Be the key to better communication
Change lives for the better by making it easier for people to communicate with each other.

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What is a speech pathologist?
Speech pathologists assess and treat people who have a communication disability. Communication disabilities are the result of problems with speech, using and understanding language, voice, fluency, hearing, or reading and writing. One in seven Australians has some form of communication disability.

Wide horizons
Speech pathologists work in the public health system, hospitals, community centres, mental health services, schools and disability services. There is also the opportunity to be a private practitioner running your own business.

Talk about making a difference
Speech pathologists make a difference to many people. For example, speech pathologists help children with Autism to communicate by targeting their expressive language, receptive language, pragmatic language and social skills. Early intervention can maximise a child’s intellectual advancement and overall development.

Other people that a speech pathologist could help include:

• the baby born with a cleft palate and lip
• the two-year-old who has not yet started to talk
• the student who wants to leave school because of reading and writing difficulties
• the teacher whose vocal cords are damaged from incorrect use
• the 50-year-old man who has to learn to communicate again following a stroke.

Leaders in speech pathology
We are home to the renowned Australian Stuttering Research Centre. This Centre has been responsible for breakthroughs in early intervention stuttering treatments. Researchers from the Centre contribute to your courses and knowledge. We also run an on-site teaching clinic which services the community and gives students access to hands-on practice.

Clinical Placements
Clinical placements are scheduled as part of your course. This will give you the hands on experience with real patients in a supervised environment to provide you with the required skill set of the Speech Pathology profession. Some of the organisations that we have agreements are:

• Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect)
• Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital
• Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health Service
• Liverpool Health Service
• Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
• Singapore General Hospital
• St. Josephs Hospital, Auburn
• The Spastic Centre

There are a number of essential requirements that students need to prepare for before attending any site for clinical and professional fieldwork. Further information on these and more is available at our Clinical & Professional Fieldwork website.

Pathways into the Speech Pathology Profession
With the required ATAR score you can gain entry into the Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology). This is a 4 years course and once you have graduated, you are a qualified Speech Pathologist. You graduate with one undergraduate degree. ?Alternatively, you may choose to undertake the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHS), select your major in Hearing and Speech, maintain a credit point average or better on completion of the BHS (3 years course) and have guaranteed entry into the Master of Speech Language Pathology (MSLP). The Master of Speech Language Pathology is a 2 years course. Once you have graduated, you are a qualified Speech Pathologist. Effectively, you will hold 2 degrees, one undergraduate (BHS) and one post graduate (MSLP) degree.

If you are enrolled in another undergraduate degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science, and want to qualify for entry into the Master of Speech Language Pathology, the following areas may qualify you:-
• If you have studied some Linguistics, Phonetics, Psychology, Research Methods and may be Human Biology,
• Alternatively the completion of a qualifying year or summer school may lead to qualifying.

Honours Program
Students in the honours program complete all Year 1 and Year 2 units of study in the pass program. In Year 3, honours students undertake some of the same units of study in the pass program as well as units that are unique to the honours program. In Year 4, all units the honours students undertake are unique to the honours program. For more information see Speech Pathology honours program.

Course completion requirements

192 credit points: students are to complete as required the required the core, elective and general elective units of study shown in the Table of units of study for the degree concerned as set out in the Faculty of Health Sciences handbook.

On campus attendance pattern

Full time

End qualification

Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology)

Professional recognition

Graduates of the pass and honours programs are eligible for practising membership status as speech pathologists with Speech Pathology Australia.

Similar courses

M.S.L.P. (SC112)

Course structure

Course level

Bachelor

Honours availability

Additional honours course

Handbook website link

http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks/handbooks_admin/health_science.shtml