The AuD Requirement and Older Audiology Degrees

Most audiology licensing rules now require a doctorate of new audiologists. But nobody revoked the licenses of audiologists trained at the master's level, and many of them are still practicing, supervising and moving. When they apply in a new state, the question is not whether they have an AuD. It is when their degree was conferred, and whether the new state's rule reaches back that far.

Where does the January 1, 2008 line come from?

It shows up in the rules we checked:

• Texas: TDLR requires a doctoral degree in audiology or a related hearing science, or a master's degree in audiology conferred on or before December 31, 2007.
• California: effective January 1, 2008, a doctoral degree or equivalent is required. Before that date, a master's degree plus 36 weeks of full-time (or 72 part-time) supervised Required Professional Experience qualified.
• Illinois: an audiologist whose degree was conferred on or after January 1, 2008, must verify a doctoral degree in audiology, according to IDFPR's qualifications sheet.
• The ASLP Compact: the model law accepts a master's or doctorate for an audiologist who graduated on or before December 31, 2007, and requires a doctoral degree "or equivalent degree, regardless of degree name" for anyone graduating on or after January 1, 2008 (Section 3.E).

So a master's-level audiologist who graduated in 2005 meets the degree rule in all four. One who finished a master's in 2009 does not.

Does ASHA certify master's-level audiologists?

Not new ones. ASHA's 2020 audiology certification standards require applicants for the CCC-A to hold a doctoral degree in audiology from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation, a program in candidacy status, or an equivalent. Applicants with a doctorate (ASHA lists the AuD, PhD and MD as examples) from a non-accredited program have their coursework evaluated against an accredited clinical doctoral program. That is ASHA's certification rule, not a license rule, but it matters because several boards accept a current CCC-A in place of other proof.

Which states still describe a master's route?

ASHA's state information pages summarize the audiologist degree requirement as "master's or doctoral degree" for Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico and North Dakota. New York's page lists a master's degree with supervised practicum and supervised experience, or a doctoral degree with supervised clinical experience. Most other states are summarized simply as "doctoral degree."

Read those summaries with care. ASHA's Texas page says "doctoral degree," yet TDLR's own application page still accepts a master's conferred on or before December 31, 2007. A one-line summary cannot show a grandfather date. The board's rule or application page can.

What does an older master's degree mean when you move?

1. Your transcript has to show the conferral date. The rule turns on when the degree was conferred, so boards read the date off the official transcript.
2. Old supervised experience may need proof. California's pre-2008 route included 36 weeks of supervised professional experience. A board using a similar standard may ask for verification of a postgraduate year completed decades ago, or accept a current CCC-A or a long licensed career instead.
3. A current license may carry you. Endorsement routes usually lean on your existing license and years of practice. Connecticut, for example, licenses someone with at least four years of licensed practice in another state without asking for transcripts or an exam. See audiology license by endorsement.

Is a PhD or a foreign degree treated the same as an AuD?

Often, with paperwork. Texas accepts a doctoral degree "in audiology or a related hearing science," and an applicant from a program not accredited by ASHA's Council on Academic Accreditation needs official documentation from ASHA or ABA that the doctorate is adequate for certification. A degree from a foreign university needs an evaluation from an ASHA-approved transcript evaluation service showing a doctoral degree, or a master's conferred on or before December 31, 2007. ASHA, for its own certification, requires evaluations from services recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The compact model law also accepts a foreign audiology degree verified by an independent credentials review agency as comparable. See licensing for internationally educated SLPs and audiologists.

Can a master's-level audiologist use the ASLP Compact?

Yes, if the master's degree was conferred on or before December 31, 2007, and every other condition is met: an active, unencumbered license in a home state that issues privileges, a passed national exam and no disqualifying history. As of October 2026 only Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee issue privileges. See the ASLP Compact for audiologists.

How can we help with a degree-date question?

Before you apply, we read the new state's rule against your transcript and tell you which route fits. Our License by Endorsement service is $599 per state and our Full State License Application is $749 per state when a state treats you as a new applicant. You sign and attest to the application, and board and evaluation fees are separate.