Dalhousie's Audiology ProgramThe audiology program at Dalhousie University involves three years of full time study allotted to course work, clinical practica, and research project or thesis. The program leads to a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Human Communication Disorders (Audiology). Upon completion of the program, students meet the requirements for application for certification by the Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) and for licensure in any of the provinces with government regulation of audiology. Our students are diverse with respect to undergraduate degrees. Backgrounds include psychology, biology, linguistics, education, music, anatomy, engineering, nursing and others. (See: Admission Requirements) Students enrolled in the audiology program begin by taking core or foundation courses in areas such as anatomy and physiology of the hearing system, child language development, phonetics, neuroanatomy and neurolinguistics, basic hearing measurement, communication disorders across the lifespan, speech science and research design. In the second and third year students take specialized profession specific courses on topics such as acoustics, hearing and balance disorders, hearing assessment, hearing aids, cochlear implants, audiologic rehabilitation and numerous others. (See: Audiology Curriculum) The audiology program includes both academic and clinical components. Lectures, classroom activities, and laboratory activities take place at the School of Human Communication Disorders. Many of these learning activities are augmented with field experiences, such as visiting a school for the deaf, taking sound measurements in local industries, participating in the hearing screening of newborns, and having patients with hearing loss participate in classroom activities. In addition, students must complete clinical placements in the community. The first clinical placement occurs during the first year of studies and takes place in the School's in-house-clinic. During the second year of studies, clinical placements occur in Halifax at the Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres and other sites. Students must complete a 12-week summer internship at the end of the second year, and a 12-week externship in the winter term of the third year. Some students return to their home province for this final clinical placement while others opt for a placement outside the country. Costs incurred for relocation are the responsibility of the students. When applying for admission into our program, students have the option of also applying to the thesis track. Approximately three students per year are admitted into the thesis track program. All other students must complete a research project under the guidance of a faculty member and present it at the end of the fall term of their third year. The thesis is larger in scope than the research project, and students are expected to be more independent in the completion of a thesis. An oral defence is required for a thesis. Selection of the thesis students will be made prior to the start of the program but may also occur during the fall term of the first year. |