There is a demand in India as well as abroad for people with a good qualification in training hearing-impaired people. Among the leading institutions offering academic programmes in this field is the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) which has been functioning at Mysuru, Karnataka over the last 55 years.
AIISH, which is under the Central Government, has a relatively low fee structure and provides monthly stipend or fellowships for candidates pursuing most of its courses. The website of the institute is www.aiishmysore.in
Four different categories of programmes are available at AIISH. They can be classified as ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ programmes.
‘A’ programmes
Admissions to these programmes are based on an entrance exam conducted by AIISH. The date of the entrance exam will be announced later.
1) BASLP (Bachelor of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology). The qualification needed to apply for this course is Class 12 with three science subjects, including Physics and Chemistry. The duration of BASLP is four years and there are 68 seats.
2) MSc Audiology / Speech Language Pathology. Candidates holding a BASLP or a BSc (Speech & Hearing) can apply. There 40 seats for the two-year course.
‘B’ programmes
There is no entrance test for the programmes under this category.
1) MEd Special Education (Hearing Impairment). Essential qualifications to apply include BEd Special Education (HI), among others. For details, check http://rehabcouncil.nic.in. The two-year MEd course has 22 seats.
2) BEd Special Education (Hearing Impairment). A degree is needed to gain admission for this course, which lasts two years and has 22 seats.
3) PG Diplomas in Clinical Linguistics for Speech Language Pathology (12 seats) / Forensic Speech Sciences & Technology (12 seats) / Augmentative & Alternative Communication (22 seats) / Auditory Verbal Therapy (12 seats) and Neuro Audiology (12 seats). A degree in the related subject is needed to apply for these one-year programmes. Details are available in the prospectus.
‘C’ programmes
Admission to the ‘C’ category of programmes is based on an entrance test conducted by Rehabilitation Council of India. Details, including the fee structure, are available on the website www.rehabcouncil.nic.in
1) Diploma in Hearing Aid and Ear Mould Technology. There are 28 seats available for this one-year course and applicants should have passed Plus Two or hold a diploma in Electronics / ITI Electrical or Dental Technician.
2) Diploma in Early Childhood Special Education (Hearing Impairment). A Plus Two is needed to join this one-year programme, having 28 seats.
3) Diploma in Hearing Language & Speech. There are over 30 seats at Mysuru and 28 seats in each study centre for this diploma. Those who have passed Plus Two in Science stream can join this one-year programme.
‘D’ programmes
Candidates have to clear an entrance test conducted by Mysuru University to gain admission for the following programmes. Details are available on the website www.uni-mysore.ac.in
1) PhD (Audiology). This is a three-year course with nine seats.
2) PhD (Speech – Language Pathology). Also a three-year programme with nine seats.
3) PhD Speech & Hearing / Linguistics / Special Education.
No fellowships are available for these three courses.
Things to note
Applicants for the different courses need to follow the regulations regarding minimum marks.
Applications could be submitted online for the entrance examination of the ‘A’ category programmes till June 10. Thrissur and Kozhikode in Kerala are among the exam centres.
There is no entrance test for ‘B’ category programmes. However, candidates should send a hard copy of the application to the Director of AIISH so as to reach the institute by July 20.
Check www.rehabcouncil.nic.in for admission to ‘C’ category programmes.
Information regarding admission to PhD, post-doctoral programmes would be available on the institute’s website.