AB 2317: California State University: Doctor of Audiology degrees.

Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of Californias public and independent segments of higher education, and their respective institutions of higher education. Provisions of the act do not apply to the University of California unless the regents of the university act, by resolution, to make them applicable.

Among other things, the act provides that the University of California has exclusive jurisdiction in public higher education to award the doctoral degree in all fields of learning, except that it may agree with the California State University to award joint doctoral degrees in selected fields. With respect to doctoral degrees, the act limits the California State University to awarding these degrees jointly with the University of California, as described above, or, with the approval of the California Postsecondary Education Commission, jointly with independent institutions of higher education.

This bill would instead authorize the California State University to award the Doctor of Audiology degree. The bill would require the degree to be distinguished from doctoral degree programs at the University of California. The bill would require that the degree be focused on preparing audiologists to provide health care services and be consistent with the standards for accreditation set forth by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. The bill would require that each student in the programs authorized by the bill be charged fees no higher than the rate charged for students in state-supported programs in audiology at the University of California.