Graduate Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences Courses

The School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences provides academic study leading to a master of arts (M.A.) in speech-language pathology (slp), a clinical doctorate in audiology (Au.D), and a doctor of philosophy (PhD.) in speech-language pathology, audiology, and in the hearing, speech, and language scie4nces. The professional (M.A., Au.D) programs in audiology and speech-language pahtology are accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

School facilities are located in Grover Center, a newly renovated building housing the entire college. Situated at the "front door" of the University, this facility includes first-class research and learning labs for our faculty and students, high-tech classrooms and student computer lab, and our state-of-the-art Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic.

The clinical program provides a variety of experiences in our new campus facility where we work closely with other disciplines, such as physical therapy. We also have many off-campus sites providing even greater opportunities to work with clients over the entire age span. Our campus site includes assessment and therapy rooms, a closed-circuit television system for observation and supervision, a resource/materials room, individual and group treatment rooms, and counseling rooms. Off-campus opportunities are available locally and through externships nationwide,in pediatric and adult hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing homes, private practices, speech and hearing centers, schools, and centers for individuals with developmental disabilities. Full-time clinical faculty and adjunct clinical supervisors carry out the on-and off-campus clinical supervision.

If accepted into either the M.A. or Au.D. program, you will be responsible for your own transportation to and from clinical sites, as public transportation in the Athens area is limited. Housing and other living expenses during your externships are also your responsibility. You also will be required to: (1) obtain CPR certification; (2) have a physical examination, including evidence of results of a recent TB skin test; (3) provide documentation of current immunization for hepatitits B (or waiver form). Because you may be exposed to infectious diseases during your affiliations, some sites may require proof of immunization for other diseases. In addition, you must purchase name tags and malpractice insurance to be eligible for participation in the clinical practica.

Eligibility to Apply

To be considered for admission, you must:

1. Have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
2. Have erned a minimum overall grade-point average (g.p.a.) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
3. Submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
4. Have complted a core of undergradute courses including courses in math, biology and physical science, and pre-professional courses including introduction to communication disorders, phontics, language development, anatomy/physiology of speech and hearing, basic audiology, and speech and hearing sciences (see M.A., Au.D., and Ph.D. programs for more details).

We encourage applicants from other disciplines to apply. If you have not meet the course requirements stated above, you may be admitted on a conditional basis while completing these requirements. Upon successful completion of these courses, you will be admitted the graduate program and become eligible for financial support.

Application

1. A completed graduate application form https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apps.htm
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
3. Official transcripts from each postsecondary institution attended. (You do not need to submit transcripts of coursework completed at Ohio University.)
4. Three letters of recommendation, online at the school's web site: https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apps.htm from people who are qualified to evaluate your capability for graduate study. Please make certain to include the program you plan to pursue on the form prior to giving it to the person providing the reference.
5. A supplemental information form, available from the school or online at the school's Web site, https://www.ohio.edu/hearingspeech/index.htm

Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Studies, Ohio University, McKee House, Athens, OH 45701-2979:

2 copies of the completed applilcation Form

2 official copies of all transcripts

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores

Application fee, non-refundable

Submit the following documents directly to the gradute coordinator, School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences, Grocer Center W218, Ohio University, Athens OH 45701-2979:

3 letters of recommendation

Supplemental Graduate Student Information Form including Statement of Interests and Goals

International students having English as a second language must also present the following documents directly the graduate coordinator, School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences, Grover Center W218, Ohio University, Athens OH 45701-2979:

TOEFL scores

An informal tape-recorded speech sample.

Full and partial assistantships and scholarships are available. All applicants are considered for financial assistance. Except for Ph.D. applicants and special enrollees, students are admitted only for fall term.

