AUDIOLOGY

Licensure Track - Post Bachelor's Degree

The Au.D. degree is awarded by the Graduate Center, CUNY. The campuses involved in the Au.D. program include Brooklyn College, The Graduate Center, and Hunter College. Courses are offered at each of these campuses, and clinical practica take place at the Speech and Hearing Centers located on the Brooklyn and Hunter College campuses and at the Hearing Science Laboratory located at the Graduate Center campus. The program incorporates comprehensive academic and clinical training under a nationally and internationally recognized doctoral faculty. Externship placement opportunities at world-renowned medical centers and clinical facilities will provide students with clinical experiences in early identification, comprehensive assessment, and audiologic habilitative/rehabilitative services delivered to the diverse multicultural, multiethnic population residing in the New York metropolitan area. Individuals interested in research careers in Hearing Sciences please visit the Ph.D. Program in Speech and Hearing Sciences.

Audiology Ranked Among Seven Great Careers for 2009

Employment outlook

Employment of audiologists is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014. Because hearing loss is strongly associated with aging, rapid growth in the population age 55 and older will cause the number of persons with hearing impairment to increase markedly. (Excerpted from: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos085.htm#outlook).

Program Mission and Goals, Strategic Plan, and Outcomes

I. Program Mission and Goals

The mission of the Program is to prepare audiologists to:

a. Deliver exceptional hearing and vestibular assessment and management services to the culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse population of the greater New York City metropolitan area.

b. Serve as advocates for persons with hearing and/or vestibular impairment.

c. Be active contributors to the clinical science that subserves audiology and to the continuing development of the profession.

The overall goal of the AuD Program is to provide students within New York City, New York State, and the nation with the highest quality academic preparation and with varied and enriched clinical experiences so as to prepare them to be highly qualified autonomous clinicians providing state-of-the-art services to individuals of all ages with hearing loss. More specific goals of the Program include:

a. Preparation of audiologists who will be able to meet the hearing health-care needs of the culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse population of the greater NYC metropolitan area.

b. Preparation of audiologists, through a full-time, intensive health sciences doctoral Program, for autonomous practice. Graduates will be capable of providing comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative services to individuals from neonates to seniors who have auditory and vestibular disorders.

II. Program Strategic Plan

To modify the administrative structure of the AuD Program such that it becomes a stand-alone Program at the Graduate Center, CUNY, instead of one of the programs within the Health Science Doctoral Programs and such that the Program’s administrative committees give increased focus to a research agenda and to the clinics of the Program.
To work with Graduate Center administration to increase funding for entering and continuing AuD students.
To implement a dual degree program in Audiology and Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences that would give graduating students two degrees: a Clinical Doctorate in Audiology (Au.D.) and a research doctorate in Speech-Language-Hearing Science (Ph.D.). The already proposed dual degree program that has received Graduate Center approvals now is awaiting approval from the New York State Department of Education.
To increase the intensity of the internship Audiology practica at each of the campus clinics
To re-examine the entire AuD curriculum and the adequacy of its resources from the perspective of experience gained with the curriculum implemented over the past four years to minimize overlap, ensure the widespread inclusion of evidence-based practicum, and to continue to maximize student development of knowledge and skills in Audiology
To enhance the clinical research skills that students acquire in their Capstone Projects and to make the process inclusive of input from the entire AuD faculty body
To work with the supervisors of the affiliated externship sites and with other local Au.D. Programs to develop a residency matching program which best meets the needs of AuD students and the community.
To streamline course scheduling

The AuD Program welcomes input and comment from the community regarding its Program Strategic Plan. Please send any input, comments, or suggestions to Professor Adrienne Rubinstein (arubin@brooklyn.cuny.edu), Professor Carol A Silverman (profaud@nyc.rr.com), or Professor Barbara E. Weinstein (bweinstein@gc.cuny.edu). Professors Rubinstein and Silverman are the Co-Directors of the CUNY AuD Program and Professor Weinstein is the Executive Officer of the Health Sciences Doctoral Programs (under which the AuD Program resides) at the Graduate Center, CUNY.

III. Program Outcomes

Audiology Praxis Exam Pass Rate for the CUNY Au.D. Program
Academic Year	Number Who Took Exam	CUNY Au.D. Program Pass Rate	National Pass Rate
2008-2009	8	100%	n/a
2007-2008	5	100%	86.2%

CUNY Au.D. Program Retention Rates
Year Cohort Entered CUNY Au.D. Program	Number Matriculated	Number Withdrew	Percent Retained
Fall 2005	6	1	83%
Fall 2006	10	0	100%
Fall 2007	11	1	91%
Fall 2008	13	1	92%

CUNY AuD Program Employment Rates for Its Graduates
Graduating Cohort	Number of Graduates	% Employed in Audiology
Spring 2009	5	100%
No other cohort has yet graduated	NA	NA