UI Communication Sciences and Disorders: graduate program

Program overview
The Ph.D. program provides flexible, comprehensive training for the scholar-researcher interested in communication processes and their disorders. Students with diverse backgrounds in the natural and behavioral sciences are encouraged to apply and develop their skills in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary research.

The program reflects the broad interest of its multidisciplinary faculty: speech, language, voice, hearing, engineering, physiology, physics, psychology, linguistics, and bioengineering. The purpose of the doctoral program is to provide the integrated knowledge necessary for a productive career in speech, language, voice, or hearing science and related areas.

Students with special interests, goals or backgrounds are encouraged to develop individualized programs of study. There are no required courses for the Ph.D.; rather,a program of study is developed by each student in consultation with a faculty committee.

Planning Meeting: Students are required to hold a planning meeting during the first or second session after beginning full-time study toward the Ph.D. The committee should consist of five faculty members chosen by the student and approved by the advisor.

Annual Review: A student's progress toward his or her degree objective will be continuously monitored. Formal review by the faculty as a whole will occur annually. The review will include student performance in (1) coursework, (2) teaching or research assistantships, and (3) research projects. Advisors provide their advisees a written summary of their Ph.D. review. The summary needs to be signed by the student and a copy put in their student folder.

Research Registration: Students are required to take research registration hours (3:590) in their first and second semesters of full-time doctoral study. Feedback from the instructor is required. The intention of this requirement is to ensure that each student receives early feedback regarding his or her research potential. Students normally continue to sign up for research registration for subsequent sessions although there is no formal requirement that research hours must be taken every semester.

Effects of Negative Evaluation: An unsatisfactory report on the comprehensives will normally terminate the student's program at the end of the current term of registration. The student will not be permitted to enroll for subsequent terms except under the following conditions:

1. If, prior to the beginning of registration for the next term in which the student wishes to enroll, the student declares to the department chair, in writing, the intent to be re-examined, the student will be permitted to register until completion of the second evaluation. The examining committee will specify a date by which the second evaluation must occur. In accord with the regulations of the Graduate College, the re-examination may not occur sooner than four months after the first examination and only one reexamination is permitted.

2. An alternate program of study may be approved by the department chair which would permit the student to pursue study in a non-Ph.D. program.

Undergraduate Prerequisites
Students may be admitted without having fulfilled some of these prerequisites; therefore, they have been included in the AuD Program sample curriculum.

Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production
Elementary Statistics and Inference
Basic Acoustics for Speech & Hearing
Phonetics: Theory & Applications
Introduction to Hearing Science
Language Development
Manual Communication
Hearing Loss and Audiometry
Introduction to Rehabilitative Audiology*
One semester Physics with a lab covering acoustics and basic electricity
One semester Calculus (or equivalent)*
One semester Biology with lab

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) above are undergraduate prerequisites. We have included these courses in the AuD Program sample curriculum because they are not universally included in undergraduate speech pathology and audiology programs.

Admission to the AuD Program
The number of new admissions into the AuD degree program is limited. Therefore, admission decisions are based on an applicant's credentials in relation to those of other individuals who are applying. Admissions are usually made only for the fall semester of each year.

Applications must be received by January 15 for admission in the following fall.

In addition, a personal interview is strongly recommended and is scheduled in mid-late February. There are no additional requirements for admission other than those imposed by the Graduate College, but applicants with GPAs of less than 3.0 for undergraduate study and GRE scores under 450 in each area (verbal, quantitative, and analytic) are not likely to be accepted. Students accepted into the program will be notified in early-mid March.

Links for Graduate College Admissions / Forms

UI Graduate and Professional Admissions

On-line application for the Graduate College

On-line application for Speech Pathology and Audiology

Contact Mary Jo Yotty (319 / 335-8719) for admissions questions and Email Dr. Carolyn Brown (319 / 335-8734) for queries relating to curriculum.

Prerequisites / Waiver of coursework

Background Coursework: Many of our graduate courses assume that a student has prerequisite background classwork in the field. The following classes are considered as prerequisites for graduate work towards the professional MA in Speech-Language Pathology:

Undergraduate Prerequisite Courses
3:110 Phonetics
3:111 Acoustics for Speech and Hearing
Introductory Statistics
3:112 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech Production
3:113 Introduction to Hearing Science
3:116 Basic Neuroscience for Speech and Hearing
3:117 Psychology of Language or 3:218 Psycholinguistics
3:118 Language Development
3:185 Hearing Loss & Audiometry

1. These courses may be taken by graduate students if accepted to the MA program, but will increase the length of their program accordingly.

