Key details
Duration
Locations
Entry requirements
View full entry requirementsCredit points required
320Course code
Overview
The Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech Pathology is a four-year program that will qualify you to work as a speech pathologist within the Australian healthcare system.
You can study online but will need to complete intensive on-campus residentials which provide you with the opportunity to develop and practise your clinical skills under the guidance of your lecturers, before attending external clinical placements. Students will also complete three practice education placements in community settings during the last two semesters of their study.
On graduating, you will be equipped to work in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, aged care facilities, community health clinics, schools and/or disability organisations. You'll be ready to work and advocate for optimisation of communication and swallowing across the lifespan.
First Nations students are highly encouraged to apply. CDU's First Nations Student Support team are on hand to support you through your degree.
This course welcomes international students with dedicated international student academic support services.
Career opportunities
Graduating from this course may lead to career opportunities in areas such as hospitals, community health centres, residential and age care facilities, disability services, paediatric facilities, mental health facilities, education facilities, universities and research facilities, juvenile justice centres, and private clinics.
Practical experience
To complete the Master of Speech Pathology students are required to complete on-campus residential schools in Darwin (NT), and community-based practice education placements. Together these contribute to a developmental trajectory of practical learning and practice education experiences across the course, including approximately 640 placement hours. Residential school and placement experiences support students to develop the skills, knowledge, attributes, and competencies required to reach readiness to enter the profession of speech pathology.
In the first year of the program students are required to attend five consecutive days of residential school each semester. In second year, students attend two consecutive five-day residential schools (10-days total), and a practice education placement (20 days). Students will go on to complete two community-based practice education placements (a total of 60 days) in their final semester of study. Students with a part-time study plan should discuss how these requirements fit into their program of study. Students should be aware that practice education placements may be scheduled throughout the year and may not be confined to semester dates. Practice education placement dates are based on the availability of external host organisations.
Students are required to self-fund attendance at residential schools and practice education placements, including covering any costs associated with travel and accommodation. Reasonable travel for community-based practice education placements is an expectation within the speech pathology course. This may include travel or relocation for 5-8 weeks for one placement block in a regional or remote location. Options to apply for funding to assist with covering these costs are available through CDU Scholarship and Faculty of Health Placements Central. First Nations students are able to access the away from base funding through CDU if their attendance at the residential school or placement meets the eligibility requirements.
Professional recognition
The Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech Pathology is accredited by Speech Pathology Australia. Graduates of this course are eligible to apply for membership with Speech Pathology Australia.
Credit transfers and advanced standing
Pathways
Pathways for VET to Higher Education
Credit transfer arrangements are available to students commencing a bachelor degree at Charles Darwin University with completed Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree qualifications in the same field or discipline, subject to meeting criteria. Students who hold completed qualifications should refer to the additional information provided about Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer and Pathways using the links below:
Pathways for Higher Education to Higher Education
For information about credit transfer available to students with complete or incomplete study at this or other Institutions refer to Pathways for Higher Education to Higher Education
Credit transfer
For further information on credit transfer and how to apply visit ASK CDU
Credit transfers and advanced standing
Credit transfer
For further information on credit transfer and how to apply visit ASK CDU
Fees
Commonwealth supported places
Commonwealth Supported places are available in this course to students who meet one of the following residency requirements:
(a) be an Australian citizen, who will complete some of your course of study while resident in Australia; or
(b) a New Zealand citizen; or an Australian permanent visa holder; or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder; who studies the entire course while living in Australia.
Further information about fees and charges can be found at Fees and Payments.
International tuition fees
The annual tuition fee for full time study in 2026 is AUD $35,584.00. This equates to $ $4,448.00 per 10 credit point unit (0.125 EFTSL).
These fees are subject to increases annually, effective at the start of each calendar year.
You can find a list of International fees and payments you can expect to pay as part of your studies in Australia.
CDU offers a number of scholarships to international students to assist with the cost of study.
Why study a health course at CDU?
As an increasingly in-demand industry, there's never been a better time to find a career in healthcare. Become a qualified health professional with CDU's wide range of courses and gain the skills and knowledge to make an impact on the wellbeing of your community.
- Five-star Australian university for graduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
- Choose to study online, on campus, part-time or full-time as it suits you
- Placements and research opportunities in the NT, across Australia, and around the world
- Uniquely positioned to explore Indigenous health, tropical medicine and other issues of regional and national importance
Why study a health course at CDU?
