Healthcare Science (Audiology)

UCAS code: B611

Here's what Aston University, Birmingham says about its Healthcare Science (Audiology) course.

Course overview

Our three-year BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Audiology) course with integrated clinical learning throughout, will provide you with the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience required to start an exciting and rewarding career as an audiologist. Once qualified, you’ll have the opportunity to work to positively impact people’s lives, from education to the workplace, helping them make the most of their family and social lives. Healthcare scientists in audiology work in hospitals and health clinics, assessing people’s hearing and balance, and managing conditions such as hearing loss, tinnitus and balance disorders. They deal with people from all walks of life and all ages, from newborn babies to elderly people and work in multidisciplinary teams liaising with medical, education, and research professionals to provide the best care for patients. Enjoying interaction with people and having excellent communication skills are essential.

You will study healthcare science, audiology, clinical practice and research methods. In addition, you’ll get to put your knowledge and skills into practice by completing work-based learning in a variety of integrated clinical placements. You will develop crucial skills by completing clinical role-play sessions, you’ll learn and practice these newly acquired skills in our state-of-the-art clinical skills laboratory, which is equipped with the latest clinical equipment. In addition, you will gain hands-on experience by encountering real patients throughout the course during your integrated clinical placements and at our on-campus audiology clinics.

We place a strong focus on preparing you for your future career, which is why we provide you with lots of opportunities such as our annual inspirational careers event where you will get to mix with audiology students from all over the UK and network with professionals from a wide variety of audiology backgrounds. As part of the NHS Practitioner Training Programme in Neurosensory Sciences, our audiology course will provide you with the skills and qualifications required to work in the NHS as a healthcare scientist or audiologist, or as a hearing aid dispenser in the commercial sector. Our graduates enter a variety of careers in hospitals, community-based practice, audiological and neurosciences research, or other roles dedicated to improving hearing problems, and some undertake postgraduate courses.

Key course benefits:

• Our BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Audiology) is recognised by the industry and designed to formally meet the requirements of the audiology profession. It is accredited by the Academy of Healthcare Science.

• Benefit from specialist facilities, all of which are on campus, including a clinical skills laboratory equipped with the latest audiology equipment.

• Develop experience working with a wide range of real-life patients in clinical settings. We work with Specsavers to run patient clinics on campus as part of our Audiology Suite. This facility and partnership mean you will be able to gain live patient experiences throughout your time at Aston University and start developing your clinical skills and patient care from day one.

Year 1 You’ll be introduced to a range of basic sciences related to healthcare, clinical procedures such as hearing tests, the skills needed to work with and manage patients and complete your first clinical placements. Modules: Healthcare Study Skills, Communication and Clinical Skills 1, Introduction to Healthcare and Professional Practice, Sensory Sciences, and Auditory Sciences.

Year 2 Learn more about hearing science and clinical audiology including hearing assessment and management of hearing loss, be introduced to speech and development, and develop your clinical skills further with more time in clinical placements. Modules: Psychoacoustics and Speech, Diagnostic Audiology, Communication and Clinical Skills 2, Research Methods, Auditory Management and Devices, and Auditory Rehabilitation.

Year 3 Study specialist clinical areas of audiology like balance assessment, research a chosen area of audiology in your dissertation and prepare for your future career by putting your theoretical learning and clinical skills into practice in your final year placement. Modules: Dissertation, Paediatric Audiology Foundations, Vestibular Foundations, Advanced Audiology Investigation and Rehabilitation, Communication and Clinical Skills 3

As an audiology student at Aston University, you’ll be studying under our experienced audiology teaching and support team, who come from a variety of NHS, independent sector and research backgrounds.

You’ll encounter a wide range of teaching approaches; from lectures and seminars to group work and problem-based learning. As you’d expect from a hands-on course like ours, you’ll be spending time in our impressive facilities learning and developing your clinical skills, which you’ll then get the opportunity to put into practice when on supervised clinical placements.

Each year of study is worth 120 credits, with each credit equivalent to 10 learning hours. The learning hours may include but are not limited to lectures, seminars, tutorials, lab sessions, practicals, online activity, reading, other independent study, reflecting on assignment feedback, field trips and work placements.

Assessments are varied and include exams, essay writing, practical work, report writing, seminars and presentations.