2. A student may have taken equivalent coursework at another university. In this case the student should arrange to meet with the faculty member in charge of the equivalent University of Iowa course at the beginning of the master's program. The faculty member will interview the student to determine if the coursework was indeed equivalent. Students are encouraged to bring any course syllabi they might have from related courses to these interviews. In some cases students may have had most, but not all, of the material in a given areas. In these cases the faculty member may exempt the student from the course in question under the condition that the student take the portion of the course covering the needed material. Students then register for 1, 2, or 3 semester hours to receive credit for the portion of the course.

Equivalent Undergraduate Courses for MA Requirements
As stated in the University catalog, students may utilize equivalent undergraduate courses to satisfy certain requirements for the professional MA degree. It should be emphasized that the use of such courses to meet MA course requirements does not reduce the minimum number of semester hours (38) of graduate work required for the degree. It does allow students to take other elective courses or to take certain basic courses needed to meet the background coursework described previously. The policies and procedures under which undergraduate courses can be accepted as meeting specific professional MA course requirements are as follows:

1. The student's faculty advisor will reach the decision as to whether or not the student has had undergraduate courses which will be accepted as meeting the following professional MA course requirements:

3:114 Introduction to Voice Disorders
3:115 Oral Structure Disorders
3:140 Manual Communication I
3:145 Developmental Speech & Language Disorders
3:146 Neurogenic Disorders of Speech
3:183 Introduction to Stuttering
3:185 Hearing Loss and Audiometry
3:244 Rehabilitative Audiology

Other courses which may, in the future, be marked with an asterisk in the course requirements list in the University catalog indicate that equivalent undergraduate courses will be accepted as meeting that course requirement. Although the faculty advisor can make the final decision concerning such equivalent courses, it is recommended that, in instances where advisors face uncertainty in allowing course substitutions, they consult with the instructor of the appropriate required course(s).

2. The use of a course taken on the undergraduate level to meet any of the professional MA course requirements other than those listed in item 1 above, must be approved by the instructor of the required course, who may require that the student take the course for full or reduced credit or that the student complete a seminar in that subject-matter area.

The approval of the course instructor is not required if the student has taken the required course as an undergraduate at The University of Iowa within two calendar years of the student's entrance into the MA program.

3. Any undergraduate course utilized to meet an MA course requirement under the procedures specified in items 1 and/or 2 above must have been passed with a grade of "C" or better.

Waiver of Coursework Requirements: Students are expected to successfully complete all courses or their equivalents that are required by the department for a particular degree. Requests for waiver of a course requirement are to be processed through the student's faculty advisor to the department chair. Each request must include a statement of the particular reasons for the request and of the potential effects of a waiver on the student's program of study and must be recommended for approval by the faculty advisor. The department chair or a faculty member designated by the chair will make the final decision concerning approval or disapproval of the request and will specify the bases for the decision. A decision to disapprove the request can be appealed by the student or faculty advisor to the department faculty. This policy applies only to those course requirements which, in the judgment of the faculty advisor, have not been met by coursework equivalent to the requirement. Guidelines for determining such equivalency are provided in the preceding section of this guide.

Core Curriculum

Required Graduate Courses:
3:114 Introduction to Voice Disorders
3:115 Structural Disorders
3:135 Foundations of Clinical Practice I
3:136 Foundations of Clinical Practice II
3:137 Foundations of Clinical Practice III
3:140 Manual Communication
3:145 Developmental Speech and Language Disorders
3:146 Neurogenic Language Disorders
3:147 Neurogenic Speech Disorders
3:183 Introduction to Stuttering
3:244 Rehabilitative Audiology
3:510 Seminar: Introduction to Research
3:515 Proseminar

Practicum:
3:301 Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology
3:312 Practicum: Hearing Measurement
7E:192 Special Area Student Teaching

