Speech Pathology

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 communication and swallowing. Communication and swallowing disabilities may severely impact people’s quality of life and result from developmental difficulties, social disadvantage, illness or accident.

Quick Facts
Duration:	2 years
Start Date:	March
Tuition Fee:	$45,000
Location:	Bedford Park, Australia
CRICOS code:	054304D
Delivery mode:	On campus

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.

What you will study

The Master of Speech Pathology consists of 72 units.

The program is highly integrated and comprises three streams of study:

professional studies and communication sciences
speech pathology skills and practice
research methods.

In the professional studies and communication sciences stream, the content is delivered via problem-based learning tutorials. It involves working through a weekly case study in small groups facilitated by a tutor, and followed up with independent learning. These case studies are also supported by lectures and other learning resources. The case studies cover the areas of professional practice: speech, language, voice, fluency, swallowing and multimodal communication. These areas are considered in relation to lifespan development and socio-cultural context and how they impact health and well-being.

In the speech pathology skills and practice topic stream, you are allocated to work-integrated learning placements under the supervision of placement educators. Regular clinical skills tutorials on campus support development of skills and knowledge.

The research methods stream aims to ensure you become familiar with evidence-based practice in the discipline of speech pathology. It also supports you to understand, critique and apply research methodology, so that you are an informed consumer of research, can use it to inform your practice and are able to develop an understanding of yourself as a practitioner-researcher.

“I had a nice relationship with all my lecturers. They were committed to helping you out with everything, especially if you showed that you cared about your work. Uni organised for me to go to Flinders Partners to work on software for innovation management. I was so pleased when they offered me a full-time position.”

Nadine Saadi // Flinders University student

Careers

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 occupations include:

speech pathologist
project officer
researcher
manager
policy advisor.

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.

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 and regions around the world, including the UK, New Zealand and Asia.