The PCO School of Audiology's distance education AuDonline.org Au.D. Degree program has been extremely successful at meeting the needs of experienced audiologists who wish to earn an Au.D. Degree. According to Dr. George Osborne, Dean of Audiology Programs at the College, 'The quality and substance of the distance education model has far exceeded our expectations, with immediate 'take-home' value being reported from nearly every course. The interactive value of the distance education model appears to be just as great or greater than an actual classroom experience.' Osborne reported, 'After one year of operation, the average curriculum for an experienced audiologist consists of 11 courses taken over approximately two years.'
The profession encouraged the development of distance education programs as a 'time-limited' mechanism to transition a 'critical mass' of audiologists to the Au.D. Degree. The AFA projected the 'critical mass' number to be 5,000, approximately 50% of all practicing audiologists. PCO's AuDonline.org program, which is limited to audiologists with a minimum of 4 years experience, is one of five accredited distance education Au.D. Degree programs in the country.
Ten years ago there were roughly 11,000 audiologists. Today that number is reported to be 12,000. The attrition rate is nearly equal to the number of new practitioners. About 1,000 experienced audiologists have enrolled in an Au.D. distance education program. The balance of the 'critical mass' are licensed audiologists with fewer than 4 years of experience. Currently there is no completely on-line program available to these audiologists. 'Employing the existing distance education models, it could take many years, if ever, before the transition of a 'critical mass' might be realized. In the meantime, many of our brightest and most capable audiologists are being denied reasonable access to the Au.D. Degree distance education opportunities,' stated Osborne. He went on to say, 'At PCO we are committed to assuring high quality and academic integrity in our program as we make the AuDonline.org distance education opportunity available to all 'practicing' licensed audiologists who graduate prior to September 1, 2004. We believe future audiology students should only enroll in accredited four-year Au.D. programs.'
The PCO School of Audiology Track 2 'Core-Curriculum' program consists of 20 mandatory courses. Candidates may be granted advanced standing for any of the mandatory courses completed as a post-graduate from an accredited academic institution. The mandatory courses include:
The Track 2 program will take approximately 3 years to complete, at a cost of $7,500. Each candidate will be required to complete the program's objective 'proctored' comprehensive examination upon completion of all coursework. For more information visit www.AuDonline.org, call the PCO School of Audiology at 215-780-1238, or Email Dr. George Osborne at gosborne@pco.edu.
Step-by-Step Instructions
AuDonline.org is a 'bridge' program for licensed (or CCC/A) audiologists who wish to earn the Au.D. Degree. Track 1 is designed for those with more than four years experience and grants advanced standing for documented experience. Track 2 is a fixed curriculum for licensed audiologists with fewer than four years experience.