Master's Program in Speech-Language Pathology

Two tracks are available. Students choosing Track A may be interested in ongoing research opportunities with faculty, leading to a thesis; or may prefer additional coursework, perhaps providing certificates in areas such as gerontology or teaching English as a second language. Track B requires completion of two externships and may be preferred b students desiring a greater variety of clinical experiences. For example, a student may choose to extern in both medical and school settings or perhaps obtain different experiences in separate medical settings. Externships are available throughout the U.S. and Canada through contractual agreements with certified professionals in those sites:

Required core courses:

HSLS 601          Research Methods in Hearing,
                  Speech and Language Sciences (4)
            
HSLS 603          Neuroscience of Communication (4)

HSLS 613          Developmental and Disordered 
                  Phonology (4)

HSLS 617          Disorders of Fluency (4)

HSLS 621          Disorders of Phonation (4)

HSLS 623          Advanced Diagnostic Procedures in 
                  Speech and Language Disorders (4)

HSLS 624          Neuromotor Disorders of Speech (4)

HSLS 629          Adult Neurogenic Language
                  Disorders (4)

HSLS 640          Augmentative Communication (4)

HSLS 641          Dysphagia (4)

HSLS 652          Experimental Phonetics I (4)

Students in Track A will complete the above 44 required core hours, 32 elective hours; 12 hours of graded practica, HSLS 635; and 3 hours of externship, HSLS 636. Students in Track B will complete the above 44 core hours; 24 electives hours; 17 hours of graded practice, HSLS 635; and 6 hours of externship, HSLS 636.

Master's degree applicants who are interested in academic careers and who demonstrate excellent potential for doctoral study may request consideration for admission to special M.A. to Ph.D. linked arrangement. The M.A. to Ph.D. linked program provides special learning opportunities to extend study through the doctoral level, but does not obligate either you or the School of subsequent doctoral study. Participants in the progrm also have advantageous funding opportunities if you would like to be considered for the special admission to the M.A. to Ph.D. linked program, please tell us so and provide a brief description of your interest in doctoral study within the body of the essay that accompanies your completed application materials.

Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)

This clinical doctorate in audiology is designed so that fulltime students typically can complete the 189-quarter hour program in four years. The program includes a planned sequence of required core courses, electives, clinical and research experiences, and concludes with a nine-month fulltime supervised externship. Students must pass the National Teacher's Examination in Audiology and satisfy the ASHA academic and clinical requirements for certification. Depending on the student's background, additional coursework may be necessry for professional certification and graduation.

There are four targeted areas of study and training in the first three years. First didactic coursework provides the student with the foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills of the profession. Second, professional clinical training provides an informal setting to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom as well as to discuss clinical issues. Third, the student will have direct patient contact in formal and closely supervised settings. Clinical experiences evolve in quantity, scope and complexity within a variety of supervised settings on- and off-campus providing experiences more extensive and diverse than those offered by many urban programs. Fourth, guided clinical research experiences are provided in areas such as hearing aid technology and benefits, cochlear implants, psychophysics and signal processing, diagnostic audiology, otoacoustic emissions, and physiological measures of the auditory system.

The fourth and final year of the Au.D. program consists of a full-time supervised externship. Students can select from our large nationwide network of clinical sites. The externships are available with certified professionals contingent on mutual approval by our Coordinator of Clinical Services and outside agencies. By graduation, students will have completed 400 clinical hours in addition to the nine-month full-time externship, thus exceeding ASHA standards for obtaining professional certification.

In addition to the application requirements discussed above, a personal or phone interview is required. Favorable candidates will be contacted by the School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences to coordinate the interview. Personal interviews are encouraged but not required.

Audiology Course Requirements:

HSLS 601          Research Methods in Hearing,
                  Speech and Language Sciences (4)

HSLS 603          Neuroscience of Communication (4)

HSLS 627          Medical Aspects of Auditory
                  Disorders (4)

HSLS 652          Experimental Phonetics I (4)

HSLS 673A         Audiological Assessment Differential 
                  Diagnosis I (5)

HSLS 673B         Audiological Assessment Differential 
                  Diagnosis II (5)

HSLS 674          Hearing Aids (4)

HSLS 675A         Electrophysiological Assessment of
                  the Auditory System (5)

HSLS 676          Psychoacoustics (4)

HSLS 677          Bioacoustics (4)

