Charles Darwin University's (CDU) Master of Clinical Audiology is emerging as a key contributor to Australia's audiology workforce, with enrolments increasing by more than 500 per cent since the program's launch in 2022.
New figures show the number of enrolled students has grown from the equivalent of four full-time students in 2022 to more than 24 in 2024, demonstrating strong demand for the only online audiology degree in Australia.
The surge reflects CDU's growing role in addressing critical gaps in hearing health services, particularly in the Northern Territory, which has the highest rates of hearing loss and ear disease in the country - disproportionately affecting First Nations communities.
CDU Senior Lecturer in Audiology (Faculty of Health) Mich Thornton said the program was developed specifically to meet pressing workforce needs in both urban and remote settings.
"There's an urgent need for more audiologists across Australia, and especially here in the Territory," Mx Thornton said.
"Our program was designed not just to increase workforce numbers, but to ensure graduates are prepared to deliver high-quality, culturally responsive care where it's needed most."
The Master of Clinical Audiology at CDU delivers core clinical competencies while also embedding a strong focus on First Nations health, health promotion, and community wellbeing - areas identified by industry as essential to lifting hearing health outcomes.
Launched in 2022, the program is the only one of its kind nationally to offer online study paired with intensive, hands-on clinical training.
It also provides part-time options to support students balancing professional or family commitments.
"Many of our students are audiometrists or health professionals looking to expand their scope of practice," Mx Thornton said.
"They're choosing CDU because it's flexible, it's accessible from anywhere in Australia, and it's grounded in a strong understanding of the workforce challenges we face."
First-year CDU Audiology student Holly Rasmussen, already a qualified speech pathologist, said the need for more audiologists was clear in her day-to-day work.
"You can't help children learn to speak if they can't hear you," Ms Rasmussen said. "There is a real and urgent need for more hearing health professionals in regional and remote areas."
Ms Rasmussen, who is from Nevertire in rural NSW and hopes to work in communities such as Bourke, Walgett, Lightning Ridge and Cobar, said Australians shouldn't be disadvantaged based on where they live.
"In 2025, the level of care you receive shouldn't be determined by your postcode," she said. "People in regional and remote areas deserve the same level of healthcare access and support as those living in cities - it's about fairness."
As hearing health continues to emerge as a national priority, particularly in rural and remote communities, CDU's audiology program is helping to build a sustainable, skilled workforce ready to make an immediate impact.
"This is a profession where you can change lives," Mx Thornton said. "Our graduates will go on to work in diagnostics, rehabilitation, cochlear implant programs, and community health - playing a direct role in improving outcomes for individuals and communities."
