Students who achieve a grade point average of 5.0 or better in the first two years of the Bachelor of Speech Pathology may be accepted as a candidate for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) program in Year 3.
Other students may be admitted at the discretion of the Dean (Education), subject to specific conditions.
Admission requirements
To progress to Year 4 of the Honours program, a student must have attained at least a credit average across all third year topics including a credit grade in SPTH7906 Clinical Skills and Practice 4 (Honours): Complex Practice and SPTH7908 Professional Studies and Communication Sciences 4B (Honours): Complex Disorders – Adults, which have specified honours assessment requirements.
Course aims
The Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) program is open to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Speech Pathology degree and runs concurrently with years 3 and 4 of the ordinary degree. In addition to the aims specified for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology, the Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) program at Flinders University is designed to prepare graduates who will be critical consumers of research, and be able to design, conduct, and write up a simple research project. Through a process of mentoring, the course aims to encourage and prepare graduates to undertake a research career upon graduation.
The key educational goals are to:
- Provide knowledge and skills relevant to conducting research, especially for entry to higher degree courses
- Develop an advanced level of knowledge in the area of specialisation
- Further develop verbal and written skills relevant to advanced studies.
Learning outcomes
In addition to the learning outcomes specified for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology, at the completion of the honours program, students should be able to:
- Define research problems and formulate an answerable research question
- Conduct and communicate a critical scholarly review of the literature relevant to a defined research question
- Carry out a rigorous research method to answer a research question
- Conduct an analysis and critical interpretation of research data in the light of research findings and current literature
- Communicate research processes, findings and interpretations orally and in writing.
Program of study
To qualify for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) a student must complete 153 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.
Normally at least 31.5 units must be completed at a given level before proceeding to any higher level topics.
Core - Year 1 topics
36 units comprising:
SPTH1102 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology (4.5 units)
SPTH1103 Anatomy and Physiology of Speech (4.5 units)
SPTH1104 Clinical Skills and Practice 1 (4.5 units)
SPTH1105 Child Development and Learning (4.5 units)
SPTH1201 Psychosocial Aspects of Speech Pathology (4.5 units)
SPTH1202 Research Methods in Speech Pathology (4.5 units)
SPTH1506 Linguistics and Phonetics 1 (4.5 units)
SPTH1509 Linguistics and Phonetics 2 (4.5 units)
Core - Year 2 topics
36 units comprising:
SPTH2901 Professional Studies & Communication Sciences 1A: Communication Development & Disorders: Birth to Pre-School (4.5 units)
SPTH2902 Professional Studies & Communication Sciences 2A: Communication Development & Disorders: School Age to Adolescence (4.5 units)
SPTH2903 Clinical Skills and Practice 1A: Communication Development and Disorders (4.5 units)
SPTH2904 Clinical Skills and Practice 2A: Communication Development and Disorders: School Age to Adolescence (4.5 units)
SPTH2905 Professional Studies & Communication Sciences 1B (Motor Speech Disorders) (4.5 units)
SPTH2906 Professional Studies & Communication Sciences 2B (Voice and Swallowing Disorders) (4.5 units)
SPTH2907 Clinical Skills and Practice 1B: Motor Speech Disorders (4.5 units)
SPTH2908 Clinical Skills and Practice 2B: Voice and Swallowing Disorders (4.5 units)
Core - Year 3 topics
36 units comprising:
SPTH3901 Professional Studies and Communication Sciences 3A (Acquired Language Disorders 1) (4.5 units)
SPTH3902 Professional Studies and Communication Sciences 4A (Acquired Language Disorders 2) (4.5 units)
SPTH3903 Speech Pathology Practicum 1 (4.5 units)
SPTH3904 Speech Pathology Practicum 2 (4.5 units)
SPTH3905 Clinical Skills and Practice 3: Complex Practice (4.5 units)
SPTH3907 Professional Studies and Communication Sciences 3B (Complex Disorders - Paediatrics) (4.5 units)
SPTH7906 Clinical Skills and Practice 4 (Honours): Complex Practice (4.5 units)
SPTH7908 Professional Studies and Communication Sciences 4B (Honours): Complex Disorders - Adults (4.5 units)
Core - Year 4 Honours topics
45 units comprising:
SPTH4901 Speech Pathology Practicum 3 (13.5 units)
SPTH7000A Honours Thesis A (9 units)
SPTH7000B Honours Thesis B (9 units)
SPTH7003 Speech Pathology Honours Practicum (13.5 units)
Except with the permission of the Dean (Education):
- the course must be completed within seven consecutive years or, where credit has been granted for previous work, a period determined by the Board;
- a student may not undertake more than 40.5 units in any year, unless enrolled in the fourth year honours program;
- no topic may be attempted more than twice.
The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion or failure to complete the course within seven consecutive years may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purposes of the University's Policy on Student Progress.
