Master of Speech Pathology

The University of Melbourne

Speech pathologists work with people of all ages who are experiencing communication and/or swallowing disorders as a result of illness, injury or disability. Speech pathologists may work in a range of education and health sectors. The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology at University of Melbourne offers the Master of Speech Pathology degree, which is a two-year full-time course. Completion of this degree qualifies you to work as a speech pathologist. The first year of the course provides the scientific background in anatomy and physiology, articulatory and acoustic phonetics, linguistics, speech and language disorders, clinical practice and processes. The second year builds on the specialised knowledge acquired in first year, develops clinical skills and introduces students to research methods in the field. Speech pathologists may work as a sole therapist or as part of a larger interdisciplinary team (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, doctors, audiologists and psychologists). This profession may be of interest to those with a scientific or linguistics background who are interested in working with people.The course consists of formal lectures, seminars, practical work and student presentations along with a substantial clinical component. Students will be scheduled for approximately 400 hours of supervised clinical work at various health-care and educational facilities in metropolitan and rural areas in Victoria. The clinical work will occur throughout the semesters alongside the lectures as well as block placements during the semester breaks.

Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

073115G