| AQF Level |
Level 7 Bachelor Degree |
| CRICOS Code |
027352J |
| Overview and Aims of the Program |
The Bachelor of Speech Hearing and Language Sciences provides students with an in-depth introduction to wide range of skills and knowledge that can form the basis for future studies and training in Linguistics, Speech and Language Pathology, Audiology, teaching English language to adult learners or editing and publishing, or to research in a wide range of related fields. Students will study in an environment that provides access to one of the best equipped research and clinical environments in the world for speech, hearing, language and cognitive science. Students will develop knowledge and skills in the fields of speech, hearing and linguistics. Subjects taken in this degree will provide students with subject specific knowledge in their chosen areas of specialisation.
They will learn how to analyse languages, to understand what differentiates the worlds' languages and what they have in common. From both technical (e.g. phonetics and syntax) and sociocultural perspectives, they will learn how human speech works and how we produce, perceive and understand spoken language. They will also learn about speech and language and their disorders, or hearing and its disorders.
Many students will use this degree as a gateway to specific clinical training in Speech and Language Pathology or in Audiology. Some students will use this degree as a pathway to further training in the teaching of English to adults. Other students will be considering careers in speech, hearing or language research, possibly leading to academic careers. |
| Graduate Capabilities |
The Graduate Capabilities Framework articulates the fundamentals that underpin all of Macquarie’s academic programs. It expresses these as follows:
Cognitive capabilities
(K) discipline specific knowledge and skills
(T) critical, analytical and integrative thinking
(P) problem solving and research capability
(I) creative and innovative
Interpersonal or social capabilities
(C) effective communication
(E) engaged and ethical local and global citizens
(A) socially and environmentally active and responsible
Personal capabilities
(J) capable of professional and personal judgement and initiative
(L) commitment to continuous learning |
| Program Learning Outcomes |
By the end of this program it is anticipated you should be able to:
1. demonstrate a broad and coherent theoretical and technical knowledge of the structure of language, as manifested in the phonetic/phonological, morphological and syntactic systems and be able to apply this knowledge to specific contexts in higher levels of study or in the workplace (K, P, I, L)
2. identify, critically evaluate and apply key knowledge within the linguistic sub-disciplines of sociolinguistics, language acquisition and psycholinguistics, as well as within the related disciplines of psychology and human biology (K, P, T, I, E, J)
3. apply knowledge of speech, hearing and language to problem solving in the areas of typical and disordered communication (K, T, P, I, A, J)
4. critically appraise and/or conduct effective analyses of human communication (T, P, C, E, A)
5. demonstrate autonomy, well-developed judgment and responsibility in the ethical conduct of scientific research and practices in speech, hearing and language sciences (T, C, E, A, J)
6. communicate, through speaking or writing, knowledge, skills and ideas about speech, hearing and language sciences to a range of audiences including the wider community and in professional settings (T, C, E, J). |
| Learning and Teaching Methods |
Throughout the Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences program you will be encouraged to participate in a wide range of independent and collaborative learning experiences and activities designed to help you develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and techniques required for successful participation in employment or further study in speech, hearing and language sciences. Learning is developmentally structured to steadily encourage independence through activities that build on each other in the progression towards mature and accomplished ability and critical thought.
Learning activities are extensive and varied and include a range of formal and informal experiences. All learning activities are supported by an online presence that facilitates web-based group discussion/blogging, communication between staff and students, as well as easy access to multimedia resources and assessment materials.
Live and recorded lectures and presentations are complemented by smaller group tutorial and workshop sessions along with independent reading and engagement with learning materials. Lecture format may be used to present important concepts in a didactic way while still providing opportunities for students to interact with senior teaching staff in a large-group forum. Most lectures are recorded for student convenience and are structured with additional small-group activities and targeted self-study activities in mind.
Small group activities consolidate materials presented in more formal settings and encourage further independent and collaborative exploration of concepts and ideas. In small groups you will learn to critically appraise relevant literature, make evidence based arguments, give and receive feedback, communicate using a range of media, work as part of a team, conduct small research projects, analyse data, and behave ethically.
Acquisition of skills essential to speech, hearing and language sciences is fundamental to the program. Skill development occurs in a supportive and collaborative environment facilitated through the small group format by providing opportunities for group discussion, problem-based learning, focus on analysis techniques, and skills practice. Skill acquisition requires structured experiences with real-world language problems and data collected from a variety of sources. These include direct observations of language and text-based corpora through to physiological and acoustic data captured by state-of-the-art equipment. Laboratory analyses and experiences reinforce the importance of evidence-driven practice and help consolidate concept development through hands-on exploration of data.
The program has its foundations in research-based theory and practice and therefore research is integrated into every stage of the program. You will be involved in observing, collecting, analysing language data and presenting your findings using a variety of media. You will also be involved in the research-rich culture of the linguistics department through participation opportunities with research projects that are in progress in the Department. The program is supported throughout by highly experienced teaching staff who are expert researchers in their own field of endeavour. |
| Assessment |
Assessment strategies used in the Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences are structured with both formative and summative feedback in mind. Formative assessment allows you to check your development by identifying strengths and highlighting areas that need additional support. Summative assessment is used to evaluate your performance against a set of clearly defined standards.
