Clinical Practicum

Doctor of Audiology (AuD) students engage in clinical practicum rotations beginning the very first semester of the program. Clinical practicum rotations in the AuD program can be compared to an internship, experiential learning, or co-op in other fields, such as business. These experiences provide hands-on learning to supplement what is being learned in the classroom and better prepare students for a career as an audiologist. Audiology graduate students gain experience across the lifespan with a range of hearing, balance, and other communication disorders in a variety of clinical settings. Students are required by the program accrediting body to fulfill clinical placements in a variety of settings to ensure they have met competency to work in the setting of their choice upon graduation. Clinical placements are paired with coursework throughout the program.

While at the University of Cincinnati (UC), graduate students begin their clinical practicum at the UC Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic as well as cooperating outside agencies during their first year. The second year consists of three semester long local rotations. During the first two years, students are assigned to rotations based on various factors including their clinical interests and program requirements to earn the required clock hours and clinical competencies. These are non-paid rotations, where a licensed Audiologist acts as a preceptor/mentor for the graduate student and guides them in earning the requirements for that setting. During the final year of training, students complete their full time clinical externship anywhere in the United States while they continue to earn required clock hours and clinical competencies required for graduation. Oftentimes, students earn a stipend or salary from their practicum site for the final clinical externship year. 

Students in AuD programs at UC engage in a variety of clinical placements providing services, resources, and advocacy for individuals who experience hearing, balance, and other communication challenges. Students have numerous opportunities throughout their program to explore specific clinical interests and preferences. These relationships enhance our program’s ability to personalized placements and cultivate successful clinical preceptor relationships and performance.

Students in our program have the opportunity to interact with and learn how to equitably treat people from diverse backgrounds and various stages of life. The rich geographic and demographic composition of the Greater Cincinnati Region provides a collection of clinical placement options in urban, suburban, and rural settings.

Clinical opportunities encompass:

•  UC Speech and Hearing Clinic is our in-house clinic which services pediatric and adult clients with various communication needs and extends to collaborations with other campus departments and community settings. 
• Clinical Simulation is embedded into didactic coursework and clinical practicum to further enhance clinical training and meet the needs of our students.
• Faculty research labs provide an extension of coursework with more hands-on exposure to research and instrumentation prior to/concurrently with clinical placements to assist students in the clinical application of their knowledge base.
• External placements are incorporated to provide well-rounded exposure to many facets of clinical application primarily during the second year of study. These placements occur in schools, medical settings, private practices, and clinics. 
• Final Year Externship in audiology is a full-time yearlong experience in which the student applies and is offered a position to round out their training. These opportunities can occur anywhere in the United States and students are not required to stay in Cincinnati during this year.