The University of Iowa is the only program in the state offering the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree and is one of the only programs in the United States offering students the ability to earn both their Au.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The program is currently ranked second in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

The mission of the Au.D. program at Iowa is to produce professionals who have the theoretical foundation and the advanced clinical skills needed for the delivery of high-quality services in audiology. When selecting the best option for a graduate program, prospective Au.D. students should thoughtfully consider their future professional interests and goals. 

Iowa's Au.D. program offers academic experiences from nationally-recognized faculty that provide a comprehensive theoretical foundation to understand human audiology and its disorders. Additionally, Iowa’s Au.D. program provides exceptional, wide-ranging opportunities to prepare its graduates for work as clinical audiologists in any environment they choose to pursue. In addition to the general clinical training program, interested students may take didactic and practicum coursework to allow certification for work in the public schools.  The diverse clinical experiences students undergo meet or exceed the requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) education program in audiology {residential} at The University of Iowa 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, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Admission Requirements

On average, the University of Iowa accepts 8-12 students into the Au.D. program each fall. Decisions for admissions are based on several factors including undergraduate GPA and completion of required prerequisite coursework. Completed applications are due January 15, and decisions regarding admission are made by a committee consisting of both didactic and clinical faculty. All applicants will participate in an interview process either in person on a scheduled interview day or via Skype. 

Iowa's program is committed to maximizing the diversity of our graduate student population; all interested individuals are encouraged to apply. 

To be admitted to the Au.D. program, you must meet the following requirements:

  1. Agree to adhere to ASHA’s Code of Ethics. In particular, students must be prepared to adhere to ASHA’s rules regarding nondiscrimination “on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity/gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, disability, culture, language, or dialect” and sign the Nondiscrimination Notification.
  2. Attest that you possess the essential functions required to practice audiology, as outlined in the Student Success Document.
  3. Have fulfilled the prerequisite coursework requirements (see below).
  4. Have earned a Grade Point Average (GPA) that meets or exceeds the program's admission criteria (please see below).

Required Undergraduate Coursework

  • Phonetics
  • Basic Acoustics
  • Introduction to Hearing Science
  • Hearing Loss and Audiometry
  • Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production
  • Language Acquisition
  • Rehabilitative Audiology
  • Introductory Statistics
  • Biology/Physical Sciences (3 credit hours)
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)

Clinical observation hours
Applicants must complete 25 hours of clinical observation as documented by a practitioner with ASHA certification before beginning the graduate program.

GRE/GPA requirements
The Au.D. program no longer requires scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Criteria for admission to the Graduate College of the University of Iowa are available on the Graduate College website. There are no additional requirements for admission other than those imposed by the Graduate College, but applicants with GPAs of less than 3.0 in undergraduate study are not likely to be accepted.

Application Process

All applications to the Doctor of Audiology must be made through the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS), as well as through the University of Iowa Graduate College.

To apply, you must submit the following: a personal statement, transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. Some materials will be submitted to CSDCAS and some to the University of Iowa. CSDCAS will require submission of the personal statement, transcripts, and the names of your references. The University of Iowa will need your transcripts, but not until after you have been admitted into the program.

  1. Apply to Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application Service (CSDCAS) and to University of Iowa Graduate College. It is the applicant’s responsibility to meet the application deadlines.

    The CSDCAS portal is found at https://csdcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login.

    CSDCAS Application Deadline: January 15th (midnight, Eastern time) for admission for the following fall semester.

    The University of Iowa portal is found at https://grad.admissions.uiowa.edu/apply.

    UI Graduate College Application Deadline: February 1st for admission for the following fall semester.

  2. Submit your personal statement to CSDCAS. The essay should be one page single-spaced or two pages double-spaced. Please respond to the following: Describe how your lived experiences, education, background, and interests have prepared you for audiology graduate studies and professional training at the University of Iowa.

    You do not need to submit your personal statement/essay or recommendation letters to the University of Iowa. If the UI online form does not allow you to skip over these items, write “see CSDCAS app.”
     
  3. All official transcripts MUST be sent to CSDCAS at: CSDCAS Transcript Processing Center, P.O. Box 9113, Watertown, MA 02471.

    You may wait until you hear that you have been admitted into the program to send transcripts to the University of Iowa. If denied admission, you do not have to send transcripts to Iowa.

Questions?

  • CSDCAS Customer Service is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, EST. Phone: 617-612-2030; Email: csdcasinfo@csdcas.org. The website also has a live chat feature.
     
  • For more information on CSDCAS, visit CSDCAS's Frequently Asked Questions.
     
  • For specific questions regarding the Iowa Au.D. Program, please visit the Graduate Advising page for contact information.

When will I hear a decision about admission?
Students accepted into the program will be notified by early to mid-March for the following fall semester. Students may be placed on a deferred list at that time and will be informed of the wait-list decision also in March. The Au.D. program is designed for full-time, residential students only.

Plan of Study

The Au.D. program generally requires 4 fall terms, 4 spring terms, and 2 summers to complete, for a total of 89 semester hours. The current, complete list of required coursework and course descriptions can be found in the UI General Catalog.

Au.D./Ph.D. Combined Program

Graduate students interested in audiology combine work toward an Au.D. with Ph.D. studies. These students begin their graduate work by enrolling in the AuD program and formally apply to change the degree objective to the combined Au.D./Ph.D. after two years of study.  If accepted, the student forms a committee to assist in merging the requirements of both graduate programs efficiently. Decisions about approving the request to change degree objectives are made on a case-by-case basis; those decisions may be influenced by funding availability as well as the consent of an appropriate research mentor.

