The awareness of the profession of audiology among college students

Abstract

It is important for the profession of audiology to attract a large number of highly qualified students into the field early in their academic career, as they are making decisions regarding major field of study and eventual career path. This study was conducted to examine the awareness of the profession of audiology and the Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) department among college freshman students at California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U). Fifty-four percent of the students reported being unfamiliar with the profession of audiology, while 46% reported some degree of familiarity with the profession. Most of the students (88%) who were familiar with the profession were unaware of the undergraduate program in Communication Science and Disorders at their university. Many of these students reported their first encounter with the profession occurred during their high school experience. Recommendations regarding future recruiting and general audiology awareness activities are discussed.