Admission

Minimum requirements for application to the AuD graduate program:

1. Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or a recognized institution in another country whose requirements for the bachelor's degree are substantially equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree.
2. Minimum grade requirements: 2.750 overall GPA and 3.000 GPA in the last 60 semester credit hours. Receive a grade that generates at least 2.000 credit points per credit hour in all prerequisite courses.
3. Three letters of recommendation.
4. Professional resume.
5. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit official scores for either the TOEFL, the academic module of the IELTS examination, or the PTE-Academic examination, taken within the last two years. No waivers are allowed. Minimum acceptable scores to be considered for admission are: TOEFL - 100 internet-based with a score of 23 or higher on the speaking portion; IELTS - an overall band score of 7.5; PTE-Academic - a score of 73.
6. Completion of interview with program faculty/clinical supervisors, which will include (but not be limited to) an assessment of academic potential, motivation and commitment to the profession, and interpersonal and communication skills. Not all applicants will be offered an interview.

To be considered for admission, the following steps must be completed by the published deadline:

1. Online application for admission to the WSU Graduate School, including upload of transcripts from all institutions attended.
2. Application to the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) including all transcripts, letters of recommendation and supporting documents.

Notes:

1. Application to the AuD graduate program is competitive, which means there are more applications than positions offered each year.
2. The ability to meet the essential functions for students in the audiology program is required (contact the program for more information).
3. Refer to the CSD department's website¹ for complete information.

Admission to the AuD program is considered for students who have completed an undergraduate major in the area of speech, language and hearing disorders. Selected undergraduate or closely allied courses may be considered. Additionally, students with a degree from another field will be considered for admission with the understanding that prerequisite coursework will be required during their first year of the program. Admission is for summer session only. The deadline to submit a completed CSDCAS application is February 1 (11:59 p.m. EST). The Graduate School application, application fee and transcripts are due by February 1.

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Program Requirements

The Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program requires a minimum of 88 credit hours of didactic and clinical courses OR 91 credit hours if Research Project Option 2 is selected. In addition, 9 credit hours of prerequisite coursework in American sign language (3 credit hours), normal development of speech and language (3 credit hours), and aural rehabilitation (3 credit hours) are required. All students must enroll in a clinical practicum course each semester. All students must complete HIPAA training annually.

A plan of study must be filed within the first year of the program. Students must complete 60 percent of total credit hours at the 700 level or above and the majority of total credit hours (50 percent plus one hour) must be 800 level or above. Transfer hours cannot be used to satisfy the course level requirements stated above unless transfer hours are of appropriate level from Kansas Board of Regents institutions. Workshop hours may not be used to satisfy the course level requirements. Transfer credit policies are listed in the appropriate section of the graduate catalog.

Advancement to candidacy is contingent upon:

1. Satisfactory performance on all didactic and clinical evaluative measures throughout years one and two of the student’s AuD program as determined by program faculty, clinical educators and externship supervisors, with at least a 3.250 GPA;
2. Completion of the mentored research project with a subsequent presentation and evaluation, as reviewed by program faculty; and
3. Successful completion of comprehensive, competency-based examinations near the conclusion of years one and two. Students will be given two attempts each year to complete the comprehensive examination requirement.

Advancement to candidacy allows students to enroll in the final program requirement, the full-time residency.

Further, students must enroll in CSD 997 in consecutive semesters during the final year of the program of study to complete the necessary clinical experiences for graduation. The residency involves a full-time supervised experience in a hospital, clinical or other audiology practice environment. To ensure that the placement will provide candidates the best environment for that culminating experience, the placement of the candidate may or may not be in the metropolitan area of Wichita. Although WSU has a number of sites established for the residency year, the candidate may independently seek placement for that experience. However, the final decision as to the suitability and location will be approved by the program faculty. A competency-based evaluation of the student’s performance will be made at regular intervals throughout the clinical experience.

Before graduation, students must have achieved passing grades in CSD 886 Clinical Practicum in Audiology experiences to satisfy the requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A) and must have demonstrated clinical competency in completing clinical experiences as determined by both in-house and external clinical supervisors. Students must also have demonstrated knowledge and skills learning outcomes in compliance with ASHA standards for certification.

Students enrolled in the department’s clinical practicum courses are required to provide proof of medical clearance (see department for details) prior to the start of the course and to renew annually. Semester clinic fees will also apply. The cost of professional liability insurance coverage (not less than $1 million per single claim/$3 million aggregate per year) and general liability insurance coverage (not less than $1 million per single claim/$3 million aggregate per year) is included in the program fee. Students are required to obtain a criminal background check at their own expense as part of the clinical placements. Students should consult the beginning of the College of Health Professions section of the catalog for additional requirements which may be needed to participate in clinical settings. In addition, applications for external practicum placements must be made one year in advance and are subject to departmental approval.

Applied Learning

Students in the Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program are required to complete both an applied learning experience and a research experience to graduate from the program. The applied learning experience requirement can be met by successfully completing clinical practicums ( CSD 886) and audiology residencies ( CSD 997). The research experience requirement can be met by successfully completing the capstone research project (2 or 5 credit hours of CSD 891 and 1 credit hour of CSD 892).