Clinical Experiences

The primary training site is the in-house Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic, where Au.D. students are mentored by clinical educators in audiology who are licensed by the state of Iowa and certified by ASHA. The clinical faculty follow best practices as recommended by ASHA and the American Academy of Audiology. The Clinic serves approximately 700 clients from the local and surrounding communities each year, providing both speech-language and audiology services.

Clinical Placements in the Local Community
During the second and third years in the program, students are placed in a variety of settings locally. At these placements, students develop broad-based skills in clinical areas including general diagnostics, auditory brainstem response testing, otoacoustic emission testing, hearing aids, cochlear implants, tinnitus assessment and management, vestibular assessment and management, and educational audiology. Opportunities are provided to work with individuals across the agespan with diverse backgrounds, as well as those with varying abilities/disabilities. Most sites are within walking distance from the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic; those sites include:  

  • The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Otolaryngology
    • Diagnostic Audiology Clinic
    • Hearing Aid Clinic
    • Cochlear Implant Center
    • Tinnitus Clinic
  • Center for Disabilities and Development
  • Veterans Administration Medical Center, Iowa City 
  • Iowa Area Education Agencies and Public Schools
  • Local Private Practice Audiology Clinics

Fourth Year Externship
During the final year in the AuD program, students work on a full-time basis at an external site. The Au.D. faculty have established relationships with many excellent sites across the U.S. Fourth-year placements are competitive; the application process is undertaken in the third year of the program. Students work with the Director of Clinical Education in Audiology throughout the application process to ensure an appropriate site for clinical development is found. Fourth-year externs continue as students in the department and are registered for clinical coursework during externships. A sampling of fourth-year sites from Iowa Au.D. graduates includes:

  • Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN
  • Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, FL
  • Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, AZ
  • Boystown National Research Hospital
  • Oregon Health and Science University
  • VA Medical Center, San Diego
  • VA Medical Center, Kansas City
  • VA Medical Center, Iowa City
  • VA Medical Center, Nashville
  • Vanderbilt University
  • University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development
  • Duke Medical Center
  • Johns Hopkins Hospital
  • Central Institute for the Deaf
  • The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Otolaryngology
  • Center for Disabilities and Development ILEND grant position

Research and other opportunities

The Au.D. degree is primarily a clinical degree. However, as practicing clinicians, audiologists enrich their skills by having the ability to critically evaluate and integrate information from professional journals and conferences throughout their careers. To support this approach to lifelong learning, all Au.D. students enroll in the Evidence-Based Practice Seminar, a course that introduces students to the design and conduct of research and evidence-based clinical practice.

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders continues to house some of the top research programs in the country. See the Research link to explore our research labs. Au.D. students benefit by the many ongoing research projects and the opportunity to participate if they desire. Many projects have direct clinical application and correspond to clinical coursework.

Faculty

One strength of our program is the attention students receive from the large faculty, many of whom are nationally known, teaching courses and supervising in their primary areas of research and clinical interests. Faculty descriptions of professional interests, contact information and photos are under the People pages.

CSD Community at Iowa

Building a sense of community is a strong component of the Au.D. graduate student experience. Incoming students participate in a one-week “boot camp” prior to their first semester of classes. Boot camp offers introductory information about clinical practice, orientation to the in-house training clinic, and social events that help new students get to know one other, current students, and the faculty. 

Many Au.D. students become active members of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) group, and its work in advocacy, philanthropy, and professional development. Each October, SAA holds a Haunted Hustle for Hearing, a fun-run that raises funds to benefit those with limited resources to purchase hearing aids and supplies.  

Au.D. students are also members of UI-SAFE (University of Iowa-Sound Awareness for Everyone), an outreach program providing healthy hearing education and hearing screenings for the university, local, and state-wide communities. UI-SAFE partners with the UI School of Music, College of Education and Recreation Department to provide healthy hearing classes. In addition, UI-SAFE provides hearing and speech-language screenings for local preschools. 

Listen and Speak Up Preschool is a summer program for children with hearing losses housed in the Clinic. The program's goal is to foster the development of spoken language and listening skills in children who are deaf or hard of hearing in a preschool setting. Audiology student clinicians -- paired with speech-language pathology student clinicians -- lead young participants in a combination of group and individual therapy sessions to enhance skills with an auditory-oral approach to communication. Students may participate in Listen and Speak Up to complete pediatric aural habilitation competencies in the first or second year of the program.

Tuition costs/Financial Assistance

Current tuition and fees are listed in the Office of the Registrar's Tuition and Fees Rate Tables.

All Au.D. students are considered for funding to cover tuition and living costs, based on merit and availability of funds. Funding comes via tuition scholarships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. The Department strives to be able to provide at least one form of funding for each admitted Au.D. student at some point during their course of study. 

Both University of Iowa-based and externally-based scholarships curtail tuition and living expenses. Consult the Resources webpage for more details.

Contact Us/Schedule a Visit

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is located in the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center on the west (medical) side of the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. Our building houses the training clinic, classrooms, faculty offices and research labs. Au.D. students enrolled in the program will spend much of their days in the building treating clients in the clinic, attending courses in the classrooms, honing their knowledge with faculty, and possibly engaging in research.

Visit us and discuss your career goals with our clinical and academic faculty. If you like, we can also arrange a building tour and conversation with a current Au.D. student. Please call or email to schedule a visit.

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center
250 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
319-335-8718
speech-path-aud@uiowa.edu

For specific questions regarding the Graduate Program, please visit the Graduate Advising page for contact information.

Doctor of Audiology (General Catalog)