Ohio Licensing Requirements for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists

The information below is collected from state licensure boards or regulatory agencies responsible for regulating the professions of speech-language pathology and/or audiology. The information is reviewed on an annual basis. Please be advised that laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time, so always check with your state for the most up-to-date information.

Initial Licensure

Audiology

Doctor of audiology degree or equivalent as determined by the Board.

Note: The educational requirements shall be deemed met when an applicant is certified by ASHA and/or the American Board of Audiology.

Applicants applying based on equivalency shall hold a post-baccalaureate doctoral degree with a major emphasis in audiology consisting of a minimum of three years of didactic coursework, have completed a minimum of 350 clock hours of clinical experience prior to the fourth year of training, have completed a minimum of 2,000 clock hours of clinical extern experience in the fourth year of academic training, have completed a course of study that has included content on ethical practice standards, and have passed examinations approved by the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
Requirements are deemed to be met when an applicant has graduated from a four-year postgraduate doctor of audiology program from a college or university and the university chairperson provides a letter to the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology attesting that the fourth year of the program is predominantly a clinical externship, and prior to beginning the externship the applicant shall have met the academic coursework requirements/practicum and passed the exam.
Passage of an examination

Note: Audiologists may dispense hearing aids under an audiology license.

Speech-Language Pathology

Master's degree or equivalent as determined by the Board.
Note: The educational requirements shall be deemed met when an applicant is certified by ASHA and/or the American Board of Audiology.
Three hundred seventy-five hours of supervised clinical practicum, of which 25 clock hours shall be clinical observation prior to beginning initial clinical practicum and 350 clock hours shall be clinical practicum. Two hundred fifty of the 375 clock hours shall be at the graduate level in the area in which licensure is sought.
Written evidence of the completion of nine months full-time postgraduate professional experience or a minimum of 30 hours per week for a minimum of 36 weeks. Part-time experience consists of a minimum of 15 hours of professional experience per week for a minimum of 72 weeks. Requirements for the professional experience shall be deemed to be met if certified by ASHA or American Board of Audiology.
Passage of an examination

Exemptions

Persons employed as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist by any agency of the federal government
Students appropriately identified as speech-language pathology or audiology interns or trainees
HAD fitters
Physicians, osteopaths or persons delegated such tasks by a licensed physician
Nurses, occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants
Persons in the business of speech-language pathology or audiology providing licensed individuals are employed for direct practice
Persons with ASHA CCCs or licensed in another state, pending disposition of their application to the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology for a license
Persons not residents but licensed in another state with ASHA CCCs may practice for not more than one period of 30 consecutive calendar days in any year and must file a statement to the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in advance.

Reciprocity

The Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology shall waive the examination and educational and professional experience requirements for applicants who:

Present proof of current licensure in another state with equivalent standards
Hold ASHA CCCs or American Board of Audiology certification
Have a license in audiology from a state with standards equal to standards in place in Ohio on December 31, 2005, and must have obtained their license by December 31, 2007

Interim Practice

Persons required to meet the supervised professional experience must obtain a conditional license; such license is valid for 18 months.
Student Permits: Students who have completed one year of study in a speech-language pathology graduate program at an Ohio college/university may be recommended for a student permit; the student must complete course work along with 25 hours of observation and 75 hours of clinical experience consistent with the population to be served and the work setting to which they will be assigned; minimum supervision must be 25% direct for treatment activities and must take place periodically throughout the experience; students may carry no more than 50 cases.

Continuing Education

Licensees must obtain 20 clock hours of continuing education per two-year period; dual licensees must earn 20 continuing education hours for each license per two-year period. Effective January 1, 2015, at least 2 continuing education hours must be related to ethics.

Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact

Ohio is a member state of the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact. Information on the current status of the ASLP-IC can be found on the ASLP-IC website.