2025-2026 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Audiology

• Admission

For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Health Professions section in this catalog.

Website: gvsu.edu/csd

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.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Audiology (AuD) education program in audiology {residential} at Grand Valley State University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Accreditation signifies to students, the general public, and all interested parties that the program of study has met the rigorous standards designed to ensure that programs are striving toward excellence in educating students. Here is a link to the CAA website which provides greater detail what accreditation requires and means to students and the public.

The profession of audiology is a licensed field of practice that requires completion of a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. It is not possible to become licensed as a new audiologist without the doctoral degree. The Doctor of Audiology degree program at Grand Valley will prepare students to qualify for licensure.

Minimum Number of Hours in Program: 84

Admission

1. Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Generally, a 3.0 cumulative grade point average is the minimum required for admission. The Graduate School will allow programs to admit students who do not meet this requirement if they are exceptional in other ways (please see number seven as follows).
2. Prerequisites: The program is designed as a self-contained program with very few prerequisites. Applicants with a background in communication sciences and disorders (speech and hearing) have an advantage in the program's coursework, but neither the major nor any speech and hearing coursework are required to apply. The program also encourages applicants from diverse majors to apply as they frequently bring perspectives and experiences that enrich the learning of all students. If applicants from other majors wish to take a few leveling courses prior to starting the program, they should contact the program director who can customize some suggestions. All applicants, regardless of major background, must have completed coursework in:
   • Basic Sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, statistics)
   • Basic Science Skills (e.g., scientific methods, critical thinking)
3. Students at most institutions will have completed similar courses as part of their bachelor's degree programs.
4. Professional vitae/resume.
5. Essential Functions: Applicants must be able to perform all essential functions specified by the program.
6. English Proficiency: Test scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), or PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) for applicants whose native language is not English. The following minimum scores are expected: TOEFL = 80; IELTS = 6.5; MELAB = 77; PTE Academic = 53. Exceptions can be requested but are not usually granted.
7. Exceptional Qualifications: The program is providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate to the faculty why the applicant should be admitted. The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is not required, but is one of many ways in which an individual with high scores could demonstrate that they are an exceptional candidate. Letters of Reference are not required, but a candidate with particularly strong references could submit letters of recommendation. (Note: CSDCAS requires that all applicants enter contact information for three references; those individuals can disregard the email request sent by CSDCAS if the applicant chooses not to use references as demonstration of exceptionality.) Candidates who have participated in research, particularly if it resulted in a product (manuscript, paper, poster) could submit this as evidence of exceptionality. Each applicant could use any one or more of those mentioned or anything of their choosing that would demonstrate to the faculty that they are an exceptional candidate for this degree program. In other words, it is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate to the program that they should be considered for admission.
8. Personal Interview: Interviews are scheduled for selected finalists upon invitation by the program, not the applicant, after the application deadline and review of applications by the faculty.

Program Requirements

The following program is available:

• Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)