Kathy Gewer ‘23MSc was qualified to be an audiologist in her home country of South Africa more than 20 years ago. But when she moved with her family to Canada 11 years ago, the licensing for audiologists was different in that country, so she wasn’t able to practice.
The change in her circumstances caused her to seek out an online master’s program in audiology. After conducting research on programs for eight years, she discovered Salus University’s Master of Science in Clinical Audiology (MSCA), offered through the Osborne College of Audiology (OCA).
“The Salus program was a godsend,” said Gewer, who recently spent about a month at the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus completing one of the in-person requirements of the program. “I do work in a hearing clinic back home and I’m registered as a hearing instrument specialist. I still work in the field, so I’m very lucky. But I’m not able to be called an audiologist in Canada or work the full scope of my practice. So, this program is amazing.”
The MSCA degree program at Salus is offered for international audiology practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills in audiologic care and to experience specialized training within a specific content area.
This 54-semester hour credit degree program features biomedical and audiologic sciences, research design and application, small group learning experiences, and is delivered over a 22-month period. The program is for practicing audiologists who hold a bachelor’s degree in audiology or related science and have a minimum of two years of clinical experience. Students may be eligible to enroll in the AuD Bridge Program upon completing the MSc in Clinical Audiology. Applicants to the AuD Bridge Program are required to have a minimum of three years of clinical experience.
The MSCA is a hybrid program with online content, face-to-face learning, hands-on workshops and supervised clinical training. Students are required to travel to the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus for a total of 15 to 21 days throughout the duration of the program to complete the three hands-on workshops and clinical training graduation requirements.
Maximilin Bauer ‘23MSc, originally from Bavaria, Germany, was a hearing aid acoustician with a bachelor’s degree in Munich, Germany, and owned multiple clinical facilities. But he wanted to start a new chapter of his life. And, there are no audiologists in Germany. “I wanted to stay in the world of hearing aids, but I wanted to do something different,” said Bauer. “I wanted to be the first one in something.”
By completing the Salus University MSCA program, Bauer hopes to be the first “audiologist” in his country.
“As the only audiologist, I trust I will stand out from the crowd,” he said. “I always set my goals very high. I want to establish the most respected clinic in Germany and worldwide.”
The MSCA degree program at OCA is comprised of three phases:
Each segment of study is composed of lectures, workshops, clinical skills training, controlled patient care, and research opportunities.
“There is so much up-to-date research in this program,” said Gewer. “So, if you look at the faculty and the lecturers, not only is the material just excellent, but it’s all current research. Not only are you getting the theory but it’s very up-to-date theory. A lot of our professors in this course are excellent researchers and experts in their field.”
Gewer believes there is a lot of interest in the OCA program in Canada because Canada relies a lot on immigration and there are audiologists moving there from many other countries.
“This program is gaining momentum in Canada. The more people you talk to in the industry, they’re getting to know about this program,” she said. “The beauty is that I still get to work full-time and study at night and on the weekends. I did not have to leave my job and family and move to another city.”
Students interested in enrolling in the MSCA degree program should contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@salus.edu or call 800.824.6262 for guidance in the application process.
