In the fall of 2003 the audiology program at ETSU will undergo a major amplification because of changes in degree requirements for all audiologists by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
ASHA says as of Jan. 1, 2012, all audiologists nationwide will be required to have a doctorate of audiology (Au.D), a change ETSU’s department of communicative disorders anticipated and prepared for. Currently, ETSU only offers a M.S. in audiology.
“If we didn’t change our curriculum then we would lose the program,” said Dr. Marc Fagelson associate professor department of communicative disorders.
In 1998 the department began the long process of seeking accreditation for a doctoral program.
In the summer of 2002 they finally receives it from the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. ASHA accredited the program in December.
The Au.D is unlike a Ph.D. because the focus isn’t solely on research. Although Fagelson says it’s important for clinicians to understand researchers, the Au.D program is primarily focused on clinical practice and clinical research. Students won’t spend too much time tucked away in a lab because they will be working with patients.
Only a hand full of students are invited into the audiology program each year and Fagelson says the addition of the Au.D is going to increase the competition for fall admission this year. He says the program already has more applications for the fall than any other previous class, and the deadline is still several weeks away.
“The ante is raised when you have a doctoral program,” Fagelson says. “Everybody has to work harder.

Author