As an increasingly in-demand industry, there's never been a better time to find a career in healthcare. Become a qualified health professional with CDU's wide range of courses and gain the skills and knowledge to make an impact on the wellbeing of your community.
- Five-star Australian university for graduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
- Placements and research opportunities in the NT, across Australia, and around the world
- Uniquely positioned to explore Indigenous and Asia-Pacific health, tropical medicine and other issues of international importance
Why study a health course at CDU?
As an increasingly in-demand industry, there's never been a better time to find a career in healthcare. Become a qualified health professional with CDU's wide range of courses and gain the skills and knowledge to make an impact on the wellbeing of your community.
- Five-star Australian university for graduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
- Choose to study online, on campus, part-time or full-time as it suits you
- Placements and research opportunities in the NT, across Australia, and around the world
- Uniquely positioned to explore Indigenous health, tropical medicine and other issues of regional and national importance
Why study a health course at CDU?
As an increasingly in-demand industry, there's never been a better time to find a career in healthcare. Become a qualified health professional with CDU's wide range of courses and gain the skills and knowledge to make an impact on the wellbeing of your community.
- Five-star Australian university for graduate employment outcomes (GUG 2024)
- Placements and research opportunities in the NT, across Australia, and around the world
- Uniquely positioned to explore Indigenous and Asia-Pacific health, tropical medicine and other issues of international importance
What will I study?
The course is undertaken online, with intensive on-campus residential schools and practice education placements to support clinical learning. There are unique placement opportunities in the Northern Territory's local, rural and remote areas.
Course structure
A candidate must successfully complete units totalling 320 credit points (cp) as detailed below. All units are valued at 10 credit points unless otherwise indicated.
| Unit type | Credit Points | Specific requirements |
| Bachelor of Health Science Core Units (14 units) | 140cp | Compulsory Core units totalling 140 credit points as detailed below. SBI161 Anatomy and Physiology 1 |
| Bachelor of Health Science Specialist Elective Units (4 units) | 40cp | Specialist Elective units totalling 40 credit points selected from the list of units below. Complete the 2 units below AND Complete 2 units from the following list |
| Master of Speech and Pathology Core Units (13 units) | 140cp | Compulsory Core units totalling 140 credit points as detailed below. PHM527^ Research, Ethics and Impact ^ Students completing a double degree (Bachelor/Master) and who need to undertake units at 500 level or above must enrol via manual enrolment. See Special enrolment, accessed via eForms through the CDU Portal |
| 320cp | Total Credit Points |
Course Rules (unless otherwise indicated in the above course structure)
- See the Higher Education Course Rules (Award Requirements) in the Units and Courses Policy.
# Residential School: Students are required to attend a 5 day on-campus residential school as a part of this unit.
## Work Integrated Learning: Students are required to attend the practice education placements as allocated by CDU Placement Office.
Study plan
STUDENTS COMMENCING IN SEMESTER 1
The Recommended Study Plan provided below is suitable for a student enrolling in a full-time study load. Students entering this course with advanced standing, or wishing to vary their study plan due to work, personal, financial or other reasons should use the table as a guide to create an individual study plan.
When designing an individual study plan:
- maintain the basic order in which units are to be attempted; and
- check the assumed knowledge, pre-requisite and co-requisite requirements of all units.
| Legend: | CO = Core Unit | SE = Specialist Elective |
Part-Time Study Plan
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | ||
| Year 1 | |||
| SBI161 Anatomy and Physiology 1 | CO | SBI162 Anatomy and Physiology 2 | CO |
| HSC132 Introduction to Health Promotion | CO | SWK102 Communication Skills | CO |
| PSY150 Introduction to Psychology A | CO | HSC111 Ethics in Health Care | CO |
| HSC121 Australia's Healthcare System and Policies | CO | HSC133 Perspectives of First Nations Health (title change 2026) | CO |
| Year 2 | |||
| HSC233 Epidemiology and Statistics | CO | HSC204 Chronic Conditions Management | CO |
| PHM301 Exploring Public Health | CO | HSC318 Rural and remote Health | CO |
| Specialist Elective | SE | HSC220 Society, Culture and Health: A Sociological Introduction | CO |
| Specialist Elective | SE | NUR256 Research and Evidence Based Practice | SE |
| Year 3 | |||
| SLT501 Foundations of Communication Analysis | CO | SLT502 Principles of Dysphagia | CO |
| SLT503 Working as a Speech Pathologist # | CO | SLT505 Acquired Language Disorders # | CO |
| SLT504 Early Childhood Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders | CO | SLT506 Fluency and Voice | CO |
| SLT311 Communication Across the Lifespan | SE | SLT300 Communication, Culture and Context | SE |
| Year 4 | |||
| SLT508 Diversity in Communication | CO | PHM527 Research, Ethics and Impact | CO |
| SLT507Motor Speech for Children and Adults # | CO | SLT522 Speech Pathology in Professional Practice 2 ## | SE |
| SLT521 Speech Pathology in Professional Practice 1 ## | CO | SLT603 Speech Pathology in Professional Practice 3 (20cp) ## | CO |
| SLT510 Working with School Aged Children and Special Needs # | CO | ||
# Residential School: Students are required to attend a 5 day on-campus residential school as a part of this unit.
## Work Integrated Learning: Students are required to attend the practice education placements as allocated by CDU Placement Office.
_____________________________________
STUDENTS COMMENCING IN SEMESTER 2
This course is not available for Semester 2 commencement.
Entry requirements
Quota
The Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech Pathology is a highly competitive course with a limited number of places. This means that although you may meet the minimum entry requirement for the course, you may not be ranked high enough to receive an offer. Subquotas are in place for First Nations and NT Resident applicants.
Admission criteria
Admission requirements are met by one of the following:
- Successful completion of the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (or equivalent) and the awarding of an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of at least 70*.
- Successful completion of a national qualification at Certificate IV level or higher.
- Successful completion of at least 0.5 year of full-time study (or equivalent) of a higher education degree/diploma with a GPA of at least 5.
- Overseas secondary or tertiary qualifications considered equivalent to the above Australian qualifications.
- Attainment of a STAT Multiple Choice score of 147.
- Successful completion of the Tertiary Enabling Program or the Preparation for Tertiary Success courses or a recognised enabling course of at least 12 months duration.
* After any applicable adjustment factors have been applied.
International entry pathway
International applicants who have completed the CDU Foundation Studies Program and achieved a minimum mark of 65% in the Foundation English units A and B are eligible to apply.
Essential requirements
If you are undertaking a course with clinical or fieldwork placements you must demonstrate compliance with the following checks and requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct documentation is obtained prior to commencing clinical/fieldwork placements. A national and/or international police check and a current Working with Children check is required regarding suitability to undertake clinical/fieldwork placements.
The majority of health facilities will require you to present a complete immunisation schedule, and First Aid certificate as you progress to placements in your Master of Speech Pathology.
English language requirements
DOMESTIC STUDENTS
To gain entry into Charles Darwin University, all Higher Education applicants must satisfy the University's English Language Proficiency Requirements for their chosen course of study. All applicants will be required to supply evidence of this at the time of application.
The minimum English language requirement for this course can be met by evidencing of one of the following:
| Year 12 | Successful completion of Year 12 within Australia, or an equivalent qualification from an approved country where English is the official language (refer to our approved standard and extended lists included below). |
| 0.5 FTE Higher Education Study | Successful completion of at least 0.5FTE of higher education study from Australia or an approved country where English is the official language (refer to our approved standard and extended lists included below). If studies were completed from a country on the extended list, they must have been completed within the past five (5) years. |
| CDU Enabling Course | Successful completion of a Charles Darwin University enabling program of at least 0.5FTE (40 credit points). |
| TAFE Qualification | Successful completion of a recognised TAFE qualification at a Certificate III level or higher from Australia. |
| AHPRA Registration | Current AHPRA registration as a Division 1 or Division 2 nurse. Registration must be current at the time of course commencement. |
| English Test^ | Completion of an approved English test within two years of commencement, meeting the minimum scores outlined in the table below. |
^ Minimum Requirements for English Tests:
| Postgraduate requirements | Undergraduate requirements | |
| CDU ELICOS - English for Academic Purposes | Successful completion of EAP004 | Successful completion of EAP003 |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test | Overall minimum: 6.5 No band below: 6.0 | Overall minimum: 6.0 No band below 6.0 |
| Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) | Overall minimum: 176 No skill below: 169 | Overall minimum: 169 No skill below 169 |
| Pearson Tests of English (PTE) Academic | Overall minimum: 58 No score below 50 | Overall minimum: 50 No score below: 50 |
| Test of English as a Foreign language | Overall minimum: 79 Minimum writing score: 21 | Overall minimum: 60 Minimum writing score: 21 |
IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted, allowing candidates to retake a single skill within 60 days of sitting their initial test. One Skill Retake results are valid for two years from the date of the first test (not from the date of the Retake test) to the date of commencement at CDU.
CDU accepts combined results from two test sittings of IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, or TOEFL, taken within a six-month period, if:
- Both tests were under the same testing system; and
- The overall score in both tests meets the overall minimum; and
- The applicant achieved the section minimum for each section in at least one test.
Recognised English-speaking countries:
| Standard List | Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America. |
| Extended List | Bermuda, Botswana, Cayman Islands, Ethiopia, Fiji, Kenya, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Seychelles, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe. |
For further details on the English requirements for CDU courses, please refer to the CDU English Language Proficiency Policy.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
To gain entry into Charles Darwin University, all Higher Education applicants must satisfy the University's English Language Proficiency Requirements for their chosen course of study.
The minimum English language requirement for this course is met by undertaking one of the following English language tests and obtaining the minimum requirements listed below.
| IELTS Academic Module | A minimum overall score of 8.0 with no score below 8.0 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. |
| Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) | Test not accepted for this course. |
| Common European Framework Certificate of English Proficiency | Test not accepted for this course. |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic module | A minimum overall score of 82 with no score less than 82 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. |
| TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) | A minimum overall score of 110 with a minimum score of 29 in reading, 28 in listening, 30 in writing, and 26 in speaking. |
* All tests are valid for two years from the date of the test to the date of commencement at CDU, unless otherwise specified.
* Where applicable, international applicants must also satisfy the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) English language requirements for student visa applications.
Do you have a question regarding English requirements at CDU? Please email: international@cdu.edu.au.
ATAR profile
There are no statistics available for this course. It may be that the course is new or the profile data is unavailable.
I've had the unique opportunity to explore tropical and rural health, which I may not have had the exposure to had I studied elsewhere.
Katie
CDU student
My advice for anyone who is considering studying a health or science degree at CDU is if you are thinking about it, just do it.
Nishat
CDU student
I've had the unique opportunity to explore tropical and rural health, which I may not have had the exposure to had I studied elsewhere.
Katie
CDU student
My advice for anyone who is considering studying a health or science degree at CDU is if you are thinking about it, just do it.
Nishat
CDU student
Course details
Inherent Requirements
There are inherent requirements for this course. Students must read and understand the requirements for this course.
Australian qualification framework
This course is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9.
Student profile
There are no statistics available for this course. It may be that the course is new or the profile data is unavailable.
Additional information
Contact details
For further information about the course, enrolment procedures, closing dates and other administrative issues please contact Student Central on:
You make CDU
Together we are a positive force for change in our communities and the world.
You make CDU
Our students choose to study with us because we share the same vision – to make a positive change. Whatever your motivation is, we can guide you in the right direction.
You make CDU
Together we are a positive force for change in our communities and the world.
You make CDU
Our students choose to study with us because we share the same vision – to make a positive change. Whatever your motivation is, we can guide you in the right direction.
How to apply
There are many ways to apply to CDU. The method you use depends on your course type, where you live and whether you are a new or returning student to CDU.
Remember to apply early for your best chance at securing an offer to study with us.
SATAC
SATAC is the application channel for residents of NT, ACT, SA, WA, QLD, VIC, NSW or TAS.
International applications
Applications must be submitted online through our application portal, Studylink. You'll need a valid email address to create your online account. Once you have started your application, you will be able to save it and resume it later. There is no application fee when you apply online.
You may be able to lodge a direct application; however, there may be restrictions on your geographic location. If you cannot submit a direct application via the application portal, please apply through one of our registered agents.
Apply through StudyLink or through an Agent.
International applicants currently studying year 12 in Australia should apply via SATAC.
If you do not meet any of the criteria above please visit Pathways to study to view the options available to you.
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