Superior Research and Clinical Training
With a busy on-campus audiology clinic and active research programs, UNC’s doctoral program in audiology (AUD) provides you with unique opportunities for a strong career start. Recent graduates of our AuD program have had a 100 percent job placement rate as well as a 100 percent pass rate on the national Praxis exam in audiology.
Experience exceptional clinical training at the UNC Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Clinic, explore evoked potentials, processing disorders, cochlear implants, videonystagmography and other cutting-edge clinical applications. You can also collaborate with your professors on research projects related to noise-induced hearing loss, amplification technology, aural rehabilitation, otoacoustic emissions, balance disorders and animal audition issues.
Degree Option
AuD in Audiology
UNC has one of just two AuD programs in Colorado. Our AuD program is fully accredited. Upon completion of the audiology doctorate, you’ll be eligible to earn Board Certification in Audiology, the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology, and professional licensure granted by the Colorado Department of Education and/or Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
"I have seen what joy the gift of hearing can bring. One of my favorite experiences was reprogramming hearing aids on a man who was once a wonderful musician, but couldn’t stand the sound of music with his new aids. After adding a music program and making some slight adjustments, we tried out the sound by pulling up a YouTube video. I will never forget the look on his face when the first chords of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” came on. Giving the gift of hearing is life changing, for both those receiving the care and those giving it."
—Michala Demars, AuD, Class of 2018, and one of two U.S. students selected for an international mission to Toluca, Mexico, sponsored by the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 20-plus percent increase in demand for professional audiologists to meet the needs of America’s rapidly aging baby boom generation. Graduates of our AuD program have found employment in hospitals, ENT clinics, rehabilitation facilities, school districts, research institutes and university audiology departments.
Consider UNC's Doctor of Audiology if you are interested in:
- Becoming a hearing healthcare professional
- Clinical practice and research
- Working with diverse populations including children, senior citizens and individuals with disabilities
You’ll learn about:
- Clinical practice techniques and theories
- Hearing and balance disorders, diagnoses and treatments
- Research methods and technology
- Current technology
- Professional issues in hearing healthcare
Sample courses:
- Medical Aspects of Audiology
- Educational Audiology
- Amplification
- Cochlear Implants
- Vestibular Assessment and Management
- Audiology Practice Management
- Hearing Loss Prevention

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Deanna Meinke, PhD, CCC-A
Recognized for teaching excellence, Deanna Meinke, PhD, CCC-A, is co-director of Dangerous Decibels, an international health education program that delivers workshops throughout the world. Designed to reduce noise-induced hearing loss in children, this pioneering initiative has proven to be extraordinarily effective at encouraging young people to understand and embrace healthy behaviors that protect their hearing. Meinke has consulted with the World Health Organization and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She has won numerous national and international awards.
Beyond the Classroom
Established in 1958, the UNC Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Clinic provides outstanding clinical training. Work with ASHA-certified practitioners in a state-of-the-art facility that performs a full range of diagnostic and rehabilitative procedures. The clinic’s services include cochlear implant mapping, aural rehabilitation, auditory brainstem response assessment, otoacoustic emissions testing, hearing aid assessment and fitting, middle ear testing, hearing loss prevention and assistive listening technology.
Where can your degree take you?
- Clinical practice in hospitals, ENT clinics or private practice settings
- Rehabilitation centers
- Hearing aid and cochlear implant sales and marketing
- University clinical faculty positions
- Product research and development
- Public schools
- Balance assessment and treatment clinics
FETCHLAB™
Facility for Education and Testing of Canine Hearing and Laboratory for Animal Bioacoustics
This multi-university partnership studies animal hearing and vocalization to improve understanding of human-animal interactions, explore the effects of canine and equine hearing loss and provide specialized training to audiology doctoral students and practicing audiologists. Specific research projects have focused on noise-induced hearing loss in canines and aging-related hearing loss in canines and equines. Students may earn a Certificate in Animal Audiology through FETCHLAB™ UNC.
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