What is Audiology?
An audiologist is a licensed allied health practitioner focused on the ear and hearing. The entry-level degree to practice as an audiologist is the doctorate. A Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) is a professional who specializes in diagnosing, managing, and treating hearing- and balance-related disorders, treating patients from birth through adulthood.
Why Study Audiology at Grand Valley?
- Exceptional Facilities. The program has exceptional facilities and specialized equipment that most programs at other institutions are unable to provide, such as the virtual reality computerized dynamic posturography system and rotary chair, as well as an on-site hearing clinic that provides services to our local community. These, along with all other equipment, are for exclusive student use so as to gain the requisite knowledge and skills for credentialing and practice.
- Accessibility. The program was designed to accept students from any undergraduate major/emphasis. This enables individuals with degrees in the sciences, engineering, health sciences, or the arts, who enjoy working with and helping people to improve their quality of life, to pursue a doctoral degree in audiology.
- Value. All students pay resident tuition whether they are Michigan residents or not. The curriculum consists of 84 credits (3-years/9-semesters) while programs at other institutions can be 120 or more credits, and most programs are four years.
- Experiential Learning. The curriculum is very rigorous and educates our students to be expert practitioners while providing numerous opportunities for interprofessional work among other health professions.
What you will not find is a high number of credits for dissertation/thesis. What you will find, in addition to traditional courses in hearing/balance diagnostics and rehabilitation, is dedicated coursework in radiographic imaging and pharmacology, tinnitus, mentoring and counseling, etc.
Program Overview
GVSU's Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program is an accelerated graduate program (3 year/9 semester). Our program of study includes a rigorous academic curriculum, with hands-on lab components, on-campus clinical experiences and 3 semesters of off-campus practicum before the externship year. Our curriculum prepares students to practice audiology in any setting or clinical area.
During the first two years, students complete coursework following a prescribed sequence of courses; for specific courses, please see GVSU's Course Catalog. In terms of clinical experiences, the first year of clinical experiences are at the Community Hearing Clinic at Grand Valley located on-campus, while the second-year clinical experiences are community preceptor-led in ENT practices, private practices, hospitals, and school systems. The third and final year is a full-time internship experience which students are mentored in the process of applying and accepting their internship experience.
Admissions Process
Applications are accepted through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service. Prospective students may apply as soon as the portal opens, which is typically mid-summer.
EARLY ADMISSIONS
- Deadline: October 15
- Priority consideration
REGULAR ADMISSIONS
- Deadline: January 15
- Applicants not selected during early admission can be considered during regular admissions
- Late applications for each Fall cohort are accepted if space allows
Please see our Application Information page for in depth information regarding our admissions process.