Master of Speech Pathology

The Master of Speech Pathology at the University of Tasmania is a two-year postgraduate degree for people who want to work as speech pathologists. It's a professional entry course, which means you come in with a bachelor's degree in something else, often linguistics, psychology, health science, education or a related area, and leave eligible to apply for registration as a speech pathologist in Australia. You'll study how communication and swallowing work, what goes wrong when they don't, and how to assess and treat people across the lifespan.

Australian master's degrees by coursework usually run over two years full-time, split into semesters or trimesters. You enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required number to graduate. The first year tends to build the foundations: anatomy and physiology of speech and swallowing, linguistics, child language development, acquired communication disorders in adults, and research methods. Later units move into clinical practice, professional issues and evidence-based management. Most speech pathology master's programmes include a research component, a minor thesis or a capstone project, where you investigate a clinical question under supervision. You'll also complete supervised clinical placements, because you can't qualify as a speech pathologist without them. Placements typically happen in hospitals, community health centres, schools, disability services and private practices, and in Tasmania that can mean working in regional and rural settings as well as in Hobart and Launceston.

Speech pathology is a regulated health profession in Australia. Graduates apply for registration with the Speech Pathology Association of Australia (Speech Pathology Australia), and the course must be accredited by that body for you to be eligible. That's why the English requirement is higher than for many coursework master's degrees, professional health courses usually ask for IELTS 7.0–7.5 or equivalent because you'll be communicating directly with patients and writing clinical reports. The University of Tasmania accepts IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and its own English language programmes. Check the official course page for the exact score this course requires.

As an international student on a Student visa, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. Tuition for this course is published on the CRICOS register under course code 106188B, confirm the current figure, intake dates and English requirements on the official University of Tasmania page before you apply.

• Speech pathologist in hospitals, community health, private practice, schools, aged care and disability services
• Paediatric speech pathologist working with children on language delay, speech sound disorders, stuttering and literacy
• Adult rehabilitation clinician helping people recover communication and swallowing after stroke, brain injury or surgery
• Disability support clinician under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
• School-based speech pathologist supporting students with communication needs in education settings
• Researcher or clinical educator in health services, universities or research institutes
• Private practitioner running your own speech pathology clinic