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Masters degrees by coursework

Master of Speech Pathology – Melbourne (Bundoora) (HMSP)

The Master of Speech Pathology enables graduates with a first degree, other than speech pathology, to obtain a professional qualification in speech pathology at a postgraduate level of study. The course requires full-time enrolment over six teaching periods and utilises an integrated curriculum centred on Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The two years of the PBL curriculum are organised into part 1 and part 2, primarily based around the component processes of communication (speech, language, voice and fluency) and the process of swallowing. The emphasis of learning objectives in part 1 is for students to describe and apply principles of normal communication and the mechanisms and consequences of communication breakdown. The focus of learning in part 2 is on therapeutic intervention and case management.

Admission requirements

Applicants should hold a bachelor degree and have obtained a B average in the last two years of their undergraduate degree, or H2A or above in their honours degree to be eligible to apply. Although not required for entry, a background in health, behavioural science, biological science or linguistics is preferred. Professional experience in related fields will be considered. International applicants are also required to provide current evidence of competence in English language usage through:

• a score of not less than 7.5 on International English Language Testing Service (IELTS), or
• a score of not less than 625 on Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or
• evidence of successful completion of tertiary studies conducted in English.

Students who want to apply to the PBL Master of Speech Pathology must submit a brief statement to provide information about their method of learning and their understanding of the PBL approach. All applicants must request two senior academics familiar with their recent achievements to forward confidential comments on the appropriate form (directly to the School of Human Communication Sciences). Applicants will be ranked on the basis of academic and professional suitability for the purposes of selecting candidates for interview. Arrangements may be made to conduct a telephone interview if necessary. The interview is used as the final means of selecting candidates for entry into the program.

Selection timeline

Applications close 31 October 2009.

Course structure

The course operates over 68 weeks and comprises 56 PBL curriculum weeks and 12 professional practice weeks. Twelve PBL curriculum weeks are dedicated to the normal communication subject, 18 to the communication breakdown subject and 26 to the therapeutic management subject. Two intensive professional practice subjects (CIU) are also incorporated in the course: 16 days at the end of the second subject and a total of 40 days at the end of the final subject. Professional practice experiences are gained in metropolitan, rural or interstate settings and also obtained via clinical observations, supervised clinical tasks and participation in clinics throughout the first and second year academic subjects. Research methods and critical evaluation of the research literature in speech pathology are incorporated into three subjects of the course.

Part 1

Part 2 ¹

Key: ^1.Students are required to maintain a B grade average to progress to part 2 of the course. Students who do not meet this requirement can exit at the end of part 1 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Communication Sciences (HPHCS).