About Us

The Department of Audiology is pleased to be a part of the College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) and admitted its first cohort for the Doctor of Audiology program in Fall 2020.

Doctors of Audiology prevent, diagnose, treat tinnitus, hearing loss, and balance disorders. California is facing a severe shortage of audiologists and the demand for new professionals continues to rise as the population is aging.

San José State University's audiology program is one of a handful of programs in California and is the only program located in the Silicon Valley. We are the founding campus of the 23 campus California State University system.

SJSU’s student population is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. In the heart of Silicon Valley and one of the 200 top research universities in the nation, SJSU offers an exceptionally rewarding learning environment for students. 

Mission

The Doctor of Audiology Program at San José State University provides all students in our program with a solid theoretical framework for evidence-based practices in audiology, so that they may apply their knowledge in clinical practice with skill, efficiency, and sensitivity. It is also our goal to be accessible to students from diverse backgrounds.

Graduates of our program are ethical; committed to evidence-based practices; prepared to assume leadership roles; and experienced in, and appreciative of, an interprofessional team approach to person-centered care.

Vision

The SJSU Doctor of Audiology program is a highly esteemed, collaborative community where faculty and students are inspired to think, learn, reflect, and transform hearing and balance health care in service to our community and beyond.

Program Learning Outcomes

• PLO 1) Specialized Knowledge: Students will recall, apply, and synthesize their knowledge of the hearing and balance mechanisms, including normal processes, disorders, and treatments.

• PLO 1a) Students will demonstrate knowledge and skill competencies outlined by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) and the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education (ACAE).

• PLO 2) Social Responsibilities: Students will summarize and describe the contexts in which they may practice audiology, with attention to local and culturally sensitive models of health care.

• PLO 2a) Students will demonstrate the ability to act ethically, intentionally, and conscientiously regarding issues related to inclusion and diversity.

• PLO 3) Intellectual Skills: Students will correctly interpret theories, assumptions, and protocols appropriate to audiology practice (i.e., diagnosis and treatment) within quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

  They will also demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively, effectively communicate, gather and process information thoroughly and ethically, write in a scientific voice, and engage in interprofessional activities.

• PLO 4) Integrative Knowledge and Skills: Students will design, complete, and present a scholarly research project that will reflect the depth of contemporary audiology knowledge and contribute to knowledge in hearing science or to improvements in audiology practice, policy, or client outcomes.

• PLO 5) Applied Knowledge and Skills: Students will apply classroom theories and prior clinical experiences to new clinical settings, age groups, disorders, technologies, and devices, with increasing speed, effectiveness, and independence.  

Strategic Plan

The Department’s Strategic Plan outlines three strategic priorities:

1. Develop a Doctor of Audiology Program where students are supported
   and well prepared to meet the current challenges in health care.
2. Prepare students to provide inclusive and equitable care that is person
   and family centered.
3. Ensure that the physical facilities and infrastructure of the program keep
   pace with trends in the profession of Audiology in the 21st century.

Strategic Goal 1:

Develop a Doctor of Audiology Program where students are supported and well prepared to meet the current challenges in health care.

Strategies:

• Increase the number of faculty members to broaden the scope of
  expertise through recruitment of a faculty member by Fall 2024.
• Engage students with faculty-mentored, cutting-edge academic, clinical,
  and research activities.
• Utilize a variety of educational technologies and teaching methods to
  address the diversity in learning styles of graduate students.
• Provide a summer “bootcamp” for students entering the program without a Communicative Disorders and Sciences background to address knowledge disparities.
• Regularly review the effectiveness of program educational practices based on student, faculty, preceptor, and advisory committee feedback.

Strategic Goal 2:

Prepare students to provide inclusive and equitable care that is person and family centered.

Strategies:

• Continue to recruit a diverse student body representative of the California
  state population.
• Develop new courses that reflect contemporary trends in the profession of Audiology in the 21st century.
• Reduce barriers to hearing health care by providing services to underserved communities.
• Provide contemporary clinical services using state-of-the art, evidence-based practices.
• Engage in inter-professional practice opportunities with clinical programs in our college and the university.

Strategic Goal 3:

Ensure that the physical facilities and infrastructure of the program keep pace with trends in the profession of Audiology in the 21st century.   

Strategies: 

• Expand the physical facilities of the department on the SJSU campus,
  including procuring added research spaces.
• Ensure the existing physical facilities are properly maintained and a safe environment.
• Obtain resources to purchase clinical supplies and equipment required to
  educate Doctor of Audiology students.
• Accrue resources to encourage and support faculty and student research
  opportunities.
• Increase philanthropic support for the program.