While going through our Speech Language Pathology Programs, you may decide that you're interested in audiology. If you decide to become an audiologist, you will need a doctoral degree. For information on Western Regional Graduate Programs in Audiology, visit the College of Health Sciences pre-professional webpage. You will study the process of normal hearing and the anatomy, physiology, and neurology of the auditory system. You'll study different types of hearing loss and conditions that can cause hearing loss, including genetic features, birth trauma, viral and bacterial infection, injury, exposure to intense noise, and advancing age. You'll learn to evaluate hearing sensitivity and speech understanding, and test the hearing skills of infants and young children. You'll use audiometric test results to provide important information to physicians making a medical diagnosis of certain conditions. You'll learn to manage programs to help individuals in overcoming hearing loss. These programs include evaluation and recommendation of hearing aids and electronic amplification systems installed in theaters and churches.
As an audiologist, you'll work closely with physicians, hospital personnel, teachers and other educational professionals, hearing aid manufacturers and dispensers, and speech-language pathologists. You may also choose to direct programs for preventing hearing loss due to noise exposure.
