4753-3-04 Educational requirements for licensure.

(A) To be eligible for licensure, an applicant must demonstrate that the following course work requirements are met:

(1) He/she obtained a broad general education, which may include study from among the areas of human psychology, sociology, psychological and physical development, the physical sciences, especially those that pertain to acoustic and biological phenomena, and human anatomy and physiology, including neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.

(2) For licensure as an audiologist applicants shall have obtained at least a doctor of audiology degree before or after January 1, 2006 or the equivalent from an audiology program accredited by an organization recognized by the “United States Department of Education” or at least a masters degree in audiology or equivalent obtained prior to January 1, 2006.

(a) The educational requirements shall be deemed met when the applicant is certified by the “American Board of Audiology”.

(b) Academic credit for a doctor of audiology or equivalent shall include course work accumulated in the completion of a well integrated course of study dealing with the normal aspects of human hearing, balance, and related development and clinical evaluation, audiologic diagnosis and treatment of disorders of human hearing, balance, and related development.

(i) Hold a post-baccalaureate doctoral degree with a major emphasis in audiology consisting of a minimum of three years of didactic coursework consisting of a total of 120 semester hours or equivalent quarter hours in the normal aspects of human hearing and balance, related development, clinical evaluation, audiologic diagnosis and treatment of disorders of human hearing, balance and related development.

(ii) Have completed a minimum of 350 clock hours of clinical experience prior to the fourth year of training supervised by an audiologist meeting the requirements of clinical supervisor stated in 4753-3-07(D)(1).

(iii) Have successfully completed a minimum of 2000 clock hours of clinical extern experience in the fourth year of academic training supervised by preceptor meeting the requirements stated in 4753-3-07(D)(1).

(iv) The course of study shall include content on ethical practice standards.

(v) Pass examination(s) approved by the board.

(d) Applicants applying based on at least a master’s degree in audiology obtained prior to January 1, 2006 shall meet the requirements of 4753-3-04(A)(3), 4753-3-05, 4753-3-06 and 4753-3-07 as stated on October 1, 2005.

(3) He/she obtained at least a master’s degree in the area in which licensure is sought or the equivalent as determined by the board from a college or university accredited by one of the following regional or national accrediting organizations or their successor organizations:

(a) “Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools- Commission on Higher Education”

(b) “New England Association of Schools and Colleges”

(d) “Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges”

(e) “Southern Association of Colleges and Schools”

(f) “Western Association of Schools and Colleges – Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges” The best source for determining whether the college or university is accredited by one of the above organizations or successors is the college or university itself.

(4) The academic credit upon which the master’s degree or higher was awarded must include course work accumulated in the completion of a well-integrated course of study, as follows:

(a) A total of seventy-five semester hours or one hundred twelve and one-half quarter hours were accumulated.

(b) The course work consisted of at least the minimum number of hours in all areas listed below:

(i) Twenty-seven semester hours in basic science course work. Of the twenty-seven semester hours, six semester hours must be in biological/physical sciences and mathematics and six semester hours must be in behavioral or social sciences;

(ii) Fifteen semester hours in basic human communication processes, including all of the following: the anatomic and physiologic bases, the physical and psychophysical bases, and the linguistic and psycholinguistic aspects;

(iii) Thirty-six semester hours in professional course work. Of the thirty-six semester hours, thirty of the semester hours must be in courses for which graduate credit was received and comply with the requirements below that are applicable to the area in which licensure is sought:

(a) For speech-language pathology: thirty semester hours shall be in speech-language pathology, with at least six semester hours in language disorders; six semester hours shall be in audiology, with three semester hours in hearing disorders and hearing evaluation and three semester hours in habilitative/rehabilitative procedures.

(b) For audiology: thirty semester hours shall be in audiology, with at least six semester hours in hearing disorders and hearing evaluation and at least six semester hours in habilitative/rehabilitative procedures; six semester hours shall be in speech-language pathology, not associated with hearing impairment, with three semester hours in speech disorders and three semester hours in language disorders.

