University Programs
Speech Pathology Australia (the Association) is recognised by the Federal Government of Australia, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, as well as the National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP) as the professional body which represents speech pathologists in Australia.
Impact of COVID-19 on University Accreditation processes and status
Many universities, students and associated stakeholders may currently be seeking some guidance or direction from Speech Pathology Australia (the Association) regarding the impact on the accreditation status for Universities.
On a national level, a significant amount of organisations are preparing or enacting contingency plans in response to COVID19. As the situation is rapidly changing at a national, state and local level it is premature for the Association to make specific recommendations for all higher education providers regarding accreditation.
The Association understand the concern for staff and students and the impact on workload developing and managing contingencies during this period of time. The Association is currently not in a position to approve suggested changes for each university as they are enacted or arise, as the future is uncertain about the range of changes a university may need to adopt.
It is anticipated universities will need to report on changes in the curriculum enacted in response to COVID19 however the mechanism to do this at this stage is still to be determined. To better inform our position the Association will be seeking guidance from the government and other accrediting authorities regarding this issue.
Any specific updates with respect to changes in University Accreditation processes and status will be communicated directly to University Heads of Program and made available on this web page as relevant. At this stage, the information provided on this web page is current. Any queries can be directed to the Association’s Manager, Professional Standards.
Current university programs
The Australian university programs currently offering speech pathology degrees are listed below, including their accreditation classification and the term of current accreditation.
Accreditation will automatically lapse at the end of the determined period based on the accreditation classification awarded. For Full Accreditation, this is at the end of a five-year term and for Provisional, at the end of up to two years. Conditional accreditation is case dependent.
In the year prior to the end of the accredited term, universities typically seek re-accreditation. This requires the university to submit documentation for review by a Speech Pathology Australia Accreditation Panel. The Panel will also conduct a site visit at the university. This process enables the Panel to determine if a further period of accreditation will be recommended.
The process of re-accreditation takes several months. For this reason, Speech Pathology Australia and universities undergoing re-accreditation, must adhere to strict accreditation cycle timelines. These timelines enable students from eligible university programs to apply for membership to Speech Pathology Australia upon graduation.
Further information about University Accreditation, the Accreditation Process, and Accreditation Fees is available on separate pages of this website:
Watch a video (or listen to the audio-only) that provides details for prospective students regarding the accreditation process and what the various classifications mean. The video addresses some of the frequently asked questions related to university accreditations and their associated classification outcomes.
Table 1 below provides information on the university courses current accreditation classification.
Table 1: University programs current accreditation classification (NB. information regarding individual programs should be sought from the relevant university)