Hearing, Speech and Communication
About the major
Overview
Communication is central to human interactions. The Hearing, Speech and Communication major/minor focuses on speech, language and hearing acquisition, and ways in which human communication develops and can be disrupted over the lifespan.
About this major/minor
The Hearing, Speech and Communication major/minor offers an integrated understanding of the linguistic, psychological, acoustic, neurological and anatomical bases of human communication.
It provides a strong foundation for further studies in Speech Pathology (offered as both a bachelor or a master's degrees) or Clinical Audiology (master's degree only). It also complements the training of students in medical and health professions, education, linguistics, counselling, engineering, music and any students interested in hearing, speech and communication.
Graduate opportunities
Graduates with a hearing and speech major/minor have a strong foundation for further studies across health and education professions, including postgraduate studies in Speech Pathology or Audiology. Graduates may also consider work in the disability support sector, aged care, technical writing in medicine and health, research, TESOL, and in special education roles.
Options for studying Hearing, Speech and Communication
Both the Hearing, Speech and Communication major and minor are available as Table S (shared pool) options.
Pathway through the major and minor
The requirements for a major or minor in Hearing, Speech and Communication are spread out over three years of the degree (four years if students are completing a combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degree).
(i) Hearing, Speech and Communication Major
To achieve a major in Hearing, Speech and Communication, students must complete 48 credit points comprising:
- 12 credit points of 1000-level core units of study;
- 18 credit points of 2000-level core units of study; and
- 18 credit points of 3000-level core units of study.
(Ii) Hearing, Speech and Communication Minor
To achieve a minor in Hearing, Speech and Communication, students must complete 36 credit points comprising:
- 12 credit points of 1000-level core units of study;
- 12 credit points of 2000-level core units of study;
- 6 credit points of 3000-level core units of study; and
- 6 credit points of 2000-level or 3000-level selective units of study.
Major learning outcomes
| No. | Learning outcome |
|---|---|
| 1 | Identify and explain the anatomical and neuroscience bases of human communication and explain the interconnected anatomy, neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychology associated with developmental and acquired communication disorders and hearing science. |
| 2 | Integrate the psychological and developmental bases of human communication including processes associated with learning, memory and attention across the lifespan. |
| 3 | Explain the acoustic bases of spoken communication. |
| 4 | Using appropriate technology, conduct hearing screenings and be able to accurately interpret the results and discuss the implications of audiological assessments conducted with children and adults. |
| 5 | Discuss a range of intervention options that are available to support the communication of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, identify when different options are more likely to be recommended over other options, and explain some of the complexities associated with intervention options with this population. |
| 6 | Obtain written and spoken language samples in a culturally sensitive, ethical manner, and conduct linguistic, phonetic, and language development analyses. |
| 7 | Describe environmental aspects that may negatively impact communication, and suggest practical and useful recommendations to modify these environments and/or the communication behaviours. |
| 8 | Describe ethical and legal requirements when working with populations who have conditions that affect communication, in order to begin to develop a professional identity as a health care professional. |
Contact/further information
For further information about the Hearing, Speech and Communication major or minor, please contact the Sydney School of Health Sciences.
Email: shs.ltadmin@sydney.edu.au
