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The Communication Disorders Program
offers a curriculum leading to a Doctor of Audiology. The program
in audiology leads to clinical certification (see Certification
Programs) and is accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing
Association's (ASHA) Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA).
The mission of the AuD degree curriculum is to educate students in the
science and practice of audiology. Academic courses and clinical
education experiences encourage a theoretical perspective and
experimental orientation to develop an appreciation of current
knowledge and future research needs. The Doctor of Audiology degree is
a four-year post-baccalaureate program that includes three years of
course work and clinical experiences plus a one-year full-time
residency.
The programs in speech, language and
hearing require the completion of preprofessional background courses
prior to graduate study. Students must have the equivalent of one
year of concentrated preprofessional exposure to the field of
communication disorders. This is defined as a minimum of twenty
four (24) academic credits of course work. All preprofessional
coursework is designed to satisfy the credits and areas required for
the ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). The
preprofessional background introduces incoming students to the field of
communication disorders and provides basic knowledge necessary for
graduate study. Students with no previous courses in
communication disorders must complete the preprofessional background
and typically take a year to do so. Students who already have a
background in communication disorders may be required to complete only
a portion of the courses, or none at all, depending on the extent and
nature of their background. The determination of this need is
made by the advisor(s) at the time of first registration. The
following areas are required in the preprofessional background:
- Normal Processes of Speech, Hearing,
Language (6 cr.)
- Speech Disorders (3 cr.)
- Language Disorders (3 cr.)
- Hearing Disorders (3 cr.)
- Statistics and Experimental Design
(3 cr.)
- The remaining 6 credits may be
selected according to the student's interest. They should be in the
area of speech, hearing and language processes as described above in
numbers 1-4 (6 cr.)
The program in audiology allows students to meet all academic and
clinical practicum requirements for the ASHA's Certificate of Clinical
Competence (CCC) and the State of Connecticut's requirements for
licensure in audiology. It is expected that students will earn a
minimum of 2000 hours during enrollment in the graduate program.
Individuals who plan to work, as audiologists in Canada should
understand that the University of Connecticut's program is based on
certification standards for the U.S. Although the standards
currently meet Canadian requirements, individuals are advised to
monitor any future change through contact with the Canadian Association
of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists or appropriate
provincial regulatory bodies (e.g., Minister of Health).
The goals are to educate the student in normal processes of hearing,
speech and language; auditory disorders and their management; and the
scientific approach to clinical processes. The ASHA standards for
clinical competency in audiology by an individual must consist of a
minimum of 75 semester credit hours of post-baccalaureate education
culminating in a doctoral or other recognized graduate degree.
Applicants for certification must complete a program of graduate study
(a minimum of 75 semester credit hours) that includes academic course
work and a minimum of 12 months’ full-time equivalent of supervised
clinical practicum sufficient in depth and breadth to achieve the
knowledge and skills outcomes stipulated by ASHA standards. The
supervision must be provided by individuals who hold the Certificate of
Clinical Competence (CCC) in the appropriate area of practice.
The graduate curriculum is designed to meet these requirements, is
generally required of all students, and presumes a preprofessional
background in speech-language pathology and audiology. The degree will
ordinarily require at least 113 credits of course work, inclusive of
the related or supporting area and the required research credits. These
credits will be composed of a set of core courses and a number of
electives.
Students are required to have at least six credits of advanced work in
a related or supporting area. Courses for the related or supporting
area must be advanced work outside the major field of study (area of
concentration) and ordinarily outside the Department. The advisory
committee must approve the courses as part of the plan of study. Some
examples of related or supporting areas are: Gerontology, Neuroscience,
Physiology and Neurobiology.
Each student's advisory committee is formed after consultation between
the student and the major advisor. It includes at least two associate
advisors. The major advisor and at least one associate advisor are
members of the graduate faculty appointed to advise Au.D. students in
the student’s field of study (speech, language, hearing) and area of
concentration (audiology).
The student must prepare a Plan of Study containing the courses he or
she will take to gain mastery of the body of knowledge of the field,
including the required or core courses. The advisory committee and the
Executive Committee of the Graduate School must approve it. The student
may not take the general examination before the Plan of Study has been
approved fully.
Student evaluation will include formative and summative assessments
throughout the program of study. Formative assessments include class
papers, lab projects, exams and oral reports. Formative assessment of
clinical skills are conducted at mid- and end-of-term. Summative
assessments include research practicum and research project started in
the first year of graduate study and completed in the last semester and
a written comprehensive exam following completion of the third year.
The comprehensive examination will be taken at the end of the sixth
semester. No fewer than five faculty members, including all
members of the student’s advisory committee, participate in the
examination and shall be invited to question and evaluate the student.
The exam will cover the academic coursework in the core and
related/supporting areas.
Successful completion of a research project that is comprehensive in
nature will be required of all students. The purpose of this
project is several fold: 1) to assure that the student integrates
academic and clinical material learned throughout the program, 2) to
acquaint the student with strategies for professional leadership, 3) to
prepare the student to actively pursue community outreach after
graduation, and 4) to develop the student’s oral and written
communication skills. Students are required to prepare a research
project on a topic related to their plans of study.
