Brooklyn College is proud to announce a historic milestone: Beginning in fall 2025, the CUNY Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) program will be administered on its campus—marking the first doctoral degree program in the college’s history. The clinical doctorate program, which awarded its first degrees in 2009, will welcome 11 new students this fall. Dorothy Neave-DiToro, associate professor of communication arts, sciences, and disorders, will serve as the director of the program at Brooklyn College and executive officer for the program at the CUNY Graduate Center. Dorothy Neave-DiToro “Audiologists play a vital role in improving quality of life by preventing, diagnosing, and treating hearing loss, balance disorders, and related conditions,” Neave-DiToro said. “Audiologists don’t just address a medical condition, they work to improve access to sound and provide patients with communication strategies, auditory training, and counseling to mitigate the impact of hearing loss on communication, relationships, cognition, learning opportunities, safety, and independence.” Launched in 2005, the CUNY Au.D. program has long operated as a consortium among the CUNY Graduate Center, Brooklyn College, and Hunter College. Until now, the Graduate Center oversaw administration and conferred the degree. In the future, Brooklyn College will take the lead while continuing to collaborate with partner campuses to deliver both rigorous academic coursework and hands-on clinical training. “Brooklyn College is renowned for its accomplished faculty and groundbreaking research,” said Provost April Bedford. “Bringing this doctoral program to our campus will further expand opportunities for both our students and faculty, strengthening our commitment to innovation, learning, and leadership in the field of audiology.” Students, faculty, and staff from the CUNY Au.D. program enjoyed orientation on August 21. To prepare future leaders in this field, the CUNY Au.D. curriculum combines advanced coursework with extensive clinical experience under the mentorship of nationally and internationally recognized faculty. Students gain practical training at leading hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers across New York City, serving diverse communities while mastering skills in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing and balance disorders. The program will be housed in Brooklyn College’s Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders within the School of Humanities and Social Science (HSS). HSS Dean Philip Napoli said the transition will also help grow and expand research efforts on campus. The program is fully accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, ensuring that Brooklyn College graduates meet the highest professional standards. The need for audiologists continues to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the field is projected to increase 16% between 2020 and 2030—much faster than the average for all occupations. With hearing loss strongly linked to aging, demand for qualified audiologists will only expand as the population gets older. Brooklyn College has long been at the heart of audiology training in New York. Its Speech Language Hearing Center, established in 1931, serves as both a community resource and a clinical teaching facility. The center provides specialized programs such as aphasia communication groups, voice therapy, autism parent training, and social skills development for children with communication challenges. It also houses the Auditory and Communication Research Center and the Oliver Bloodstein Chapter of the National Stuttering Association, connecting research, clinical care, and community engagement. More information about the program, its facilities, and the faculty is available here.
