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. Course description 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. Please see the& Course and Subject Handbook for more information about the subjects and the time commitment. Course structure The course consists of formal lectures, seminars, practical work and student presentations along with substantial clinical component. Students will be scheduled for approximately 400 hours of supervised clinical work during the two-year course at various health-care and educational facilities in metropolitan and rural areas in Victoria. Graduates of the Master of Speech Pathology are qualified to begin work as a speech pathologist. Students who show an aptitude for research may be considered for PhD studies within the Department. Professional accreditation The course is accredited with Speech Pathology Australia.