Program Objectives
The AuD Program is clinically oriented with primary emphasis on academic and practical experience with normal and disordered hearing. The program fosters development of individuals seeking professional careers in clinical practice in audiology and provides a well-rounded academic and clinical training experience. This program is designed for students to meet the academic and practicum requirements for clinical certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) upon graduation.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Audiology (AuD) education program in Audiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard #310, Rockville, Maryland 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. (Latest accreditation period: June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2030)
Admissions and Selection
The UTHSC program in Audiology utilizes the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS). Prospective applicants may apply by accessing the Audiology Applicant website at https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com.
Requirements for Admission
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the Bachelor’s degree
- Three letters of recommendation preferably completed by 3 professors who had the student in class.
- A personal statement of intent.
- Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must submit results of TOEFL with a minimum score of 550.
Applicants who accept an offer of admission will be required to complete the UTHSC Pre-Admissions Requirement System (PARS).
Transfer of Credit
A minimum of 38 of the 112 semester hours of direct contact instruction required in the Doctor of Audiology Program must be completed at UTHSC. Transfer credits will be evaluated by an Audiology Curriculum Committee. Such work must have been taken for graduate credit and passed with a grade of B or better and be part of an otherwise satisfactory graduate program. Official transcripts must be received from the appropriate institutions before any transfer of credit will be approved. All transfer hours must be approved by the Department and then entered into the transcript by the Registrar’s office.
Health Requirements
Audiology students are required to show proof of current health insurance prior to enrollment. Students are required to be immunized against the Hepatitis B virus and to have an annual skin test for Tuberculosis. Information about meeting these requirements is presented via email prior to the first day of class and, again, during orientation. Some clinical education sites require affiliating audiology students to have one or more of the following: rubella titer or vaccine, general physical examination. Students are responsible for these costs.
Technical Standards
Audiology students must have or acquire certain essential skills, functions, and professional attitudes and behavior as described in the Technical Standards document. All students who enroll must be prepared to understand and abide by these requirements. Information about meeting these requirements is presented during orientation.
In order to acquire the knowledge and skills requisite to the practice of audiology or speech-language pathology, to function in a broad variety of clinical situations, and to render a wide spectrum of patient care, individuals must have skills and attributes in five areas: communication, motor, intellectual-cognitive sensory-observational, and behavioral-social. These skills enable a student to meet graduate and professional requirements as measured by state licensure and national certification. Many of these skills can be learned and developed during the course of the graduate program through coursework and clinical experience. The starred items (*), however, are skills that are more inherent and should be present when a student begins the program.
Communication
A student must possess adequate communication skills to:
- Communicate proficiently in both oral and written English language. (Language to be determined by program.)*
- Possess reading and writing skills sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands.*
- Perceive and demonstrate appropriate non-verbal communication for culture and context.*
- Modify communication style to meet the communication needs of clients, caregivers, and other persons served. *
- Communicate professionally and intelligibly with patients, colleagues, other healthcare professionals, and community or professional groups.
- Communicate professionally, effectively, and legibly on patient documentation, reports, and scholarly papers required as a part of course work and professional practice.
- Convey professional information accurately with relevance and cultural sensitivity.
Motor
A student must possess adequate motor skills to:
- Sustain necessary physical activity level in required classroom and clinical activities.*
- Respond quickly to provide a safe environment for clients in emergency situations including fire, choking, etc.*
- Access transportation to clinical and academic placements.*
- Participate in classroom and clinical activities for the defined workday.*
- Efficiently manipulate testing and treatment environment and materials without violation of testing protocol and with best therapeutic practice.
- Manipulate patient-utilized equipment (e.g. durable medical equipment to include AAC devices, hearing aids, etc.) in a safe manner.
- Access technology for clinical management (i.e. billing, charting, therapy programs, etc.).
Intellectual/Cognitive
A student must possess adequate intellectual and cognitive skills to:
- Comprehend, retain, integrate, synthesize, infer, evaluate and apply written and verbal information sufficient to meet curricular and clinical demands.*
- Identify significant findings from history, evaluation, and data to formulate a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.
- Solve problems, reason, and make sound clinical judgments in patient assessment, diagnostic and therapeutic plan and implementation.
- Self-evaluate, identify, and communicate limits of one’s own knowledge and skill to appropriate professional level and be able to identify and utilize resources in order to increase knowledge.
- Utilize detailed written and verbal instruction in order to make unique and independent decisions
Sensory/Observational
A student must possess adequate sensory skills of vision, hearing, tactile, and smell to:
- Visually and auditorily identify normal and disordered communication in all areas relevant to professional practice.
- Identify the need for alternative modalities of communication.
- Visualize and identify anatomic structures.
- Identify and discriminate findings on imaging studies.
- Discriminate text, numbers, tables, and graphs associated with diagnostic instruments and tests.
- Recognize when a client’s family does or does not understand the clinician’s written and or verbal communication.
Behavioral/Social
A student must possess adequate behavioral and social attributes to:
- Display mature empathetic and effective professional relationships by exhibiting compassion, integrity, and concern for others.*
- Recognize and show respect for individuals with disabilities and for individuals of different ages, genders, race, religions, sexual orientation, and cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.*
- Conduct oneself in an ethical and legal manner, upholding the ASHA Code of Ethics and university and federal privacy policies.*
- Maintain general good physical and mental health and self-care in order not to jeopardize the health and safety of self and others in the academic and clinical setting.*
- Adapt to changing and demanding environments (which includes maintaining both professional demeanor and emotional health).
- Manage the use of time effectively to complete professional and technical tasks within realistic time constraints.
- Accept appropriate suggestions and constructive criticism and respond by modification of behaviors.
- Dress appropriately and professionally.
Clinical Externships and State Authorization
Full-time clinical externship sites are located in the Knoxville area, throughout Tennessee, and throughout the United States. Due to the limited number of clinical externship sites in Knoxville and other urban areas in Tennessee, students should anticipate the financial impact of traveling and living out of town for their clinical externship education experiences. As described in more detail in the UTHSC distance education portion of the bulletin , state authorization is mandated for any clinical experiences in a facility outside of the state of Tennessee. UTHSC is responsible for securing the necessary authorizations for any out of state experiences to be completed. Students are to work closely with their respective Directors of Clinical Education to ensure the necessary authorizations are in place prior to finalizing any out-of-state education experiences.
Criminal Background Check
A criminal background check is required after acceptance and prior to enrollment. Upon receipt of an adverse criminal background check, an explanation by the student will be required and a decision will be made by the Chair and Dean as to whether the incident(s) would be a problem for the student when seeking internship placements or licensure to practice. Students should be aware that additional criminal background checks along with drug screens and fingerprinting may be required by clinical sites, certification committees, and state licensure boards. Adverse findings on a criminal background check may lead to a withdrawal of the offer of admission or denial of access to a clinical training site. Students are responsible for these costs.
