Doctor of Audiology

Audiologist running tests on a kid

About the Degree

Utah State University’s Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program is a four-year, 90 semester credit hour post-baccalaureate degree, and is part of the Western Regional Graduate Exchange program (WRGP). The AuD has a required preliminary exam, comprehensive exam, and clinical research project.

Students pursuing a doctoral degree in audiology can have a wide variety of backgrounds including but not limited to bachelor’s degrees in

  • Communicative Disorders
  • Psychology
  • Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Allied Health
  • Business

Students have varied clinical practicum experiences, beginning the first semester, including:

  • diagnostic assessment
  • hearing aids
  • assistive listening devices
  • cochlear implants
  • balance
  • tinnitus
  • auditory processing disorders
  • newborn hearing screening
  • educational audiology
  • Interdisciplinary pediatric services

The department audiology services (Hearing and Balance, Pediatric Audiology, Cochlear Implants) are part of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence, a state of the art interprofessional center providing comprehensive clinical services across the lifespan.

AuD Admissions and Tuition View Catalog Steps to apply to Grad School Admission Application

Contact the Graduate Program Coordinator

Mason Hayes

Mason Hayes

Graduate Program Coordinator / Graduate and Deaf Education Academic Advisor

Phone: 435-797-9094
Office Location: Lillywhite 148

Roadmap for AuD Program

Year One

(fall - spring)


  • Register for and complete your required classroom courses, including a year of COMD 7000: Implementation Science Seminar.
  • Register for and complete COMD 7200: Introduction to Clinical Practice (i.e. your hands-on clinical learning experience).
  • You will be assigned a Clinical Research Project (CRP) faculty mentor. You will then write your CRP proposal document and hold a proposal meeting with your CRP committee.
  • You will begin executing your CRP during the spring semester.

Year Two

(summer - spring)


  • Register for and complete your required classroom courses, including COMD 7000 in the fall and spring.
  • Register for and complete COMD 7300: Intermediate Clinical Practicum (i.e. your hands-on, supervised, clinical learning experience).
  • Register for, complete, and pass your AuD preliminary exam (COMD 7920) during the spring semester.
  • Complete your CRP data collection, write your final document, and defend your CRP; you will also register for COMD 7870 in the spring.
  • Present the findings from your CRP at a research conference.

Year Three

(summer - spring)


  • Register for and complete your required classroom courses, including COMD 7000 in the fall and spring.
  • Register for and complete COMD 7400: Advanced Clinical Practicum (i.e. your hands-on, supervised, clinical learning experience). Beginning in fall of Year Three, your supervised clinical learning will take place in off-campus audiology clinics across northern Utah.
  • Register for and complete your approved, graduate elective course.
  • Complete and pass your AuD comprehensive exam (COMD 7930).
  • Register for, complete, and earn a score of 162 or higher on the Praxis Audiology (5345) exam. Submit you results directly to ASHA from ETS and report them to the COMDDE Graduate Program Coordinator.

Year Four: Externship

(summer - spring)


  • Register for and complete COMD 7800 in all 3 semesters.
  • Complete your 9-month, full-time supervised clinical practicum under an ASHA-certified audiologist (or its part-time equivalent).
  • Submit your Graduate Application.
  • Apply and interview for jobs in hearing and/or balance healthcare. Begin to investigate requirements for your targeted job’s state licensure.
  • Graduate!
  • If you’re interested, apply for your CCC-A through ASHA.

Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) Emphasis

Through early identification and advanced technology, children with hearing loss have more opportunities than ever before to use audition to develop spoken language. Rapid progress in these areas has created a critical shortage of appropriately trained professionals who can meet the unique communicative and learning needs of children with permanent hearing loss and their families.

The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education at Utah State University has developed an innovative training program to provide in-depth training to graduate students in Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, and Deaf Education graduate programs. In addition to the standard coursework and requirements for a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree, students take additional courses and complete specialized practica and field-study experiences to develop specific knowledge and skills in the practice of pediatric audiology.

The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education at Utah State University has developed an innovative training program to provide in-depth training to graduate students in Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology, and Deaf Education graduate programs–The Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) Competencies Program.

The LSL Competencies Program is funded by federal grants awarded by the United States' Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). All AuD graduate students who participate in the LSL Program will have an opportunity to take advantage of associated funding.

The emphasis is completed during the 2nd and 3rd year of the AuD program.

The program is built on a strong foundation of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary service provision to young children with hearing loss and their families. The primary training site for graduate students takes place right on the Utah State University campus at the Sound Beginnings Program.  Sound Beginnings at Utah State University is an early education program that provides home and center-based services to children with hearing loss whose families want their children to learn to listen and talk. 

Prospective AuD graduate students interested in learning more and/or participating in our LSL Competencies Program should indicate their interest via their statement of purpose in their application materials.

Course Sequence for LSL in Audiology

Year 2 - Summer

COMD 7250 - LSL Practicum (1 credit)

Year 2 - Fall

COMD 6340 - Strategies for LSL (3 credits)
COMD 6850 - LSL Seminar (1 credit)
COMD 7250 - LSL Practicum (1 credit)

Year 2 - Spring

COMD 6850 - LSL Seminar (3 credits)
COMD 7250 - LSL Practicum (1 credit)

Year 3 - Summer

COMD 7250 - LSL Practicum (1 credit)

Year 3 - Fall

COMD 6720 - Interdisciplinary Implementations of IDEA (2 credits)
COMD 7250 - LSL Practicum (1 credit)

Council on Academic Accreditation | Accredited - Audiology

The doctoral (AuD) education program in audiology {residential} at Utah State University 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.

Students who have a complaint about compliance with accreditation standards may contact the Council on Academic Accreditation at https://caa.asha.org/, 1-800-498-2071, 1-301-296-5700, or caareports@asha.org.