Menu Courses (minimum of 12 semester hours must be taken):
3:206 Language Disorders in Children (0-18)
3:201 Principles of Voice Production
3:213 Voice Habilitation
3:222 Speech & Hearing Anatomy (Dissection)
3:233 Aphasia
3:236 Swallowing Disorders
3:237 Cleft Palate
3:260 Designing Assistive Devices
3:282 Phonological Development & Disorders
3:283 Stuttering
3:350 Preceptorship in Augmentative Communication
7E:104 Remedial Methods in Speech & Hearing

Seminars (minimum 4 semester hours):
3:520 Seminar: MA Language
3:522 Seminar: Speech Science
3:526 Seminar: Rehabiltative Audiology
3:186 Problems: Speech and Hearing Processes & Disorders
3:590 Research

Specific course descriptions can be found in the University General Catalog at www.registrar.uiowa.edu/registrar/catalog.

Graduation requirements

Final Degree Examinations: All programs for the MA degree must include final examinations as specified in the Graduate College regulations. These examinations generally are scheduled during the middle of the term in which the student plans to complete the degree work. Shortly after the beginning of the term, the student and the advisor should carry out the following procedures:

1. Complete a Plan of Study Summary Sheet;

2. Complete the departmental request for final examination form;

3. If appropriate, complete the KASA (knowledge and skill acquisition) form and review it with the advisor.

It is the responsibility of the student to see that these and other required procedures are completed at the appropriate times.

Faculty with adjunct and clinical professor status in this department may serve on examining committees; however, the presence of more than one adjunct or clinical professor on a committee is discouraged. Adjunct faculty cannot, however, be the chair of the examination committee. Special permission from the Graduate College is required for the appointment of adjunct and clinical professors to serve on committees; therefore, in this case, the academic advisor and student must complete procedures and submit forms to the department chair at least two weeks before the deadline.

Degree with Thesis: For the student taking the MA degree with thesis, the final examination is oral and is approximately two hours in length. It is conducted by a committee which consists of not less than three members of the Graduate Faculty, at least two of whom are members of the faculty of this department. The faculty member who has supervised the thesis serves as chair of the examining committee.
Oral examinations over the MA thesis are held at times approved by the advisor. In all instances, a copy of the thesis must have been deposited with the Graduate College for the initial check prior to the holding of the examination.

The oral examination generally is concerned primarily with the candidate's thesis; however, it can also cover various related areas involved in the student's program of study. A notice of the time and place of the examination is posted and the examination is open to attendance by individuals other than the candidate and members of the committee.

The examination committee not only reaches a decision concerning whether the candidate has passed the oral examination but also formulates a statement which describes its assessment of the candidate's potential for doctoral study. This statement is presented to the faculty of the department and, with their approval, placed in the student's permanent record in the department. This evaluation serves as a basis for reaching a decision about admission of the student to the doctoral program if and when application is made.

Degree without Thesis: For the student taking the MA degree without thesis, the final examinations are of written form. Students will write for eight hours on questions provided by a committee of four faculty members. The examination committee is required to design the examination either in a face-to-face meeting or through memos. The questions must include normal processes as well as disorders.

The academic advisor and the student should meet to determine the members of the examining committee and decide on the committee member to be designated as committee chair. It is the student's responsibility to ask the designated chair and members to serve on the committee, and to notify the advisor of their willingness to do so. The examining committee chair is responsible for scheduling all committee meetings.

All final examinations will be taken on the same days, unless exceptions are requested by the committee chair and approved by the department chair. The entire committee will read all questions and meet as a group to discuss the student's performance. Each committee member votes either satisfactory or not satisfactory at this meeting. The committee chair may decide not to schedule a face-to-face meeting but to handle this via memo. Students will be notified about the outcome of the final examination in a letter from the department chair specifying that the Report of Final Examination has been signed and forwarded to the Graduate College for approval. Students will receive advance notice of the date on which the letters will be distributed.

Failure of Final Examination: Failure of the written or oral examination will normally terminate the student's program at the end of the current term of registration. If, prior to the beginning of registration for the next term in which the student wishes to enroll, a written declaration is made to the department chair with an intent to repeat the examination, the student will be permitted to register until completion of the second examination. The examining committee will specify a date by which the second examination must occur. In accord with the regulations of the Graduate College, reexamination may occur no sooner than the following term and the examination may be repeated only once.

