Unique focus on disability-informed practice
Social learning focus to prepare you for practice
Hands-on learning including 80+ days of placements
Why choose speech pathology at Deakin
Learn to work in partnership with people experiencing communication or swallowing needs, and their carers, families and communities, to support participation, wellbeing and quality of life. With Deakin’s Master of Speech Pathology, you will develop the knowledge, skills and practice-based experience to work confidently with people across the lifespan.
Co-designed with people with disability, carers and advocates, the course has a unique focus on disability-informed practice, helping you develop specialised skills that set you apart in the workforce. You will build capability in communication and swallowing assessment and intervention, including working with people with disability, including complex disability, in person-centred, culturally responsive and collaborative ways. Practical experience is embedded throughout the course through active, creative and social learning, including interprofessional experiences and scaffolded placements and simulation-based learning.
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Disability-informed practice
Co-designed with people with disability, carers and advocates, the course develops inclusive and collaborative practice skills.
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Scaffolded practical learning
Build confidence through 80+ days of placements and simulation-based learning that support progression into independent practice.
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Strong local partnerships
Gain experience through placements and community driven projects developed with speech pathology services across the Barwon South West region.
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Prepare for contemporary practice
Engage in focused learning on contemporary and complex practice areas to prepare for the current workforce.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Build a career supporting people of all ages with communication and swallowing difficulties. Deakin’s focus on disability can also prepare you for opportunities across NDIS and other health and community services.
Speech pathologist
Work with people of all ages experiencing difficulties with speech, language, voice, fluency, cognition, swallowing, eating and drinking, helping them communicate and participate more fully in everyday life.
- 18.5%
Projected job growth in 5 years
- $104k
Median annual earnings
Workplace settings
- Community health and disability services
- Education settings
- Hospitals and rehabilitation services
- Mental health services
- Private practices and clinics
- Residential aged care facilities
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
# The Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology unit meets the human anatomy and physiology prerequisite requirements for our Master of Speech Pathology. Take the first step towards your career in speech pathology – for more information, take a look at our single units page.
What will I study in the Master of Speech Pathology?
Develop the knowledge, practical skills and clinical experience to work with people experiencing communication and/or swallowing needs across the lifespan. This two-year course can be undertaken full-time or part-time over a longer period.
Build foundational speech pathology knowledge and skills
Understand communication and swallowing
Learn about communication and swallowing development, disorders and differences across diverse populations and settings.
Develop professional practice skills
Build capability in assessment, intervention and collaborative practice, including culturally responsive care and interprofessional learning.
Begin practical learning
Undertake supported placements in speech pathology services to apply and extend the foundational learning developed throughout your first year.
Integrate and apply speech pathology practice
Progress towards independent practice
Complete supervised placements and specialised simulation-based learning designed to support confident, independent speech pathology practice.
Work across diverse settings and communities
Gain experience supporting people with communication or swallowing difficulties across health, disability, education and community settings.
Tailor your studies
Choose between a research pathway with a minor thesis that may support advanced study options, or coursework pathway which includes a community-based speech pathology project and an elective in an area such as disability, inclusion or public health.
Course structure
To complete the Master of Speech Pathology, you must pass 16 credit points.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
Students must complete 14 credit points of core units and 2 credit points of course electives.
Plus either 2 credit points of research units:
OR
2 credit points of course electives, comprising
And 1 credit point selected from the following list:
Professional recognition
The Master of Speech Pathology is accredited (with conditions) by Speech Pathology Australia (SPA). Conditions are expected to be lifted in due course.
What to expect while studying
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Students are required to undertake the checks outlined below prior to their first practice-based learning opportunity (placement). Details and required dates for completion of these checks can be found on the course page on Cloud Deakin. Students are encouraged to organise these checks as soon as possible, in order to ensure that they are completed in time.
Police Check
In accordance with the policies of health and human services organisations, all students are required to undertake a Police Record Check prior to undertaking external practice-based learning experiences. Students who fail to obtain or renew a Police Record Check prior to the date indicated on the course page will not be able to undertake their mandatory practice-based learning experiences, and this will impede progress in the course.
Working with Children Check
In accordance with the Worker Screening Act 2020, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. The check lasts for five years and only needs to be undertaken once at the start of the course. Students who fail to obtain a Working with Children Check prior to the date indicated on the course page will not be able to undertake their mandatory practice-based learning experiences, and this will impede progress in the course.
NDIS Worker Screening Check
Students are required to undertake a NDIS Worker Screening Check to comply with requirements of organisations that include NDIS participants. This is an assessment of whether a person poses risk to NDIS participants. Students who fail to obtain a NDIS Worker Screening Check prior to the date indicated on the course page will not be able to undertake their mandatory practice-based learning experience, and this will impede progression in the course.
