Not keen on moving to the big smoke for uni? You don’t have to!
If you’re interested in studying speech pathology and live in regional Australia, you’ll be excited to know you don’t have to leave home to do so.
ACU’s Canberra campus offers a term model for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology, where you study online and only travel into uni to complete intensive blocks of study three times a term.
This is a fantastic way to complete your degree if you want to benefit from a national program and be taught by subject experts while having the option to stay put in your hometown.
Another plus is that you’ll complete placements in rural and regional organisations, gaining exposure to a wide range of clinical experiences. Upon graduation you can then take everything you’ve learnt and work locally (if that’s what you’d like to do!) where your profession and skills are in high demand.
How the term model works
You study two units per term across four terms. These terms are aligned with the ACT and NSW school terms.
On-campus learning is delivered in intensive blocks instead of weekly classes. This happens three times a term for two to four days at a time. These are spread out across the term and could take place in weeks two, five and eight, for example.
Here’s a look at the four terms for the Bachelor of Speech Pathology in Canberra:
Term 1
- SPHY101 Introduction to Speech Pathology Practice
- HLSC120 Indigenous Health and Culture
On campus: Week 2, 5 and 8 (Wednesday to Friday)
Term 2
- SPHY103 Linguistics and Phonetics for Speech Pathology
- ALHT106 Psychology for Allied Health
On campus: Week 2, 5 and 8 (Wednesday to Friday)
Term 3
- SPHY100 Communication & Development Across the Lifespan
- Core Curriculum Unit
On campus: Week 2, 4 and 8 (Wednesday to Friday)
Term 4
- SPHY102 Anatomy and Physiology for Speech Pathology
- SPHY105 Foundations of Speech Pathology Practice
On campus: Week 2, 4 and 8 (Wednesday to Friday)
Student stories – what it’s like to study this way
Eloise McMiles and Cecil Wahba are both second-year Bachelor of Speech Pathology students at ACU Canberra. They love the study-life balance the combination of on-campus intensives and online term-based subjects gives them.
Eloise started the degree at ACU’s Brisbane campus but wanted to move back home to Orange in NSW to be close to her family. Transferring to the Canberra campus enabled her to study through the term model.
“I found doing that first year as semesters, studying four units at once, overwhelming at times,” Eloise says. “Doing two units per term is really helpful in actually being able to digest the course material.”
Three times a term she drives the three hours from Orange to Canberra for the intensives.
“We’re basically there from 9:00am ‘til 5:00pm, three to four days a week,” explains Eloise. Although they are big days, Eloise enjoys her time on campus, then going home to structure her online learning around work.
Cecil, who lives in Wagga, feels the same. “After the intensives, you get to work through the online content at your own rate and it’s completely up to you how you do it,” she says.
Originally choosing the term model to avoid moving to Sydney or Melbourne for uni, Cecil really values how supportive ACU is of its students. “I feel like ACU is really inclusive and welcoming,” she says. “At the Canberra campus, you’re not just a number. You’re really cared for and people want to help you.”
If this mode of study sounds like the perfect fit for you, Cecil believes you’ll really like the flexibility it brings.
“I like that you’re able to work and do your personal commitments while also studying full-time to get a tertiary education.”
Find out more
Learn more about the Bachelor of Speech Pathology on ACU’s allied health page.
This article was brought to you in partnership with ACU.