Awarding of Degrees: MA degrees are awarded upon the favorable recommendation of the examining committee and the approval of the department chair and the Graduate College. In order to receive a degree in any given term, the student must have filed an Application for Graduate College Degree form for that term. The deadline date for such filing is specified by the department for students taking the degree without thesis. The deadline for students taking a degree with thesis is specified in the University calendar. Both dates occur early in the term.

Students taking a degree with thesis must make the final deposit of their thesis in the Graduate College before the specified deadline to be eligible to receive the degree.

Predissertation Project
Each doctoral student must complete a predissertation research project:

1. This project should be of limited scope and should be selected and developed with a faculty advisor.

2. The project must be data based, but the student can use existing data rather than generating new data. Generally the rules defining what is empirical enough to be a valid procedure for a dissertation would apply.

3. It is expected that students do the project as part of 3:590 Research registrations, not as a part of research assistant assignments.

4. All students will be required to give a proseminar presentation based on the predissertation project.

5. The student must write a manuscript reporting the predissertation project. The manuscript will be submitted to the faculty advisor of the research, usually as part of a 3:590 Research registration.

6. The student must have completed the predissertation project and passed the comprehensive examination before a Ph.D. dissertation prospectus will be considered. The order of completion between the predissertation project and comprehensive examination is not fixed.

Dissertation Committee
In developing the research project which is to constitute the doctoral dissertation, the student selects a faculty member or members to serve as the dissertation advisor(s). A dissertation prospectus committee also is selected by the student with the approval of the advisor and the department chair, who has the prerogative of adding members to the committee. This committee consists of at least five faculty members (including the advisor who serves as chair), one of whom is a faculty member of another department and three of whom are members of the faculty of this department.

1. Preprospectus Meeting. After the initial planning of the research project has occurred, an optional preprospectus meeting of the student with the prospectus committee may be held. At this preprospectus meeting, the student provides the committee with information about the background and rationale for the proposed project, an initial statement of the questions or hypotheses to be investigated, and the essential elements of the proposed research procedures. No written document needs to be provided to the committee prior to the meeting; however, it is helpful for a statement of the problem and a general outline of the proposed procedures to be available to the committee members.

The purpose of this meeting is to acquaint the committee with the nature of the developing project and, more importantly, to get their suggestions and comments about the further development of the project. The meeting is usually two hours in length. The committee then decides whether or not to give approval for the student to develop a formal prospectus for the proposed project. The committee may request that additional preprospectus meetings be held before the project is fully developed. These meetings are designed primarily to ensure that the student is embarking on a project which the committee feels is appropriate for a doctoral dissertation and to provide a means for the committee members to help the student develop the project.

2. Prospectus Meeting. Each student is required to develop a written prospectus to be presented to the prospectus committee prior to beginning the actual research project. This document generally includes material which eventually will constitute the introduction and procedures sections of the dissertation. The committee meets with the student (generally for two hours) and must approve the prospectus before the student can proceed.

3. Pre- and Post-comprehensive Exam Registration. The student is required to register each semester (except summer sessions) after passing the comprehensive examination until the degree is awarded. If a student fails to register, he or she may not be readmitted to candidacy until he or she has submitted an application which has been approved by his or her advisor, the department chair, and the dean of the Graduate College.

Students on assistantships must register for 9 semester hours both pre- and post-comps; in the case of post-comps, this would be 9 hours of research. For students not on funding, the requirement is 9 semster hours pre-comps, but a minimum of 3 s.h. post-comps.

4. Final Examination. The program for the Ph.D. culminates in a final oral examination in defense of the dissertation. This examination usually occurs during the period specified in the University calendar for graduate examinations during the latter part of the term in which the student plans to receive the degree; however, it can be held at any time after the first check of the dissertation by the Graduate College. A Request for Final Examination must be filed approximately three weeks before the scheduled examination. If the originally filed Plan of Study requires modification, an Application for Change in Plan of Study must accompany the request.

The final examination committee consists of at least five members of the Graduate Faculty, one of whom must be from outside this department and three of whom must be faculty members of this department. Ordinarily this committee will have the same members as the prospectus committee. This committee and its composition are subject to the approval of the department chair and the dean of the Graduate College, both of whom have the prerogative of adding members to the committee.

The format for dissertation defenses will be as follows:
- 20-minute presentation

- 10-minute period for questions strictly from the public

- 75 minutes of in-depth questioning from the committee (the committee chair will at his or her discretion decide whether to allow additional questions from the public and if so, at what time during the 75-minute period)

- 15 minutes of final deliberations for which the committee will retire to another room

All dissertation defenses will be publicized.

