Become a competent, reflective and innovative practitioner in the field of speech pathology.

Speech pathologists provide professional services for people across the lifespan whose educational, vocational, personal and social functioning is impaired by disorders of speech, language, voice, swallowing, fluency and hearing. Communication and swallowing disabilities may severely impact people’s quality of life and result from developmental difficulties, social disadvantage, illness or accident.

This coursework program is founded on principles designed to encourage lifelong learning in the practice of speech pathology. It involves an innovative, integrated enquiry-based curriculum, incorporating a problem-based learning format. This approach is supported by a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies including lectures, workshops, clinical skills tutorials and practicum.

A variety of assessment methods are used, including peer and self-assessment, performance within authentic tasks and competency-based assessment of practical work.

Graduates will be equipped to begin practice in a wide range of health, educational and community settings. The course fosters your ability to respond effectively to the changing nature of professional knowledge and practice, preparing you to provide quality services throughout your working life.

Speech pathology graduates are employed in a wide range of settings around the world and work with people of all ages, their carers/families, services, communities and other professionals across a wide variety of agencies.

Potential employers include:

• healthcare sector (including hospitals, rehabilitation centres, community health services, mental health services)
• aged care sector
• disability services sector
• education sector (including mainstream, special schools and special education units)
• early childhood education sector
• private practice
• universities and research institutes
• non-government/not for profit sector.

Professional accreditation/recognition

Graduates will meet the entry-level standards of Speech Pathology Australia, the national accrediting body, which will enable them to practise in Australia and to apply for mutual recognition of qualifications in many other countries around the world including the UK, New Zealand and Asia.