Update: Ball State University Au.D. Program

Ball State's 4-year Au.D. program is designed to prepare individuals for the professional practice of audiology. The program is broad in scope to cover the diverse areas within audiology, such as basic and advanced hearing and balance evaluation procedures, electrophysiology, neuro-otology, acoustics, electronics, hearing aids, assistive listening devices, cochlear implants, audiologic rehabilitation, and private practice. Numerous clinical experiences are an integral part of the program, culminating in a residency during the fourth year. Many of the Au.D. graduates will go into private practice or be recruited for leadership positions at audiologic facilities.

The Au.D. program at Ball State can be tailored for students with undergraduate majors in pre-audiology, other health care majors (such as psychology, optometry, dentistry, nursing, medicine, or pharmacy), the sciences (such as biology, chemistry, or physics), or communication disorders (such as speech-language pathology or speech and hearing sciences).

The program faculty are actively recruiting students for the next academic year and beyond. They are especially interested in students with excellent academic credentials, good interpersonal and written communication skills, and a strong science background or aptitude, especially in biology, chemistry, and physics. Audiology would be particularly attractive to students who are considering speech-language pathology, psychology, optometry, dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and other similar health care professions.

Two Au.D. students from Ball State were elected to national office (beginning January 2001): Shannon Van Hyfte, NAFDA Education Committee Chair, and Jeff Orcutt, NAFDA Publications Committee Chair. Shannon Van Hyfte is also President of the Ball State NAFDA Chapter and was awarded a scholarship from SERTOMA and a fellowship from the Audiology Foundation of America, one of only ten recipients this year. Congratulations to these Au.D. student leaders!

For more information on the Au.D. program, visit the department's web page at www.bsu.edu/spa/aud or contact Dr. Victoria Keetay, Au.D. Program Director (765-285-2611; vkeetay@gw.bsu.edu).