5. Awarding of Degrees. Ph.D. degrees will be awarded upon favorable recommendation of the final examination committee and completion of all requirements specified for the degree by the Graduate College. These include the filing of an application for the degree, completion (or modification) of the filed plan of study, and the final deposit of the dissertation and dissertation abstract in the Graduate College along with the appropriate certificates of committee approval.

Combined M.A.-Ph.D. Program Planning
Combined program planning should not result in delaying the time at which the master's degree is completed beyond the usual time required for completion of a master's degree with thesis by other students. Continuation of financial aid is contingent on a student's completion of the master's degree within the usual time period.

Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)
The procedures to be followed in arranging for a CIC placement to spend part or all of an academic year at another CIC institution (other Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago) are as follows:

1. The student will consult with his or her advisor and the student's supervisory committee to consider the advisability of such a placement.

2. The advisor will contact a faculty member at the host institution who agrees to serve as the student's primary contact person and advisor during the time the student is there.

3. If laboratory experience at the host institution is advisable, the advisor will inquire if funds are available at the host institution to support the students work.

4. If funds are not available or if they are less than department research assistantships at UI, the department will attempt to provide funds up to the equivalent of a departmental research assistantship. Approximately half of these funds will be from R.A. monies, with the expectation that the student will "work-off" the corresponding amount of time (library research at the host institution, laboratory work at UI after return, etc.). The remainder will come from other sources, e.g,. endowments.

5. These procedures apply in addition to those required by the Graduate College. They are intended to cover one quarter or one semester of study. If the student wishes to stay longer, the department will need to make special arrangements for that individual.

Doctor of Audiology Core Curriculum

Required Graduate Courses
3:135 Foundations of Clinical Practice I (1)
3:145 Developmental Speech & Language Disorders (3)
3:165 Communication Disorders and Aging (2)
3:219 Fundamentals of Lab Instrumentation (3)
3:224 System & Signal Theory in Speech & Hearing Science (3)
3:230 Advanced Hearing Science & Speech Perception (4)
3:238 Capstone Requirement (1)
3:240 Hearing Aids I (3)
3:242 Hearing Aids II (3)
3:244 Rehabilitative Audiology (3)
3:245 Pediatric Audiology (3)
3:246 Advanced Audiology (3)
3:247 Medical Audiology (2)
3:249 Cochlear Implants (3)
3:255 Educational Audiology (2)
3:256 Physiology of Hearing (3)
3:290 Auditory Evoked Potentials (3)
3:291 Vestibular Assessment & Rehabilitation (3)
3:292 Advanced Rehabilitative Audiology (3)
3:510 Sem. Introduction to Research Speech & Hearing (1)
3:515 Proseminar (0)
Calculus (3-4)
Statistics (3)
Elective Seminar (2)

Practicum:
3:301 Practicum: Speech-Language Pathology (1-2)
3:311 Clinical Practice in Audiology (12)
3:315 Clinical Rotations in Audiology (14)
3:316 Advanced Externship in Audiology (0)

NEED TOTAL 95 semester hours

Specific course descriptions can be found in the University General Catalog at www.registrar.uiowa.edu/registrar/catalog.

Clinical Practice in Audiology: The Clinical Practice in Audiology course is designed to provide opportunities and information on a variety of professional issues important to clinical practice. The topics which are generally covered by guest speakers with expertise in each area include genetics, radiographic techniques, cerumen management, educational audiology, ethics, legal issues, private practice reimbursement and business management. Clinical rotations are arranged as competencies are developed. They include The Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Otolaryngology; Center for Disabilities and Development; VA Medical Center; Private Practice clinics; and Educational Audiology settings.

Boot Camp: Students are required to attend "Boot Camp" which takes place a few days before fall semester officially starts. Among other topics covered during Boot Camp, students will receive training and certification in Universal Precautions, Mandatory Reporting, CPR, HIPPA, and IRB. Students will also be oriented to policies and procedures of the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions about Iowa's AuD program

What training opportunities are available?
Can I specialize in a particular area of audiology?
What placement sites are available for the 4th year?
Are students paid for the 4th year placement?
Is research an option while doing the AuD program?
If I’m in the AuD program, is it possible to transfer into the PhD program?
Are part-time students accepted?
Do you offer distance learning courses?
What is the cost of tuition?
How does a student qualify for a research or teaching assistantship?
How do I apply to the AuD program?
When is my application due?
When will I know about my admission status?
Do you assist your students in finding employment after graduation?

