Admissions note: FIRST YEARS is now accepting applications until June 12, 2012! The admitted cohort of twenty or so students will begin the first course in the fall semester, 2012.  Please review the FAQs, mentorship, and tuition/admission descriptions for detailed information about the requirements before applying.  Applicants must pay the application fee in order for us to consider the application for admission. We will notify all students of their admission status by mid-July. 

If you have questions regarding the program, please contact Kathryn Wilson, Program Director,  at kathryn_wilson@med.unc.edu.

Once admitted, you will receive a PID – a Personal IDentification Number, which you will then use to create a UNC onyen – the Only Number You'll Ever Need. You will use the onyen, throughout your certificate stay, to access all university services.

Applicant Email Addresses
FIRST YEARS relies mainly on email to communicate with all applicants and enrolled students. Therefore, please include a current email address on your application. 

Admission Requirements
To participate in the FIRST YEARS Certificate in Auditory Learning for Young Children with Hearing Loss, you must 1) hold a baccalaureate degree in one of the following fields -- deaf education, audiology, speech-language pathology, early childhood special education or special education, 2) hold a license in the state of residence, and 3) have at least two years of experience working with children with hearing loss aged birth - 8 years.

Potential students will submit the following:

• current email address;
• $77 application fee (non-refundable, payable by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) or check/money order);
• transcripts from all post-secondary education*~;
• proof(s) of licensure~;
• 2 letters of recommendation, with an email address for each recommender if available (One should be a letter of support from current employer, if employed. Before applying, contact your recommenders to verify they are willing to write recommendations for you. This will simplify the application process.); 
• a résumé (optional)*;
• a personal statement* describing how the certificate is relevant to you; and
• an online application (Instructions for submitting your application).

* Acceptable upload formats:  .docx, .doc, .txt, .pdf, .rtf, .wps, .wrd. (If you use a word processing application that creates another file format, save your document as "Rich Text Format".)
~ Official transcipts and proof(s) of licensure will be mailed/faxed in.

Other expenses may be incurred such as required immunizations, books, travel to a mentorship site, etc.

More questions about FIRST YEARS program requirements/costs? See our Frequently Asked Questions section or feel free to contact us.