Healthcare Science (Audiology)

At DMU, you will study anatomy and pathophysiology of the ear, how to test a babies hearing, managing someone with dizziness and how to best help adults with hearing loss. These practical skills sit alongside a strong scientific foundation, such as research and the properties of sound, all of which are strengthened by a mandatory clinical placement.

Our course utilises a 6-week block-teaching model, in which you will learn one content area at a time. This means the knowledge and skills you learn with us help you to become the best practitioner you can be, whether an audiologist, hearing aid dispenser, in further study or research, putting the patient at the heart of everything you do.

Our graduates progress to work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, private practices, research groups and the education sector. They frequently practice alongside multi-disciplinary teams, including doctors, psychologists and other healthcare staff.

Key features

• Our course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the National School of Healthcare Science; this means that our graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Academy of Healthcare Science and the Health and Care Professions Council.

• You’ll use four dedicated and specially designed clinical teaching spaces, equipped with the latest technology and training and teaching aids.

• You’ll learn with and from an experienced teaching, research and support team, alongside external industry, those with lived experience, and clinical experts.

• You’ll study one topic area at a time, each for six weeks (block teaching model); this means you can focus your learning in that area, maximising your understanding of one aspect before progressing to the next.

• Assessment styles will vary across the programme: practical exams, problem-based learning, case studies, presentations, written exams, written pieces and placement.

• Your mandatory 30 weeks work placement spans from spring in year 2 until autumn of year 3- this includes the summer period.

• Your work placement enables you to put theory into practice and build the skills that graduate employers are looking for, which leads to a high proportion of our students gaining job offers prior to graduation.

• Our students have benefitted from international experiences through our DMU Global programme, which allows students to utilise skills around the world. Previous activities have included student connections with universities in Poland and Belgium, supporting and managing clinics in under-served communities in India, performing hearing screening at the Special Olympics and attending international conferences such as the ‘World Congress in Audiology’ held in Canada and South Africa.

FIRST YEAR:

Introduction to Audiology
Sound, Hearing and Hearing Development
Introduction to Aural Rehabilitation and Therapy
Clinical Audiology 1

SECOND YEAR:

People and Data
Diagnostic Audiology- objective testing and balance
Clinical Audiology 2
Placement and Professional Practice 1

THIRD YEAR:

Placement and Professional Practice 2
Advanced Audiovestibular Assessment and Management
Advanced Rehabiliation, Paediatric Assessment and Management
Enquiry-based Project

Teaching sessions include:

Formal and interactive lectures
Staff and student seminars
Tutorial discussions
Practical and clinical based workshops
Inter-professional (IP) learning with students from other healthcare professions
Problem based learning
Assessment Methods includes:

Written exams
Coursework (essays, posters, wikis)
Presentations
Dissertation
Practical and clinically-based assessment activities
Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week varies from year to year. However, typically you will have up to 15 contact hours of teaching, as well as time spent on placement or in practical sessions and this will break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: approx. 1 hour of tutorials (or later, project supervision) each week

Medium group teaching: approx. 10 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week.

Large group teaching: approx. 10 hours of lectures each week

Personal study: 25 hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using hand-outs, online activities, etc.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Health and Care Professions Council