What training opportunities are available?
The Department of Speech Pathology Audiology and the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center (WJSHC) are housed in close proximity to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), and the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD), in addition to a variety of private medical, private audiology, and school settings.

The opportunities for clinical experience include:

WJSHC: Comprehensive aural (re)habilitation services for children and adults including diagnostic audiology; hearing aid and assistive listening device selection; fitting and orientation, and communication training involving the patient and family members or other significant communication partners;
• UIHC: Diagnostic audiology, electrophysiology, complete hearing aid services, pediatric and adult cochlear implants, intra-operative monitoring;
• VAMC: Adult diagnostic audiology and hearing aid selection and fitting;
• CDD: Diagnostic audiology and hearing aid services for children and adults with disabilities as part of an interdisciplinary team; clinical and administrative training as well as leadership development through seminars and community-based outreach programs;
• Educational Audiology: Audiometric testing, educational monitoring, and instructional services; amplification fitting and monitoring for hearing aids, FM systems, and classrooms; classroom acoustics;
• Private Practice Clinics: Diagnostic audiology, hearing aid selection and fitting, business practice and management.

Can I specialize in a particular area of audiology?
The AuD degree is considered a generalist degree and students will therefore be expected to be proficient in all general areas of clinical audiology. Students, however, will have the opportunity to specialize to some extent through elective courses, selection of their Capstone topic and their 4th Year training site(s).

What placement sites are available for the 4th year?
Besides the locally available sites, students will have the option of applying for 4th year experiences at a number of other outstanding clinical sites. Those placements will be competitive and based on training needs and specific clinical interests.

Are students paid for the 4th year placement?
Fourth year students may receive a stipend to offset tuition and monthly living expenses.

Is research an option while doing the AuD program?
The Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology continues to house some of the top research programs in the country—consequently, there are many ongoing research projects that would provide students the opportunity to participate if they desire. Many of these projects have direct clinical application and directly correspond to clinical coursework.

If I’m in the AuD program, is it possible to transfer into the PhD program?
Students who begin the AuD clinical program and have strong research interests may elect to pursue both an AuD and Ph.D. degree. An assigned committee and the student work to integrate the requirements of the two programs. If the student applies to the Ph.D. program by the end of the 2nd year of study, it is estimated that completion of both the AuD and Ph.D. degrees will take approximately 7 years.

Are part-time students accepted?
No. The AuD Program has been set up for full-time residential students only.

Do you offer distance learning courses?
No. Again, the AuD program is designed for full-time residential students only.

What is the cost of tuition?
Tuition is approximately $8000 (resident) and $20000 (nonresident) for each 12-month time period. Students who are offered stipends (research or teaching assistantships) are eligible for the resident tuition status.

How does a student qualify for a research or teaching assistantship?
Our department makes every attempt to provide stipend support to as many graduate students as possible. The money comes from a variety of sources, including individual faculty grants; as a result, it is often not possible to offer financial support to all students at the time of admission. However, over half of the AuD students are currently funded in this manner.

How do I apply to the AuD program?”
You may apply on-line or download a paper application on The University of Iowa's Graduate Admission website.

When is my application due?
Applications are due by January 15 of each year. An interview process is also recommended. That interview can take place either informally (during the fall semester) or formally (at a time announced in the spring).

When will I know about my admission status?
Students accepted into the program will be informed of their admission by March 1st of each year. A number of students are placed on a deferred list at the same time and will be informed of that decision at the same time.

Do you assist your students in finding employment after graduation?
Yes. Our faculty assists students by identifying job opportunities and providing letters of recommendation. Most of our faculty serve on national boards and working groups therefore have connections with prospective employers across the country. In addition, potential employers often contact The University of Iowa in search of well qualified audiologists graduating from the program.

The graduate programs in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at The University of Iowa consistently rank among the best by U.S. News and World Reports. The Department offers the following degrees:

Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology
Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
Doctor of Philosophy
Combined MA / Ph.D.
Combined AuD / Ph.D.

