Being able to communicate with others and having the ability to swallow food and liquids are fundamental to experiencing a good quality of life.
Speech pathologists provide both diagnosis and treatment strategies to help people overcome a wide range of difficulties across the lifespan. They work with people who experience difficulty communicating due to developmental delays, brain injury, stroke, intellectual disability, dementia and other problems that can affect speech, language, fluency and voice. They also work with people who have swallowing issues such as babies with a cleft palate, people who have had a stroke and people with degenerative diseases.
⬆︎
34.7%
Employment Growth, Audiologists & Speech Pathologists.
(National Skills Commission, 2021 Employment projections for the five years to 2026).
No.3 in Australia
in Health Services & Support for full-time employment, learner engagement
(The Good Universities Guide 2024 (undergraduate))
Five stars
in Health Services & Support for full-time employment, learner engagement and student support
(The Good Universities Guide 2024 (undergraduate)).
No.1 in SA
for overall experience, skills development and teaching quality
(The Good Universities Guide 2024 (postgraduate), public SA-founded universities only)
Based in regional South Australia but interested in studying Health?
Explore our new Allied Health Courses in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology available in Renmark, Port Pirie and Mount Gambier from 2024.
This degree ensures graduates meet the standards of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), the national accrediting body, which will enable them to practise in Australia and many other countries and regions around the world, including the UK and Asia.
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All of the lecturers did a wonderful job. However, it was Catherine Linnett-Young and Nicky Fanning who made me want to work in paediatrics. They shared a wealth of knowledge, and you could tell how passionate they were about their profession.
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It is an intensive but fulfilling program covering both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. I am grateful for the support from the lecturers and the University that helped me get through this challenging but rewarding journey.
”
Graduate Nathan Giaccio shares his experience studying Speech Pathology at Flinders.
Learn about Speech Pathology at Flinders with Associate Professor Rebecca Francis.
Flinders graduate and speech pathologist Rebecca Keeley is ready to transform the future of allied healthcare.
With a passion for helping people who find it difficult to communicate, speech pathologist Sarah Tilley was inspired to advance her skills in positive behaviour support and improve patient therapy outcomes.
Our incredible teaching and research staff are experts in their professions and well-connected to industry.
Academic Lead: Dr Jane Bickford
Jane is a passionate educator, early career researcher and certified practising speech pathologist who has worked in a range of clinical and community settings with diverse populations in both Australia and the UK. Her academic interests include voice and voice disorders, the effects of detrimental change to communicative competence to self-identity and social participation, adjustment to acquired communication changes, occupational voice disorders, therapeutic communication skill development, 'consumer voice' in person-centred service delivery and the experience of transition (in education and healthcare).
Undergraduate Course Coordinator: Dr Joanne Murray
Jo has over 25 years of clinical experience as a speech pathologist in rehabilitation for stroke, spinal cord injury, burns, general medical conditions and dementia. Her interest in optimising outcomes for individuals with aphasia, apraxia of speech and dysarthria led her to co-author a therapy resource Motor Speech Matters. She previously held positions of Senior Speech Pathologist at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in Adelaide and Director of Speech Pathology at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, NSW.
Postgraduate Course Coordinator:
Lauren Sullivan
Lauren is currently Course Coordinator of the Master of Speech Pathology and Senior Lecturer in both the Bachelor and Master of Speech Pathology programs. She has been a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist for over 25 years, with expertise in the areas of assessment, diagnosis and intervention with children with complex communication, feeding and developmental disorders. She is a passionate educator and has a keen interest in how students develop their professional identities. Lauren is also a strong advocate for Speech Pathology international students and alumni, supporting them to achieve success and facilitate the introduction of evidence-based speech pathology practices in their home countries.
Graduates will meet the entry-level standards of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), the national accrediting body, which will enable them to practise in Australia and several other countries around the world, including the UK and Singapore*.
*Pending transfer of qualification; conditions may apply.
Yes. According to the National Skills Commission, Audiologists & Speech Pathologists will experience 34.7% employment growth (National Skills Commission, 2021 Employment projections for the next five years 2026.)
Yes, Flinders Speech Pathology has one of the highest numbers of placement hours for a speech pathology degree in Australia, providing plenty of clinical practical experience prior to graduation.
Students complete placements in a variety of different settings providing services for clients across the lifespan. They cover multiple areas of practice including communication and swallowing.
Both the Bachelor and Masters of Speech Pathology require full-time study and are not offered externally or on a part-time basis.
Yes, eligible applicants must have a Flinders equivalent GPA of 5.00 or above to be considered. As places in the course are limited, the GPA cut-off for offers may be higher depending on the pool of applicants each year.
The current pandemic situation (COVID-19) will affect many aspects of your study, from topic availability on campus to how your classes are delivered. For detailed information about the impact of COVID-19 on your study please refer to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) information page.
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