in Audiology I (3)
CD 771 Clinical Practicum in Audiology II (3)
CD 772 Clinical Practicum in Audiology III (3)
CD 773 Clinical Practicum in Audiology IV (3)
CD 774 Clinical Practicum in Audiology V (3)
CD 775A Advanced Clinical Practice in Audiology I (6)
CD 775B Advanced Clinical Practice in Audiology II (6)
CD 775C Advanced Clinical Practice in Audiology III (6)
CD 776A Required Professional Experience in Audiology I (6)
CD 776B Required Professional Experience in Audiology II (6)
CD 776C Required Professional Experience in Audiology III (6)

(Department advisement is required for individual needs of students.)

Special Notes for Practicum Experiences for the Au.D.

Department standards may be found in the Clinical Handbook, which is updated each year by the clinic coordinator of the Language, Speech and Hearing Center (LSHC). The Clinical Handbook includes descriptions of department standards relating to student medical clearances, background clearances, potential certification requirements (e.g., CPR, fire safety), contractual obligations for availability/attendance for on-campus practica as well as off-campus practica, required advancement in skill competencies, and required adherence to variables related to professionalism and ethical conduct.

Students are assigned to practica based on variables such as students’ academic schedules, preparation from academic coursework and availability of practica sites. The department will not consider it a priority to secure a second clinical experience option to any student who has declined a practicum assignment when a first and reasonable clinical practicum experience has been secured and offered to that student.

If a student has begun a leveled practicum assignment and is then moved into a remediation plan, that student will be required to re-enroll in the same level of practicum assignment in the next available semester. Additionally, the department does not guarantee re-entry into clinical assignments to any student when a clinical experience has begun and the student is subsequently moved into a remediation plan.

Clinical practica provide students with experiences in which knowledge and skill competencies are expanded through (a) client populations across the lifespan; (b) client populations from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds; and (c) client populations with various types and severities of communication and/or related disorders, differences and disabilities [(a) see the 2016 Accreditation Standards for the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) Program through the Accreditation Commission in Audiology Education, and (b) see the 2020 Standards and Implementation Procedures for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology through the Council on Academic Accreditation]. Appropriate expansion of students’ clinical and professional skill competencies are closely supervised and evaluated as students advance through leveled practice.

“Competency for entry level into the profession” is not based solely on having accumulated contact hours. As leveled practica become more challenging, students are expected to advance in development of clinical skill competencies through new experiences with clinical populations as well as in response to input from preceptor/clinical educator assessments and evaluations. Students must obtain passing evaluations of each skill competency assessed within practicum experiences in order to pass the overall practicum evaluation.

When verifying applications for California Licensure, the faculty member identified as the course’s coordinator will rely on preceptor reports of student skill competencies in all completed leveled practica for areas of assessment, intervention and/or management, counseling/educational services and professional conduct. The department chair will not recommend graduation/awarding of the degree to any student who has not passed all practica evaluations. Additionally, the department chair will not sign state licensure paperwork for any student who has not passed all practica evaluations.

Special Notes for the Au.D.

The most current standards for the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE) Accreditation for Au.D. programs were adopted in 2016. The ACAE standards specify requirements for academic courses, clinical knowledge and skill competencies and the requirements for an entry-level doctoral degree. The most current entry standards for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) in Audiology were adopted in January 2020. The ASHA standards specify requirements for academic courses, clinical knowledge and skill competencies, clinical clock-hours completed within practica with the Clinical Fellowship Experience as the fourth year of study, and the requirements for an entry-level doctoral degree.

California State Licensure requires that applicants have completed 300 hours of supervised clinical practicum in three different clinical settings, that the applicant must have completed the final-year externship under the direction of an audiology doctoral program, and that the applicant has passed the national audiology exam administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Praxis Series with a minimum score of 170. At the time of writing for the Catalog, it is not known whether California State Licensure standards will change to reflect the changes in CAA-ASHA accreditation or ASHA CCC entry-level requirements (e.g., the number of supervised clinical practicum hours). Therefore, persons considering application, and students presently pursuing graduate degrees, must consult regularly with an academic advisor to ensure that the program of study that is being pursued will continue to meet these education standards. Currently enrolled students must be aware that licensing and certification agencies do not typically employ “grandfathering” provisions. Therefore, applications for licenses and certifications must meet requirements that are in force at the time of application, which may differ from the requirements at the time when a student enrolled in the program or when a student graduated.

Regarding the Application for State Licensure

The department and the University do not confer a license to practice nor professional certification. The graduating student must apply for a license to the appropriate state agency having jurisdiction over the intended practice. It is emphasized that practice without a license is a violation of state law, unless the employment is within specified exempt settings. The department provides advisement on the requirements and processes for licensure and certification.