Animal Audiology

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Why study Animal Audiology?

The University of Cincinnati (UC) offers the opportunity to specialize and train in a unique area through the Animal Audiology certificate program. The program is the only one of its kind and is designed for Audiology students as well as working audiologists.

Currently 80 breeds of dogs experience genetically related deafness with more experiencing deafness due to age and noise exposure. The American Kennel Club advises breeders to have puppies tested by means of a BAER test and registered with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. Owners are now routinely asking for hearing testing for older dogs as per their attending veterinarians. This applies to pets, working dogs and military working dogs. Some veterinary neurologists are capable of performing the Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test, which is used for testing the hearing of animals, but are not specifically trained in advanced detailed diagnostic tests to make diagnostic judgments regarding audiological issues. This is the specific expertise of audiologists.

The following articles show the sudden upsurge in interest and need for professional animal audiologists:

UC FETCHLAB

There are a number of practicing audiologists who will run BAER tests for screening the hearing of animals, but the University of Cincinnati’s FETCH-LAB is the only university lab in the nation that has the capability to teach animal audiology to its AuD students or to practicing audiologists and to run advanced diagnostic audiology tests.

Admission Requirements

For details on what you need to apply, visit the Admission Requirements webpage. 

With the Animal Audiology certificate, you open doors to diverse career paths, such as working in veterinary clinics, animal rehabilitation centers, and research institutions focused on animal communication. Several graduates of the program now even have their own private FETCHLAB practices. 

Students enrolled in the AuD or PhD program in Communication Sciences and Disorders will be advised and mentored by CSD/FETCH-LAB faculty beginning in their first year. Practicing audiologists will be assigned a CSD/FETCH-LAB faculty member as a mentor upon acceptance in the program. Each student will have an audiology and veterinary advisor.

Application Deadlines

For application deadlines, visit the How to Apply webpage.

The University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Contact Information

Communication Sciences & Disorders Department
Health Sciences Building
3225 Eden Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45267
(513) 558-8501
csd@ucmail.uc.edu

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Program Code: 35GC-AAUD-GC