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Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology: Doctor of Audiology Program

About the Doctor of Audiology Program

Overview

The Doctor of Audiology Program is a unique educational model that combines the academic and clinical resources of a major health sciences campus located in the Little Rock metro area of central Arkansas. It is a full-time four-year program with one cohort of students beginning each fall semester, and consists of a total of 11 semesters including three summers.

Mission of the Program

The mission of the Doctor of Audiology Program is to do the following:

  • Recruit and retain excellent students who are committed to the profession of audiology and the delivery of high quality clinical services
  • Provide students with a solid foundation in the science of hearing and balance and the skills to conduct and promote evidence-based clinical practice
  • Develop audiologists who have the diagnostic and rehabilitative clinical skills necessary to fulfill the current scope of practice in a culturally sensitive manner across the lifespan in a wide variety of settings

Vision of the Program

The UAMS Doctor of Audiology Program will lead the state in modern hearing and balance education, advancing the profession, and enhancing patient outcomes through a commitment to patient-centered care, evidence-based practice and interprofessional collaboration.

Goals of the Program

The goals of the Doctor of Audiology Program include producing audiology graduates who will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to do the following:

  • Competently evaluate children and adults for hearing and balance disorders
  • Provide appropriate intervention for children and adults with hearing and balance disorders
  • Understand and evaluate research in the field of audiology and related areas
  • Apply evidence based practice principles in the assessment and treatment of hearing and balance disorders
  • Understand and apply the principles of ethical and professional conduct

Educational Objectives of the Program

Clinical Curriculum

The doctoral academic and clinical curriculum in audiology must include instruction in the following areas:

  • Foundations of audiology practice
  • Identification and prevention of hearing loss, tinnitus, and vestibular disorders
  • Assessment of the structure and function of the auditory and vestibular systems
  • Assessment of the impact of changes in the structure and function of the auditory and vestibular systems
  • Intervention to minimize the effects of changes in the auditory and vestibular systems on an individual’s ability to participate in their environment

The clinical curriculum in audiology must include clinical and/or simulated clinical experiences in the following areas:

  • Prevention, screening and identification
  • Assessment (audiometrics)
  • Assessment (special tests)
  • Audiologic (re)habilitation
  • Pediatric audiologic (re)habilitation
  • Counseling
  • Communication
  • Professional practice

Student Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills to meet the following:

  • The objectives as outlined by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • The clinical competencies as outlined by the Council for Clinical Certification of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Students will also demonstrate professional practice competencies, including the following:

  • Accountability
  • Integrity
  • Effective communication skills
  • Clinical reasoning
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Concern for individuals served
  • Cultural competence
  • Professional duty
  • Collaborative practice

Strategy of the Program

Our program is designed to develop highly skilled and compassionate audiologists who can provide excellent care to a diverse patient population. We achieve this through the following:

  • Early patient interaction: Students see patients within the first two weeks of starting the program, gaining practical experience alongside a strong theoretical foundation.
  • Small class sizes: Personalized attention fosters deep learning and strong bonds between classmates and faculty member.
  • Case-based learning: All didactic courses incorporate clinical cases to encourage students to translate the classroom knowledge to clinical settings and patient care.
  • Focus on core values: We emphasize patient-centered care, cultural humility, interprofessional collaboration and evidence-based clinical practice.
  • Broad Clinical rotations: Students gain experience in a variety of settings with patient populations across the lifespan, preparing them for diverse practice opportunities.

Our graduates are well-positioned to thrive as audiologists in any setting enabling them to advance the profession and improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Features of the Program

The UAMS Doctor of Audiology Program is a continuous 11-semester, full-time, in-person professional degree program located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The program accepts new students once a year beginning in August and finishing four years later in May.

The program strives to prepare audiologists in a broad range of didactic knowledge and clinical skills to encompass the broad audiological scope of practice. The program also strives to educate students so they can function autonomously providing high-quality and compassionate hearing and balance care to diverse patient populations.

This is a cohort-based full-time program with a lock-step curriculum. Students must complete all courses each semester and be in good standing to continue to the next semester. The first 8 semesters of the curriculum consist of an intensive didactic phase which includes classroom learning, clinical laboratory, seminars, patient simulation, service learning and clinical patient encounters at on- and off-campus clinical affiliates.

The final three semesters of the program are a full-time (minimum of 32 hours per week) clinical rotation that takes place at a clinical location that the student has applied to, interviewed for and been extended an offer from.

Clinical Affiliates

The UAMS Doctor of Audiology Program partners with several clinical affiliate sites to provide students with diverse clinical experiences:

The clinical affiliates in Conway, Arkansas include the following:

  • American Hearing
  • Hearing Life
  • UAMS Conway

The clinical affiliates in Fayetteville, Arkansas include the following:

  • Farris Memorial ENT
  • VA of the Ozarks

The clinical affiliates in Fort Smith, Arkansas include the following:

  • Center for Hearing and Balance
  • Mercy Fort Smith
  • VA of the Ozarks

The clinical affiliates in Hot Springs, Arkansas include the following:

  • Hot Springs ENT
  • Palmer Hearing Laboratory

The clinical affiliates in Jonesboro, Arkansas include the following:

  • Jonesboro Otolaryngology & Facial Surgery Centre (OFSC)

The clinical affiliates in Little Rock, Arkansas include the following:

  • American Hearing
  • Arkansas Children’s Hospital
  • Arkansas Children’s EARS Team
  • Arkansas Otolaryngology Clinic (AOC)
  • Arkansas School for the Deaf
  • CARTI
  • Pinnacle Hearing
  • UAMS Audiology Clinic

The clinical affiliates in North Little Rock, Arkansas include the following:

  • Arkansas ENT
  • American Hearing

The clinical affiliates in Russellville, Arkansas include the following:

  • Horne Hearing

The clinical affiliates in Searcy, Arkansas include the following:

  • Unity Health Searcy

The clinical affiliates in Springdale, Arkansas include the following:

  • Arkansas Children’s NWA

Typical Course Schedule

Our program follows a rigorous schedule, with classes and clinical rotations held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at least one class each fall and spring semester for all cohorts is in the evenings, going until 7:30 p.m.

This comprehensive timetable ensures students receive extensive classroom learning along with hands-on learning in their clinical lab courses and their clinical rotations. This simultaneous classroom and clinic structure prepares student thoroughly for clinical practice and fosters a deep understanding of knowledge and skills, crucial for their future roles as hearing healthcare professionals.

Due to the demanding nature of this schedule, students are discouraged from working while enrolled in the program.

Program Enrollment

Students matriculate into our program every August, with an annual enrollment of 10 to 12 students.

Degree, Licensure and Certification

A Doctor of Audiology is awarded upon successful completion of all academic and practicum requirements for the UAMS Doctor of Audiology Program.

Successful completion of all program requirements for either track qualifies the student as eligible for audiology licensure in all 50 states and to sit for the Praxis Examination in Audiology, a key component of the certification standards of the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Successful completion of the program does not itself ensure licensure and/or certification. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with state licensure and national certification requirements.

Information about national certification can be found on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Audiology Certification website, while information about Arkansas state licensure can be found on the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology website.