BREAKDOWN OF COURSES
| FIRST YEAR |
Common courses for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students: Semester 1: Semester 2: Course for Audiology students: Course for Speech-Language Pathology students: |
| SECOND YEAR |
Common courses for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students: PSY2006F Research in Psychology 1 Courses for Speech-Language Pathology students: Courses for Audiology students: |
| THIRD YEAR |
Common courses for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students: Courses for Speech-Language Pathology students: Courses for Audiology students: In their third year, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students undertake a unique rural residential placement, spending one to two weeks living and working in an under-resourced rural community. Supervised by a Division clinical educator, students provide essential Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology services while gaining valuable first-hand experience of community-based healthcare. Working in close partnership with community members, students conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and develop responsive, contextually relevant services. They learn to navigate the realities of delivering healthcare in resource-constrained settings, often across diverse languages and cultures, strengthening their clinical, cultural and problem-solving skills. Placement activities vary according to community needs. Audiology students may establish hearing screening programmes and train educators to recognise the signs of hearing loss, while Speech-Language Pathology students may facilitate workshops for parents and caregivers on supporting early language development, as well as establish support groups for adults living with communication disorders. These placements foster social accountability, inter-professional collaboration and a commitment to equitable healthcare. |
| FOURTH YEAR |
Common courses for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students: Courses for Speech-Language Pathology students: Courses for Audiology students: |
CLINICS
Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists work with children and adults across a wide range of healthcare, education and community settings. At the University of Cape Town, clinical education is a cornerstone of both programmes, ensuring students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
While classroom-based learning provides a strong theoretical foundation, students begin gaining practical experience from their first year of study. Initially, they observe clinical practice and engage with typically developing children to build an understanding of communication and hearing across the lifespan.
Clinical training becomes more structured in the second year, with students providing services in community clinics, schools and other healthcare settings under the supervision of experienced Clinical Educators in either Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology.
In third year, students take on greater clinical responsibilities as they apply their expanding academic knowledge to increasingly complex cases across a variety of settings. By fourth year, students spend four days each week on clinical placement, working in diverse healthcare and community environments to ensure they graduate with the competence, professionalism and clinical expertise expected of entry-level practitioners.
Vanguard Student Learning Centre
The Vanguard Student Learning Centre (VSLC), located at Vanguard Community Health Centre (VCHC) in Bonteheuwel, is one of the University of Cape Town's key clinical training sites for Health Sciences students. Serving the Bonteheuwel and Langa communities, the centre provides a range of healthcare services through a multidisciplinary team that includes Medicine, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
The VSLC offers students an immersive clinical learning experience, preparing them for community-based, collaborative healthcare. Under the supervision of experienced Clinical Educators, UCT Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students are actively involved in delivering services to the local community while developing the clinical skills required for professional practice.
Audiology Services
Audiology students provide a broad range of services, including:
- Adult and paediatric diagnostic hearing assessments
- Adult hearing aid fittings and follow-up care
- Neonatal hearing screening
- Hearing health promotion and education
- Monitoring the hearing status of patients receiving tuberculosis (TB) treatment
- Community outreach projects that promote hearing health, address local needs and empower community members
Speech-Language Pathology Services
Speech-Language Pathology students assess and manage children and adults with communication and swallowing disorders. Working under supervision, they provide evidence-based intervention while responding to the specific needs of the community.
In addition to individual clinical services, students develop and implement community projects that promote communication health. These initiatives may include educational workshops on topics such as stuttering, caregiver training, or support groups for families and carers of individuals living with communication or swallowing disorders following stroke or other neurological conditions.
This community-based training model enables students to integrate theory with practice while contributing to accessible, person-centred healthcare in underserved communities.
SHAWCO Health Services
SHAWCO (Students' Health and Welfare Centres Organisation) is one of the University of Cape Town's oldest and largest student-led organisations, dedicated to improving access to healthcare and education for underserved communities across the Cape Metropolitan area. Founded in 1943 by medical student Andrew Kinnear, SHAWCO has grown into a vibrant non-profit organisation with more than 1,200 student volunteers delivering health and education programmes through multiple community sites.
For students in the Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders, SHAWCO provides a valuable opportunity to apply their clinical knowledge while serving communities with limited access to rehabilitation services. Working alongside students from other Health Sciences disciplines, they contribute to a holistic, multidisciplinary model of community-based care.
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology services are offered through SHAWCO clinics under the supervision of qualified clinicians. Students gain experience in assessing and managing communication, hearing and swallowing disorders, while working collaboratively with Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and other healthcare professionals to provide person-centred care.
Participation in SHAWCO strengthens students' clinical competence, leadership skills and social accountability, while reinforcing the Division's commitment to equitable healthcare and meaningful community engagement.
To learn more about SHAWCO and its programmes, visit the SHAWCO website.