Hearing Aid Practitioner
Overview
Faculty of Health and Community Studies
Department of Allied Health and Human Performance
MacEwan.ca/HearingAid
Hearing Aid Practitioners
Hearing aid practitioners evaluate hearing ability; select, fit, and sell hearing aids and assistive listening devices; and provide counseling and support to adult hearing aid and/or assistive device users. They generally work in and/or own hearing aid dispensing businesses, but can also work for hearing aid manufacturing companies.
Hearing aid practitioners are regulated and/or licensed in most provinces in Canada. In order to maintain their professional status, hearing aid practitioners must abide by a code of ethics, demonstrate competence, and participate in ongoing continuing education activities required for professionals in their jurisdiction.
The Hearing Aid Practitioner Program
The program is a 60-credit, distance-delivery diploma with 19 courses required for graduation. Full-time students complete the program in two years, while part-time students may take up to seven years to complete program requirements.
Students are provided with curriculum materials online and purchase textbooks and other learning resources to supplement the online curriculum. Contact with instructors and other students is provided through asynchronous interaction online within classes; individual instructor support is provided upon request.
Students must have Internet access (high-speed access is recommended) because most courses require online interaction with the instructor and other students. Assignments are submitted online, and exams and quizzes are all completed online.
To complete practical assignments in HAPR 102, HAPR 103, HAPR 111, HAPR 203, HAPR 114 courses, students either attend labs at MacEwan University in Edmonton or they must find a local licensed professional and complete and submit the Hearing Aid Practitioner Program Tutor/Field Placement Approval Request Form to the program office for approval prior to the start of each course. Attendance at the university is mandatory for 10 days in the Year II Term V for courses HAPR 204 and HAPR 211 (Winter term) to complete labs in the final hearing testing and hearing aid courses. In Year II Term VI, students must find a local clinic and complete and submit a new Hearing Aid Practitioner Program Tutor/Field Placement Approval Request Form to the program office prior to the start of the course for field placement site approval. Students are required to complete at least 180 hours of supervised hearing aid dispensing work in an approved (by the program) clinic with an approved (by the program) professional.
Career Potential
Trained hearing aid practitioners are in high demand in Canada and internationally.
Contact Information
T: 780-497-5221
Toll-free: 1-888-497-4622 ext. 5221
E: hearingaid@macewan.ca
PROGRAM OFFICE
Robbins Health Learning Centre
Room 9-407, 10910 - 104 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2
T: 780-497-4567
Program Requirements
The following program requirements are needed to complete the credential. Refer to the Student Plan as this plan identifies the usual course schedule.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| HAPR 101 | Bioacoustics of Human Hearing 2 | 3 |
| HAPR 102 | Hearing Testing I 2 | 2 |
| HAPR 103 | Hearing Instrument Technology I 1 | 4 |
| HAPR 105 | Customer Relations and Communications 1 | 3 |
| HAPR 110 | Hearing Disorders 1 | 2 |
| HAPR 111 | Hearing Testing II 2 | 4 |
| HAPR 114 | Professional Practice 1 | 4 |
| HAPR 202 | Aural Rehabilitation I | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| University-level English (includes WRIT 101) | 3 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| HAPR 104 | The Aging Client 1 | 3 |
| HAPR 108 | Business Management 1 | 3 |
| HAPR 112 | Professional Responsibilities 1 | 3 |
| HAPR 201 | Interviewing and Counselling 1 | 3 |
| HAPR 203 | Hearing Instrument Technology II | 4 |
| HAPR 204 | Hearing Testing III 1 | 2 |
| HAPR 210 | Aural Rehabilitation II 1 | 3 |
| HAPR 211 | Hearing Instrument Technology III 1 | 4 |
| HAPR 212 | Field Placement 1 | 4 |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
- 1
The minimum grade required for this course is C
- 2
The minimum grade required for this course is C+
The minimum passing grade for a course at MacEwan University is a D unless otherwise noted next to the appropriate course in the program of study.
Course Substitutions
| Credit Earned in: | May Be Substituted for Credit in Program Course: |
|---|---|
| INTD 105 | HAPR 105 |
Student Plan
Students must follow the Student Plan (listed below) to complete this credential in the year(s) indicated by the plan. Students must consult with a program Academic Advisor regarding any deviation from the Student Plan, as this may extend the time it takes to complete the program. The student plan may be subject to change.
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Credits | Term 2 | Credits | Term 3 | Credits |
| HAPR 1012 | 3 | HAPR 1051 | 3 | HAPR 1141 | 4 |
| HAPR 1022 | 2 | HAPR 1101 | 2 | ||
| HAPR 1031 | 4 | HAPR 1112 | 4 | ||
| University-level English (includes WRIT 101) | 3 | HAPR 202 | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 12 | 15 | 4 | |||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Term 1 | Credits | Term 2 | Credits | Term 3 | Credits |
| HAPR 1041 | 3 | HAPR 1081 | 3 | HAPR 2121 | 4 |
| HAPR 2011 | 3 | HAPR 1121 | 3 | ||
| HAPR 203 | 4 | HAPR 2041 | 2 | ||
| HAPR 2101 | 3 | HAPR 2111 | 4 | ||
| 13 | 12 | 4 | |||
| Total Credits 60 | |||||
- 1
The minimum grade required for this course is a C.
- 2
The minimum grade required for this course is a C+.
The minimum passing grade for a course at MacEwan University is a D unless otherwise noted next to the appropriate course in the program of study.
Admission Requirements
Applicants may be admitted to one of the following:
Regular Admission
To be evaluated through the Office of the University Registrar
Applicants must have a minimum overall average of 65 percent, with no course grade lower than 50 percent, in the following high school courses:
- ELA 30-1 or ELA 30-2
- One subject from Group C
- One subject from Group A, B, C or D
Note:
- Group D subjects used for admission must be 5-credit or any credit combination of at least 5 credits (e.g., two 3-credit subjects).
Applicants with nine or more post-secondary level credits must also present a minimum Admission Grade Point Average (AGPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Mature Admission
To be evaluated through the Office of the University Registrar
Applicants must be 20 years of age or older and have been out of full-time high school at least one year by the beginning of the intake term. Applicants must have a minimum overall average of 60 percent, with no course grade lower than 50 percent, in the following high school courses:
- ELA 30-1 or ELA 30-2
- One subject from Group A, B, C or D
Additional Admission Criteria
All applicants must meet the following:
1. English Language Proficiency
To be evaluated through the Office of the University Registrar
Applicable to All Admission Categories
All applicants must meet an acceptable level of English language proficiency. We will require official documents such as high school or post-secondary transcripts or proof of successful completion of standardized language evaluation. Full details are available in MacEwan University’s academic calendar or online at MacEwan.ca/ELP.