Audiology Programs Offer a Well-Rounded Education Audiology programs offer students a wide range of coursework that prepares them to become practicing audiologists. Audiology is the study of hearing, balance and other related disorders. Those who become audiologists treat patients for hearing loss and exercise prevention when it comes to hearing damage. They are licensed to perform a series of hearing tests and provide treatment should a patient be in need. There are several avenues that students can take to become an audiologist, one of which is obtaining a Doctor of Audiology degree. This particular degree offers the highest level of education when it comes to audiology. All audiology programs differ; therefore it is important to do a lot of research before a program is chosen. There are numerous requirements that go into becoming an audiologist. In order to begin a Doctor of Audiology program, students must have a master’s or doctoral degree in audiology. In addition to this requirement, students are also typically required to have four years of clinical experience. Once a student has been accepted into an audiology program, most audiology programs require students to complete 75 semester hours of post-baccalaureate study, pass a national exam and perform a minimum of 12 months of full-time supervised work, among other requirements. All of these requirements help to prepare students to serve patients and research different disorders related to audiology. Since Doctor of Audiology programs require students to have at least a master’s or doctoral degree before they enroll in the program, the classes required to complete the program are advanced-level courses that are all audiology related. When completing a bachelor’s degree and often times a master’s degree, students are required to take general education courses to help them become familiar with different subject matters. Because students in Doctor of Audiology programs already have these degrees, it enables this program to skip the general education course and cut right to the core class requirements. This allows students to focus solely on the field of audiology so they are prepared for work in the real world as an audiologist. Classes that are offered in audiology programs range from theoretical to technical, and others provide hands-on-experience. One of the first classes a student will take revolves around the history of audiology. It is important for students to understand the history of how the field of audiology has evolved so that they can provide the best care to their patients. In addition to the history of audiology, students will also learn about the professional role of an audiologist as well as their responsibility to their patients. In addition to learning the background and the professional responsibilities of an audiologist, students will also learn all about the anatomy and physiology that pertains to the field of audiology. One area in particular that students in audiology programs are required to study has to do with the central nervous system. Like they would at any quality online medical school, students will learn about the function of the central nervous system as well as the development and structure of this particular system. While studying the central nervous system, students will also focus on auditory/vestibular pathways, cranial nerves, neurovasculature and anatomical landmarks. In addition to the central nervous system, students will also learn the ins and outs of the ear canal. Learning about these particular systems allows students to understand the necessary anatomy to diagnose and treat patients. Although some of the curriculum in audiology programs focuses on the anatomy and history of audiology, students will also gain an understanding of different disorders relating to audiology as well as proper treatment for these particular disorders. Clinical experience will provide students with the necessary hands-on experience to be successful in this career field as well. All of these courses are aimed to give students a well-rounded education in the field of audiology.