The links at left lead to additional information about the degree programs. Also note that full details are available in the University course catalog.

A linked page contains data about Praxis Exam results, placement rates, and program completion rate.

Grading of coursework and practicum follow the policies of the Graduate College at The University of Iowa: www.grad.uiowa.edu.

Links for Graduate College Admissions / Forms

UI Graduate and Professional Admissions

On-line application for the Graduate College

On-line applications for Communication Sciences and Disorders

Current tuition and fees are listed at the University of Iowa Registrar’s website at www.registrar.uiowa.edu. Fees for Graduate College in Liberal Arts and Sciences apply.

The University of Iowa's Academic Calendar is also available on the Registrar's website.

The University of Iowa is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

The University of Iowa's Division of Sponsored Programs supports graduate student searches for external funding opportunities, skills in writing persuasive proposals, and development of a history of applying for external funds. Details about their free services are available at http://research.uiowa.edu/dsp/.

Introduction to the AuD Program, Faculty and Students

Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
The AuD program at the University of Iowa is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology & Speech-Langauge Pathology. The University of Iowa is the only program in the state of Iowa offering the AuD and is one of the only programs that offer students the ability to earn both their AuD and Ph.D. degrees. Currently the program is ranked among top programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report.The AuD program of study provides training to allow students to function as an audiologist in any clinical environment. In addition to the general clinical training program, interested students may elect to take the didactic and practicum courses that will allow them to become certified for work within the public schools. It is designed to provide students with academic experiences from nationally recognized faculty and diverse clinical experiences that meet or exceed the requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Since the doctorate is the entry-level clinical degree for the practice of audiology, the master's program in audiology has been discontinued. AuD faculty
For additional information about the AuD faculty, see the Faculty / Staff page.
Paul Abbas, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Sandie Bass-Ringdahl, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Ruth Bentler, Ph.D., Professor
Carolyn Brown. Ph.D., Associate Professor
Stephanie Fleckenstein, MA, Clinical Assistant Professor
Lenore Holte, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor
Danielle Kelsay, MA, Clinical Associate Professor
Diane Niebuhr, MA, Clinical Associate Professor
Chris Turner, Ph.D., Professor
Richard Tyler, Ph.D., Professor
Anne Wallace, MA, Clinical Associate ProfessorClinical Instructors at External Sites
The following list of external supervisors provide additional experiences for students in the AuD program. Please keep in mind, however, that the list is not exhaustive, and as such, additional opportunities are available.Lenore Holte, Ph.D., Center for Disabilities and Development
Barbara Gienapp, MA, Diagnostic Audiology; UIHC Otolaryngology
Mary Lowder, MA, Adult Cochlear Implants, UIHC Otolaryngology
Maura Kenworthy, AuD, Pediatric Cochlear Implants, UIHC Otolaryngology
Julie Wieland, AuD, Hearing Aid Center, UIHC Otolaryngology
Gail Takahashi, Ph.D., VA Medical Center
Kelly Varnum, MA, Educational Audiology, Grant Wood Area Education Agency
Joan Martilla, MA, Educational Audiology, Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency
Tina Troxell, AuD, Private Practice, Audiology Consultants
Jason Aird, AuD, Private Practice, Iowa Audiology and Hearing Aid Centers

Two AuD student profiles

Jerrica Kettel, a third year student in Iowa's AuD program, attended the American Auditory Society Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

My name is Jerrica Kettel and I'm in my third year of the AuD program at The University of Iowa. I earned my undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of North Dakota. I am a bit biased, but I think that Iowa is an amazing program. First, the faculty and staff are all very welcoming and excited to have you here as a student. They are all passionate about what they do, and it becomes quite contagious. The department is very busy with research, and professors are eager to include you in projects that match your interests. I have been able to work in three labs as a graduate research assistant, and this is what really got me excited about research in the field. I have found that I am really interested in pediatric audiology, so one of the faculty who works in the area has taken me into her lab so that I can learn more about that research as well. The clinical faculty here are also amazing, and they have worked hard to provide each student with a well-rounded clinical experience, with placements at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Center for Development and Disabilities, the VA Hospital, different school placements, private practice, and occupational audiology. Because of the number of different placements, you can focus in an area you enjoy. For example, I will be able to repeat favorite placements with the pediatric population next semester because I have finished the AuD requirements.