Doctor of Audiology

University of the Pacific is pleased to announce the approval of a new Doctorate of Audiology (Au.D.) program by its Board of Regents at Pacific's downtown San Francisco campus. An audiologist shortage statewide makes this new Doctor of Audiology Program critically important to both regional and state health care systems. The program will continue Pacific's long history of producing graduates who are highly skilled health care practitioners. It will build upon Pacific's reputation and strengths in health sciences, reach new student markets, and align with our strategic plan, Pacific 2020. The Doctor of Audiology program mission is to: "Prepare reflective audiologists for lifelong success by providing an excellent, student-centered learning environment. Students will be mentored in developing leadership, critical thinking skills and a strong commitment to their profession and society. The graduate professional program learning outcomes are consistent with national and state accreditation standards and guidelines to ensure that graduates provide exemplary professional practice throughout their careers." Program Highlights Pacific's Doctor of Audiology program will be the first in Northern California. It will be one of four accelerated programs in the country, and the only one in California. There is currently a shortage of audiologists in California and the only Au.D. Program in the state graduates 8-10 audiologists per year. This three-year accelerated program will serve a cohort of 20-22 students per year and will draw students with undergraduate majors in Speech-Language Pathology, Biology, and Pre-Health. The first class of Pacific's Doctor of Audiology students will begin in the Fall of 2015. The Doctor of Audiology program at the University of the Pacific has been awarded candidacy status by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and "developing status" by the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE). The Audiology Clinic on the San Francisco Campus, along with anticipated collaborations with many Northern California medical and audiology centers, will provide student clinical experiences. The San Francisco Clinic began seeing patients in October 2014 and provides residents throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with audiology and hearing aid services through patient visits and community outreach events. The Audiology Clinic on the Stockton Campus will serve as an additional clinical site for students and has successfully operated since 2004. Career Outlook According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, "Employment of audiologists is expected to grow by 37% from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Hearing loss increases as people age, so an aging population is likely to increase demand for audiologists. The early identification and diagnosis of hearing disorders in infants also will spur employment growth. Advances in hearing aid design, such as the reduction of feedback and a smaller size, may make the devices more appealing as a means to minimize hearing loss, leading to more demand for the audiologists who provide hearing aids."