As the student reaches the point of undertaking the major part of the
audiology research project, he or she prepares a proposal (no more than
10 pages in length) that is composed of several parts. These include
the background and context of the proposed topic, a description of the
work to be done, and the methodology through which it will be
accomplished. The student’s advisory committee then reviews the
proposal. The review provides the student with constructive feedback,
resulting in the improvement of the project from the beginning.
Upon (1) passing of the general examination, (2) completing the courses
on the Plan of Study (including any related or supporting area
requirements) and (3) acceptance of the Research Project Proposal, the
student becomes a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Audiology. A
written document representing a significant contribution to the
knowledge of research in clinical audiology is required. The advisory
committee gives final approval of the document following the final
examination.
The final examination is oral and under the jurisdiction of the
advisory committee. It deals mainly with the subject matter of the
research project. Invitation to participate in the examination will be
issued by the advisory committee, although members of the faculty may
attend. No fewer than five members of the faculty, including all
members of the candidate’s advisory committee, participate in the final
examination.
Clinical practicum provides students with a wide variety of clinical
experiences. These are provided primarily at the graduate level,
although some students may have begun other practicum experience at the
undergraduate level following completion of observation and the
requisite academic preparation. Students are scheduled for
clinical practicum only when the required academic preparation and
observation has been satisfied. Occasionally this sequence may be
adjusted so that clinical experiences may be scheduled concurrently
with the required academic study. The first 25 earned clinical
clock hours of practicum must be obtained under the direct supervision
of qualified supervisors at the University of Connecticut Speech and
Hearing Clinic and/or its contracted sites. In addition to their
initial experiences in the university clinic, students are assigned to
a minimum of two off-campus clinical sites during their graduate
program. These include settings such as hospitals, private
practice, schools, and rehabilitation centers.
Course Number Course Name (Credits)
CDIS
320 Directed Observation in
Hearing (1-3)
CDIS
354 Physiological/Psychological
Acoustics (3)
CDIS
356 Audiologic Assessment (3)
CDIS
361 Speech Science I
(Production) (3)
CDIS
320 Directed Observation in
Hearing (1-3)
CDIS
351 Amplification of Residual
Hearing (3)
CDIS
362 Speech Science II
(Perception) (3)
CDIS
321 Otologic Bases of Hearing
Loss (3)
CDIS
373 Pediatric Audiology (3)
CDIS
319 Doctoral Research Practicum (1-3)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
CDIS
322 Electrophysiology
Techniques I (3)
CDIS
323 Geriatric Audiology (3)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
CDIS
344 Pediatric Rehabilitative
Audiology (3)
CDIS
401 Amplification of Residual
Hearing II (3)
COMM
302 Statistics* (3)
CDIS
325 Adult Aural Rehabilitation (3)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
CDIS
422 Electrophysiology
Techniques II (3)
HDFS
266 Introduction to Counseling* (3)
CDIS
319 Doctoral Research Practicum (1-33)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
CDIS
369 Seminar: Cochlear Implants (3)
CDIS
326 Professional Issues in
Audiology (3)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
MED
372 Developmental Neuroscience* (2)
XXX
Elective (3)
CDIS
319 Audiology Research Project (3)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
CDIS
372 Central Auditory Processing (3)
CDIS
402 Hearing
Conservation/Industrial Audiology (3)
MED
371 Systems in Neuroscience (2)
CDIS
319 Audiology Research Project (3)
CDIS
324 Psychosocial Issues of
Hearing Loss (3)
CDIS
336 Clinical Practicum:
Speech-Language Disorders (1)
CDIS
337 Clinical Practicum in
Hearing (3)
Full-time Residency
*or the equivalent with approval of advisory committee
The General Program is designed to provide content and research
training for those students who are interested in speech, language or
hearing processes or their disorders, but who are not planning to
become certified clinicians. The requirements are sufficiently
flexible to accommodate individuals with interests in a wide range of
related areas, which may converge on the speech, language or hearing
processes. Individuals who complete this program frequently
choose to continue their work at the doctoral level; however, there is
no commitment to do so. To meet the requirements of the general
program, student must complete a total of 24 credits, at least 12 of
which must be taken in Comm. Sciences, Div. of Communication Disorders,
and completion of the M.A. thesis.
The Department of Communication Sciences offers a degree leading to a
Ph.D. in speech-language and hearing sciences. There is no specific
number of credits or specific coursework required for the Ph.D. It is
expected that the student, in conjunction with the advisory committee,
will develop a plan of study based upon the student’s future goals at
the end of the first semester of study. It is the goal of the Ph.D.
program to prepare students for a career in higher education, primarily
in teaching and research. It is expected that the student will enroll
in CDIS 319, Research Practicum, 1-3 credits each semester. The student
will also be expected to develop research skills and take at least 9
credits of research and statistics beyond a basic course.
Specific areas of study in which students have enrolled in the past are
amplification, auditory processing, neurodiagnostic audiology,
pediatric audiology, and rehabilitative audiology.
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