HSLS 761          Psychosocial Aspects of Hearing
                  Impairment (4)

HSLS 762          Rehabilitative Audiology (4)

HSLS 763          Pediataric/Educational Audiology (4)

HSLS 764          Clinical Administration in
                  Audiology (4)

HSLS 765          Geriatric Audiology (4)

HSLS 766          Deaf Culture (3)

HSLS 767          Sign Language for Audiologists (4)

HSLS 768          Industrial Audiology (4)

HSLS 770          Cochlear Implants (4)

HSLS 774          Hearing Aid Selection (5)

HSLS 775          Advanced Hearing Aid
                  Technology (4)

HSLS 785          Balance Function Assessment (5)

EDRE 720          Educational Statistics (5)

Doctor of Philosophy

Admission Policies

In addition to the application materials discussed above, applicants must submit a two to three page narrative detailing previous experience and long- and short-term career objectives. Individual interviews with the school director, the graduate coordinator and/or a potential faculty mentor in the student's intended area of study are required. In-person interviews and campus visitations are highly recommended and in some cases may be required.

The following criteria are used to determine eligibility for admission to doctoral study:

• A record of high scholastic achievement,
• Letters of recommendation substantiating academic and other strengths,
• GRE scores consistent with doctoral academic demands,
• A career plan describing past experiences, reasons for pursuing doctoral study, desired future employment settings, areas of desired professional expertise, and knowledge, skills, and experiences sought during doctoral study.

Students pursuing a Ph.D. in areas related to speech-language pathology, speech science, and/or language science must have a master's degree in communication sciences and disorders or in an academic area that will complement work in the intended area of doctoral study. Students pursuing a Ph.D. in hearing science and/or audiology are not required to have a master's degree

Once the HSLS Graduate Committee determines that an applicant is eligible for admission, a graduate faculty member must agree to accept the student as his or her advisee. Applicants are admitted once the graduate coordinator has been notified that an appropriate faculty member has agreed to serve as the applicant's academic advisor.

Academic Guidance

The role of the academic advisor is one of advocacy and mentorship guiding progress toward the doctoral degree. By accepting a student, the advsior is committed to working closely with the student through all aspects of the doctoral program. This entails preparation and development of the program of study, ongoing guidance and consultation, periodic re-evaluations, cooperative research, assistance in arranging the preliminary and comprehensive examinations (in collaboration with the graduate coordinator), and consultation on the dissertation proposal, writing, and oral defense. In addition to an academic advisor, each doctoral student will have an Academic Guidance Committee, which plays a major role in developing the program of study and evaluating scholarly development.

Degree Requirement

A minimum of 150 quarter hours of graduate work is necessary to complete the Ph.D. degree subject to the following guidelines:

• All acceptable previously accumulated previously accumulated graduate credit hours, up to a maximum of 51 quarter hours, may count toward the minimum 150 hours.
• At least 54 graduate credit hours must be taken from the School, none of which may have been taken as part of any other degree plan. Twenty-eight or more of the 54 hours must be taken in the major area of study. Some examples of major areas of study include speech perception and production, language science, aphasia and other neurogenic communication disorders, child language development and disorders, hearing aid technology and benefits, signal processing, cochlear implants, psychophysics, and auditory physiology.
• At least 14 graduate credit hours must be taken in each of two minor areas of study. One of the minor areas must be within the School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences, and the other in an academic area represented outside the School. Examples of minor areas outside the school include health service administration, gerontology, cognition, neuroscience, and psycholinguistics.
• A minimum of three graduate courses in a statistics sequence.
• A maximum of 24 dissertation hours are allowed as part of the 150 quarter hour requirement

Passing of the preliminary examination, first-year project requirements, comprehensive examinations, annual evaluations, and all courses in the approved program of study, and successful proposal, defense and submission of the dissertation are required for the doctoral degree.

A minimum of three quarters of continuous residence on the Athens campus is required according to University doctoral program policies. A minimum of 12 quarters (3 years) of full-time doctoral study is required by the School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences.