Master of Speech Pathology
Play a crucial role in assessing and treating communication and swallowing difficulties at a post graduate level.
Limited availability
Places in this course are limited and entry is competitive. Apply early for the best chance of securing your place.
Course essentials
Entry requirements
Credit
Study mode
Duration
Start dates
01 March 2027
Locations
Gippsland (flexible)
Course overview
Speech pathologists study diagnose and treat communication disorders including difficulties with speech language fluency and voice. You will work with people who have difficulty communicating because of developmental delays stroke brain injuries learning disability intellectual disability cerebral palsy dementia and hearing loss as well as other difficulties that can affect speech and language. People who experience difficulties swallowing food and drink safely can also be helped by a speech pathologist. This degree will develop your knowledge and practical skills in linguistics language and healthcare as well as treatment and management options through coursework clinical practice and complex case studies. Throughout the degree you will also undertake clinical practice placement gaining valuable and relevant workplace experience. Our on campus and blended learning approach through face to face and flexible delivery in Ballarat and Gippsland offer tutorials online engagement activities and practical learning supported by our facilities in Gippsland and our new Health and Sports Precinct in Ballarat. As a Speech Pathologist you may work as a clinician educator researcher policy advisor manager advocate or consultants in a variety of industries including government and non-government organisations education health welfare policy development community-based organisations and private practice.
Speech pathology programs meet the accreditation standards of Speech Pathology Australia.
To view accreditation progress please visit the Speech Pathology Australia website.
IT requirements
To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.
Got questions?
Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.
Student support
The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.
The fine print
The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.
Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.
Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.
School department
Speech Pathology
Course co-ordinator
Courtney Lewis
Career paths
Professional recognition
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fee information
The available fee places for this course are listed below. A limited number of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) may be available. CSP places will be subject to availability and allocated by a competitive process. Your tuition fees will be determined by the place you are offered.
Commonwealth Supported Places are subsidised by the Australian Government. The tuition fee is called the student contribution amount. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. For 0.5 EFTSL (60 credit point) courses the certificate fee is displayed. Your fee will depend on the units you chose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive.
The government sets the fee each year. The amount depends on the discipline area and band of each unit. 2026 annual student contribution amounts for 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) range from $4,738 (Band 1) to $17,399 (Band 4). The sample structure section above links to the EFTSL, Band and fee for each unit or you can use our unit search to find these details.
You may be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan, which can be used to defer payment of all or part of your student contribution.
Domestic full fee-paying placeFull fee-paying places are not subsidised by the Australian Government. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. Your fee will depend on your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive. The amount is based on the course annual fee for 1 EFTSL (120 credit points).
You may be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan, which can be used to defer payment of all or part of your tuition fees.
Other fees
You will also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Scholarships
There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.
Course details
Start dates
Semester 2, 2026
20 July 2026
Locations
Ballarat (flexible)
Gippsland (flexible)
Semester 1, 2027
1 March 2027
Locations
Ballarat (flexible)
Gippsland (flexible)
Information
- Our Mt Helen, SMB, Camp St and Gillies St campuses are located in Ballarat.
- Flexible delivery means you'll be doing some of your classes online and some, like labs, on campus.
Contact hours
Students can choose to study part-time during their first year of study, with second year being undertaken full-time. Find the details of our part-time pathway here.
Flexible learning means your classes are mostly online with either live (synchronous) or recorded (asynchronous) classes depending on the unit, as well as compulsory intensive on campus learning days 1-2 times a semester.
Work integrated learning
This program includes prescribed professional practice placements to ensure students meet entry level to the profession. Students may be required to undertake such placements away from the home (Gippsland / Mt Helen) campus, at their own expense.
(Note: Health professional programs generally involve extensive professional or clinical placements).
Sample course structure
Here’s what the course structure could look like. It’s just an example (so don’t use it for enrolment). Interested in the details? You can find current course structure or select a single unit name below to find out what it’s about and how much it costs.
- Language Acquisition15 credit pointsEDMST6010
- Anatomy and Physiology for Speech Pathology 115 credit pointsHEASP5011
- Clinical Processes in Speech Pathology A15 credit pointsHEASP5014
- Acquired Language and Speech Impairment 115 credit pointsHEASP5015
- English Language Studies B: Phonetics, Phonology and Oral Communication15 credit pointsEDMST6113
- Lifespan Development and Communication15 credit pointsHEASP5022
- Clinical Processes in Speech Pathology B15 credit pointsHEASP5024
- Speech Pathology Clinical Practice 115 credit pointsHEASP5013
- Applied Psycholinguistics15 credit pointsEDMSP6014
- Speech Pathology Development and Impairment15 credit pointsHEASP6012
- Speech Pathology Clinical Practice 215 credit pointsHEASP6023
- Research Project Part A15 credit pointsHEASP6112
- Professional Issues and Practice15 credit pointsHEASP6021
- Complex Case Studies in Speech Pathology15 credit pointsHEASP6024
- Speech Pathology Clinical Practice 315 credit pointsHEASP6033
- Research Project Part B15 credit pointsHEASP6122
Entry requirements
Entry requirements (non year 12)
Successful completion of a Bachelor degree (or equivalent). Relevant work experience is preferable and highly recommended.
Entry into this course is competitive with only a limited number of places available at each campus. The volume of applications received exceed the number of places available and therefore meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an offer. All applicants will be ranked on the basis of past academic performance and relevant work experience.
Students who have completed Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Hons) are ineligible to apply for the Master of Speech Pathology (Graduate Entry) Course.
English language requirements
IELTS minimum score of 8.0 in all components to enter the course and within 2 years prior to applying for registration upon Graduation as Speech Pathologist in Australia.
Extra requirements
Essential requirements for enrolment or graduation:
Immunisation
Compulsory: Prior to commencing clinical placements students are expected to provide evidence of current immunisation status. Full up-to-date immunisations are required. Required vaccinations are as per: Vaccination for Healthcare Workers Vic Dpt Health
Working with children check
Compulsory: Applicants will be required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course. For more information see: http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
Police record check
Compulsory: Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for professional placements as part of this course. For more information see: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/homepage
Immunisations
Compulsory: Prior to commencing clinical placements students are expected to provide evidence of current immunisation status.
NDIS Work Screening Test:
Compulsory: Applications will be required to undertake a NDIS Work Screening Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course.
Mask Fit Testing: Compulsory in some settings: Applicants will be required to complete mask fit testing prior to undertaking professional placements in some settings.
If you’re only applying for this course, do it via direct application.
Ready to fill out your application?
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Direct application
Federation University code
- Direct application
- Yes
- Federation University code
- ST9
Hear from our staff
Hello, my name is Dr Anne Baker and I'm a lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Federation Uni on the Gippsland campus in Churchill. One thing I really love about teaching here is that we have small class sizes so that I get to really know my students and it means I can work with them to work on their personal learning goals and to help support them to become occupational therapists. An interesting thing about studying here is that we have brand new facilities that were developed in 2020 when the program first started, and we have a great teaching space which includes up-to-date equipment and assessment. So students are really getting the most relevant skills. And as they work to become occupational therapists, we also have excellent relationships with our clinical partners. So students get a great range of placement experiences and develop their skills in a range of different areas. A fun fact about me is that I'm also an occupational therapy driver assessor, which means that I can assess, make recommendations about people's fitness to drive. This is typically not an area that people think about when they think about occupational therapy, but occupation is more than just your job, so it includes things like self-care, so things like sharing and dressing, productive occupations, which does include work, and also things like driving, as well as leisure occupations, which are things that people do to occupy their time and their space. So this means as occupational therapists, we work from early on in people's lives, so pretty soon after birth, all the way through to advanced age and conditions that involve dying. We'd love you to come and study occupational therapy with us. We have a really great teaching team here, fantastic resources and I think you'll enjoy the student experience.