All units in the degree involve summative assessment from which final grades are obtained, but many will also offer extensive formative assessment – that is you will receive feedback that should help you identify areas of strength and weakness thereby giving you the opportunity to improve your performance in subsequent tasks. For instance, formative feedback is given in each first year level unit by means of a short and comparatively risk free task such as a short essay where your academic literacy skills are examined, a quiz to check your understanding of concepts, or a skill based task to identify areas that need extra practice. At second and third year levels, formative feedback may take the form of nested assessment tasks, peer reviewed activities, and skill practice which, in combination with a more substantial summative assessment such as a longer assignment or examination, provide a set of results that allow for your final grade to be calculated.
In each unit of study the Unit Guide will set out clearly what is assessed, how it will be assessed and the weighting of each task. The standards and criteria associated with each assessment task are advertised along with the detailed instructions for task completion.
Assessment tasks may involve:
• writing essays, critical reviews and research reports of various lengths and complexity
• posting blogs or participating in other kinds of online activities
• conducting laboratory language data analysis
• giving tutorial and seminar presentations (group and/or individual)
• participating in tutorial/seminar activities and in-class discussions
• describing language data using established theory-driven techniques
• conducting independent or collaborative research projects using language data to explore interesting theoretical questions
• participating in exams, class tests and online quizzes.
The Capstone unit, LING399 Language as Evidence, is the culmination of your study in the Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences degree program. In this unit, the main assessment task will involve you designing, conducting and reporting on a small language research project on data you collect yourself (or with a group) in an area where your main interests and expertise lie. The task is developmentally scaffolded through a set of formative assessment tasks designed to inform your major project which is a report on your data and a class presentation. |
| Recognition of Prior Learning |
Macquarie University may recognise prior formal, informal and non-formal learning for the purpose of granting credit towards, or admission into, a program. The recognition of these forms of learning is enabled by the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy and its associated Procedures and Guidelines. For recognition of prior informal and non-formal learning, please refer to the relevant RPL Plan, which describes the evidential requirements and approval processes for recognising prior learning for entry or credit in this program.
For undergraduate RPL plans visit www.goto.mq.edu.au/nonschoolrpl
For postgraduate RPL plans visit www.goto.mq.edu.au/pgrpl |
| Support for Learning |
Macquarie University aspires to be an inclusive and supportive community of learners where all students are given the opportunity to meet their academic and personal goals. The University offers a comprehensive range of free and accessible student support services which include academic advice, counselling and psychological services, advocacy services and welfare advice, careers and employment, disability services and academic skills workshops amongst others. There is also a bulk billing medical service located on campus.
Further information can be found at www.students.mq.edu.au/support/
Campus Wellbeing contact details:
Phone: +61 2 9850 7497
Email: campuswellbeing@mq.edu.au
www.students.mq.edu.au/support/health_and_wellbeing/contact_us |
| Program Standards and Quality |
The program is subject to an ongoing comprehensive process of quality review in accordance with a pre-determined schedule that complies with the Higher Education Standards Framework. The review is overseen by Macquarie University's peak academic governance body, the Academic Senate and takes into account feedback received from students, staff and external stakeholders. |
| Graduate Destinations and Employability |
The Bachelor of Speech Hearing and Language Sciences provides students with skills and knowledge that prepares them for further training or for a variety of language related career opportunities. Students interested in applying their speech and language knowledge to clinical practice can do so by completing our Master of Speech and Language Pathology. Students interested in expanding and applying their knowledge in hearing, and its disorders by pursuing a clinical career in Audiology can do so by completing our Master of Clinical Audiology. Students wishing to apply their Linguistic knowledge to a career may choose our Postgraduate Certificate of TESOL for training in the teaching of English to adult learners, or they might choose our Postgraduate Certificate of Editing and Electronic Publishing. Students who wish to pursue a research career, possibly leading to an academic career, may consider doing a Master of Research, and qualified students may follow this with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). There is a very wide range of possible research topics that can be undertaken in the Department of Linguistics.
In addition, this degree can can lead to employment in:
• public service (at all levels including local, state and federal), especially in departments involved in dealing with migrant populations and bilingual issues
• non government organisations dealing with refugees, migrants and bilingual issues
• organisations involved in computer mediated communication, for instance, natural language processing and other areas where linguistic knowledge is deemed essential in an increasingly electronic communicative world. |
| Assessment Regulations |
This program is subject to Macquarie University regulations, including but not limited to those specified in the Assessment Policy, Academic Honesty Policy, the Final Examination Policy and relevant University Rules. For all approved University policies, procedures, guidelines and schedules visit www.mq.edu.au/policy. |
| Accreditation |
This is an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) accredited qualification. |
