Audiology: The Path to a Doctor of Audiology Degree
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • Graduate & Professional School
Becoming an audiologist requires a four-year Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree after your bachelor's, plus a state license. Clinical training runs throughout the program, and ASHA no longer sets a fixed hour minimum for students graduating from 2020 onward.
🎓 The AuD typically takes four years, though a few programs offer three-year tracks.
Your final year usually includes a full-time clinical externship.
ASHA certification (CCC-A) now requires you to show clinical competency, not a specific hour count.
You need a state license to practice, on top of any national certification.
What the AuD degree covers
The Doctor of Audiology (AuD) is the entry-level degree for practicing audiologists in the United States. You study diagnosis and treatment of hearing and balance disorders, hearing aid and cochlear implant fitting, auditory processing, and pediatric and adult assessment. Coursework covers anatomy of the ear, acoustics, electrophysiology, and counseling skills alongside supervised clinical work.
How long the program takes
Most AuD programs run four years full-time after your bachelor's degree, though a small number of schools offer three-year options, according to programs tracked by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association . The final year is typically a full-time clinical externship at a hospital, clinic, private practice, or school system, where you work under a licensed supervising audiologist before you graduate.
Prerequisites and admission
A bachelor's degree, not necessarily in communication sciences, though some programs prefer coursework in biology, physics, and statistics.
Undergraduate prerequisite classes vary by program. Contact admissions before you apply.
Letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Some programs also request GRE scores, though a growing number have dropped that requirement.
Observation hours in a clinical audiology setting, required by many programs before you enroll.
Clinical training requirements
Clinical training runs throughout the AuD program, not only in the final year. In the past, ASHA required 1,820 supervised clinical hours to earn the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A).
For students graduating in 2020 and after, the Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology dropped that fixed hour count. Your program instead has to show that your clinical experience meets accreditation standards for depth and breadth of practice, according to ASHA's certification standards .
Your program still tracks your hours and skill development closely. Ask any program you're considering how it structures clinical placements across your four years, since the quality and variety of these placements shapes your job readiness after graduation.
Licensure and certification after graduation
Every state requires a license to practice audiology, and licensing boards set their own requirements on top of your degree, typically including a passing score on the Praxis exam in audiology. Many audiologists also pursue the CCC-A from ASHA or board certification from the American Academy of Audiology , both of which some employers prefer even though neither is a government license.
Where audiologists work
AuD graduates work in hospitals, ENT physician offices, private audiology practices, school districts, university clinics, the Veterans Health Administration, and industry roles with hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers. Your clinical externship placement often shapes which of these settings you land in first, so choose externship sites that match the population and setting you want to work in long-term.
AuD compared to related careers
Some students consider a shorter path into hearing health care instead of the four-year AuD. Hearing instrument specialists complete a much shorter training and state licensing process focused on fitting and selling hearing aids, without the diagnostic scope, medical training, or vestibular assessment skills an AuD covers.
Audiology assistants support licensed audiologists with tasks like basic screenings and equipment maintenance, usually with an associate degree or on-the-job training. If you want to diagnose hearing and balance disorders, treat pediatric and complex cases, or work toward research or leadership roles, the AuD stays the required path.
Choosing between AuD programs
Compare programs on more than name recognition. Ask about the ratio of clinical supervisors to students, the variety of clinical sites nearby (pediatric hospitals, ENT practices, school districts, VA facilities), and whether the program supports research opportunities if you're considering an academic or industry career later. Ask recent graduates about their externship placements and how prepared they felt walking into their first job.
Typical coursework by year
| Year | Focus |
|---|---|
| Years 1-2 | Foundational coursework: anatomy of the ear, acoustics, audiologic assessment, amplification |
| Year 3 | Advanced diagnostics, pediatric and vestibular assessment, counseling, and part-time clinical placements |
| Year 4 | Full-time clinical externship at an approved site under a licensed supervisor |
Paying for an AuD program
AuD programs charge graduate tuition rates, and costs vary widely between public and private schools. Federal graduate loans through the Department of Education cover most students, and some employers, including the VA and university hospital systems, offer tuition assistance in exchange for a post-graduation work commitment. Ask your target programs about assistantships, since many AuD programs offer paid clinical or research assistant positions that reduce your net cost.
Planning your timeline
If you plan to apply straight from your bachelor's degree, use your junior year to line up observation hours and shadow practicing audiologists. Research each program's accreditation status with the Council on Academic Accreditation before you apply, since graduating from an accredited program is required for licensure in every state.