(c) For both speech-language pathology and audiology, course of study shall include content on ethical practice standards.

(B) Verification of education shall be the official transcript submitted to the board by the university or college.

(1) No credit may be allowed for courses listed on the application unless satisfactory completion of the course is verified by an official transcript.

(2) Satisfactory completion is defined as the applicant’s having received academic credit in semester hours, quarter hours, or other unit or credit with a passing grade as defined by the college or university.

(3) Where the course work is reported in quarter hours, the following formula will be used: one semester hour equals one and one half quarter hours.

(4) The applicant is solely responsible for authorizing the college or university to send an official transcript to the board.

(5) The board may require additional verification of course work content.

(1) A specific course may be split and credited to no more than two categories. If a course is split, a description of the course taken from the university catalog must be submitted. At least one semester hour of the course must address the area in which partial credit is requested.

(2) Up to six semester hours for a thesis or dissertation may be accepted in the basic human communications processes or the professional course work categories.

(a) An abstract of the thesis/dissertation content must be submitted with the application.

(b) Academic credit that is associated with thesis or dissertation and for which graduate credit was received may apply in the professional area, but may not be counted as meeting any of the minimum requirements.

(c) “Minimum requirements” means six semester credit hours in speech disorders, six semester credit hours in language disorders, three semester credit hours in hearing disorders and hearing evaluations, three semester credit hours in habilitative/rehabilitative procedures, and twenty-one graduate semester credit hours in the area of licensure.

(d) Credit earned for research methodology courses, such as research methods, introduction to graduate study, etc., may be counted toward the thirty semester credit hours of course work at the graduate level but may not be used toward any of the minimum requirements.

(D) Course work requirements for licensure shall be deemed to be met when the applicant was awarded a master’s degree or higher in the area in which licensure is sought from a college or university program accredited by a regional or national specialized accrediting organization in speech-language pathology and/or audiology recognized by the “United States Department of Education” and the “Council for Higher Education Accreditation,” One Dupont Circle Northwest, Suite 50, Washington, D.C. 20036-1135, or its predecessors or successors, at the time the master’s degree was awarded.

(E) Course work requirements for licensure shall be deemed to be met when the applicant holds a current certificate in audiology in good standing received from the “American Board of Audiology” when both of the following criteria are met:

(1) Verification of certification is received from the “American Board of Audiology.”

(2) The student clinical and professional experience completed for certification, if performed in Ohio, were done in conformance with Ohio law and rules.

(F) Pursuant to section 4753.08(C) of the Revised Code, educational requirements for licensure shall be waived for an applicant who presents proof of a current certificate of clinical competence in the area in which licensure is sought that is in good standing and received from the “American Speech-Language-Hearing Association” when both of the following criteria are met:

(1) Verification of certification is received from the “American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.”

(2) The student clinical and professional experience completed for certification, if performed in Ohio, were done in conformance with Ohio law and rules.

(G) In order to expedite the licensure of graduates prior to the preparation of final transcripts, the board shall consider on an individual basis any application for which the university provides a letter from the registrar, graduate officer or speech-language pathology and/or audiology department chairperson containing all of the following:

(1) A statement that the final transcript is not available;

(2) A statement that the applicant has met all requirements for a master’s degree or higher;

(3) A statement of the area in which the master’s degree or higher was earned;

(4) The university or college seal or notarized signature of the university or college official providing such letter. The applicant is solely responsible for authorizing the college or university to send an official transcript to the board within ninety days of licensure or when it is available.

Effective: 04/24/2006

R.C. 119.032 review dates: 08/18/2005 and 04/24/2011

Promulgated Under: 119.03

Statutory Authority: 4753.05

Rule Amplifies: 4753.06

Prior Effective Dates: 11/16/1992 (Emer); 02/09/1993, 09/10/1994, 01/19/1996 (Emer.), 05/16/1996, 07/24/2000, 06/26/2003