Immunisation Status
Students are a potential source of infection for service users and colleagues and are required to provide evidence of immunisation status. This includes immunisation for hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella, varicella (chicken pox), pertussis (whooping cough), tuberculosis, influenza and COVID-19. Details of the requirements are outlined on the course page. Students who do not provide required evidence prior to the date indicated on the course page will not be able to undertake their mandatory practice-based learning experiences, and this will impede progression in the course.
Other requirements
Students may also be required to undertake mask fit testing, hand hygiene, infection control or other certification, and to provide evidence of this, prior to undertaking placements in some settings. Further information about other requirements can be found on the course page on Cloud Deakin.
Inherent requirements
All prospective applicants should review the Inherent Requirements of the course, which describe the skills, values and behaviours that students need to achieve. Students should consider whether they may need reasonable adjustments in order to meet these requirements.
You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, on-site professional experience (placement), simulated placement and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information.
This course requires a high level of engagement with learning in all units, and students are expected to undertake self-directed learning and complete assessment tasks in addition to scheduled learning activities.
This course is offered in person at Waterfront, Geelong. Students are expected to attend lectures, seminars and classes which are interactive and require active student participation. In person attendance for some activities, including placement, is compulsory for all students.
Refer to the individual unit details in the University Handbook for more information about in-person attendance requirements for specific units.
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. Adjustments need to reflect the expectations of speech pathology practice as outlined in the Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia.
Deakin seeks to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all students. If you have questions about adjustments that may be possible or applicable in your situation, we encourage you to reach out to Future Students Domestic students / international students or Disability Resource Centre for a confidential discussion. You will be connected to a staff member who will be able to discuss your circumstances and how the School and University can help to put reasonable accommodations in place. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career, and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
This course includes practice-based learning (placement). Students will undertake two days of observation and four placements of 18 to 20 days each in external services. They will also undertake two on-campus simulated placements. Placement provides students with an opportunity to practice skills, gain experience and apply their learning, under the supervision of a qualified speech pathologist. Attendance and demonstration of competency within placement is a mandatory requirement for successful progression in and completion of this course. Further information about the timing of placements throughout the course can be found on the Course page on Cloud Deakin.
Pre-placement seminars are considered part of the placement experience and attendance at these is also mandatory. Requirements for mandatory seminars are outlined in individual unit descriptions.
Students will be allocated to placements by the University. Students should be aware of the requirement for travel to placement sites. Travel time up to 2 hours each way is considered acceptable. It is also likely that students will have to attend at least one rural placement during the course.
Deakin University does not require any student to have a driver’s licence and access to a car, but encourages students to organise this if possible. Many placements are not accessible without this, which may limit the opportunities available to students. We also encourage students to carpool to placements where possible.
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Apply theory and evidence-based knowledge and skills to identify needs and provide safe and effective services that support optimal communication and swallowing and facilitate access to human rights. |
| Use verbal and nonverbal communication skills flexibly and responsively to develop strong professional relationships with clients, families, communities, peers and others; identify, describe and advocate for communication and swallowing needs; and use inclusive and accessible communication to provide effective speech pathology services to clients and communities. |
| Select, use and critically evaluate digital technologies to promote client participation and effective speech pathology practice, recognising limitations, affordances and future possibilities. |
| Critically integrate evidence and contextualise decision-making within the broader picture of people's lives, in order to provide relevant and effective speech pathology services. |
| Work with clients, families and communities to creatively and flexibly problem-solve approaches to support effective communication and swallowing, bringing a future-focussed lens; and plan an conduct ethical and inclusive projects, such as research, quality improvement and advocacy initiatives. |
| Actively identify and transfer skills and knowledge across practice contexts and clinical areas, and continuously reflect on practice, identifying learning needs and sources of support and advice. Reflect on and implement strategies that make this profession personally sustainable. |
| Build relationships and trust with clients, families, communities, other professionals and team members, and contribute as an active member of teams and professional communities. |
| Work safely, ethically, and effectively with diverse communities and cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, within a framework of human rights advocacy; and critically reflect on global trends, challenges and environments as they relate to speech pathology. |
- Award granted
- Master of Speech Pathology
- Year
2027 course information
- Deakin code
- H765
- CRICOS code?Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students
- 120131B
- Level
- Higher Degree Coursework (Masters and Doctorates)
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9
Apply now
Apply directly to Deakin
Applications can be made directly to the University through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's International Student Application Service.
We recommend engaging with a Deakin Authorised Agent who can assist you with the process and submit the application.
Recognition of prior learning
To meet the professional accreditation and/or registration requirements of this course, recognition of prior learning (RPL) is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Pathways
H765 Master of Speech Pathology is a qualifying degree and does not have a formal pathway to further study. Students who complete the research pathway, including two credit points of research, may consider applying to enrol in a higher degree by research (PhD).