Healthcare Science (Audiology) BSc (Hons)

This course develops you as an independent clinician and your ability to assess and rehabilitate people with hearing and balance conditions.

Overview
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Clinical placement and careers
More about your DMU
Contact us

Overview

Watch: Sara Coulson, Associate Professor and Programme Lead in Healthcare Science (Audiology) speak about what Audiology at DMU has to offer.

Audiology is a rapidly expanding field, requiring practitioners to apply their specialist knowledge to assess, manage and rehabilitate people of all ages with hearing and balance problems and associated disorders.

Qualified professionals can expect to find work in a variety of settings – such as hospitals, private practices, research groups and the education sector – often working in multi-disciplinary teams and liaising with teachers, psychologists and other healthcare staff.

Our work placements and work-based learning opportunities mean that you’ll be developing these collaborative professional skills throughout your degree course.

At DMU, you’ll study a range of topics including professional healthcare science, neurosensory physiology and pathophysiology, medical sciences and paediatric audiology.

Key features

100% of our summer 2017 graduates from this course are in work or further study (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education 2016-17) compared to a sector average of 94.6%.
As this course is accredited by the National School of Healthcare Science and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council, you’ll be eligible to work as an audiologist for the NHS and across the private sector as a hearing aid dispenser.
Career opportunities are varied and as well as the prospect of working for the NHS and the private sector, graduates can also progress into roles with hearing aid and audiology manufacturers across the UK and overseas.
Our teaching is delivered by expert academics and practitioners, including Wendy Stevens, who has previously won the Audiologist of the Year award from the British Academy of Audiology.
Integrated work placements throughout your studies will enable you to put theory into practice and build the skills and confidence that employers seek.
Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our #DMUglobal programme, which has seen our students provide hearing tests in India and at the Special Olympics in Belgium.

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UK/EU
International

Key facts for UK/EU students

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: B61A

Duration: Three years full-time

Start date: September 2020

Location: De Montfort University, Leicester UK

Fees and funding: For 2020/21 tuition fees will be £9,250

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

This programme is not currently available to international students

Entry criteria

A minimum of 128 points from at least two A-levels with a science subject at grade B or above (Psychology, Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Maths / Further Maths), or
BTEC National Diploma in Science at DDM, or
BTEC Extended Diploma in Science at DDM, or
International Baccalaureate: 30+ with six higher level points in a science subject, or
Pass QAA Accredited AHE with at least 45 level 3 credits at distinction. English and Maths GCSE at grade C/4 or above are required as separate qualifications.

Plus, five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including Maths and English Language

Interview: We may require to interview you for consideration on this course.

Work experience: Not essential, but to strengthen your application, experience with working directly with the public is positive.

You must complete an occupational health check, declaration form and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service application form before starting the course, which needs to be cleared in accordance with DMU's admission policy.

As soon as you register with any health professional course you have to ensure that patient safety and welfare are central to anything that you do. Hence you need to be aware that the university has ‘Fitness to practice’ regulations that are in line with our course accreditation. This means that you have to abide by these regulations when you enrol on the course, please refer to the HCPC ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’.

You need to inform the university if you have any additional support requirements for the placement component of the course such as a disability (in particular related to communication), medical condition or a mental health issue. This will then enable us to ensure that you are able to fully engage with the learning experience of the placement. If you have any concerns regarding this then you should seek advice before applying, as our placement providers may not be able to support you and hence the university may not be able to find a suitable placement for you.

Personal statement selection criteria

Clear communication skills, including good grammar and spelling
Information relevant to the course applied for
Interest in the course demonstrated with explanation and evidence
If relevant for the course - work and life experience

English language requirements:

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 7 or equivalent (with no component below 6.5) when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Please visit dmu.ac.uk/international for more information.

UCAS Tariff changes

Students applying for courses starting in September 2019 will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Structure and assessment

First Year

Professional Healthcare Science Practice 1
Medical Sciences
Scientific Basis of Healthcare Science
Physics for Clinical Measurement
Neurosensory Physiology and Pathophysiology
Clinical Measurement and Treatment and Work-based Learning

Second Year

Auditory Science 1
Professional Healthcare Science Practice 2
Adult Aural Rehabilitation
Applied Physiological Measurement and Instrumentation
Research Methods
Clinical Practice Year 2

Third Year

Clinical Practice Year 3
Professional Healthcare Science Practice 3
Auditory Science 2
Paediatric Audiology
Balance Science
Final Year Project

Click here for more detailed module information

Note: All modules are subject to change in order to keep content current

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

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 vary 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.

The teaching staff have a range of backgrounds and specialist areas. There is a combination of staff with strong clinical and academic backgrounds. Invited guest lecturers are used, as well as current clinical practitioners.

One of the strengths of the team is their diversity and this has made students feel able to approach staff for help and relate better with their tutors.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Students are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct published by HCPC, and ensure they are fit to practise.

Facilities and features

Hawthorn Building

Substantial investment in Health and Life Sciences has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you apply your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

We have three dedicated audiological teaching suites to enhance your learning – a diagnostic and paediatric suite, a rehabilitation suite and a balance suite – and purpose-built clinical skills areas to allow you to learn using the latest equipment and in a safe environment.

Students can use the facilities to develop their clinical skills during non-teaching times, and all our laboratories have versatile audio video equipment, while some have facilities to film your practical sessions so you can review your performance with a tutor and improve your practice.

We have invested significantly in our balance testing facilities, which have been used for demonstration and teaching by the internationally renowned Leicester Balance Course.

Library and learning zones

The main Kimberlin Library is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and offers a range of print and online resources to support your studies. Many resources and services can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a Just Ask service for help and advice, available via email or telephone. We also have space across campus for group or individual work and study, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology available.

More flexible ways to learn

Our Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been recognised as leading the university sector. It builds upon our pledge to offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students.

UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures.

This means students can revise taught material in the way which suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Clinical Placement and Careers

Placements

As part of this course you will have the opportunity to complete a paid placement which offers invaluable professional experience. Placements are typically provided by the NHS in various locations across the country.

During your placement you will be supported and mentored by a clinical educator in practice and will also have a university-appointed clinical lecturer, as well as your personal tutor. Placements allow you to develop your clinical and professional skills, along with time management, team working, leadership and management qualities – helping to instil a strong work ethic

#DMUglobal

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through #DMUglobal, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on this course have recently undertaken #DMUglobal trips to India and the Special Olympics in Belgium, where they provided hearing tests. They’ve also been on trips to New York to consider the health risks of biological hazards in the city, taught science classes in Bermuda and helped refugees in Berlin.

Graduate careers

Our graduates go on to work in a variety of roles for the NHS and private providers such as Specsavers, while a significant number of our graduates also manage or are partners of their own branches.

Opportunities are available outside the clinical arena and some of our graduates have been employed with hearing aid and audiology equipment manufacturers.

Healthcare Science (Audiology) graduate Layla Mohamed is now working at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth as a qualified clinical audiologist. She said: “The DMU Audiology course ticked a lot of boxes for me in terms of working in the health sector, and job prospects were high.

“It is the greatest feeling when a patient comes back to me saying how much their life has improved and how much they have benefited from the treatment you have provided.”

DMU Open Days

Our next Open Day takes place on Saturday 15 February 2020, book your place today.

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Order a prospectus

This will give you a clearer idea of what it's like to live and study at DMU and a snapshot of the courses we offer, correct at the time of going to press.

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How to apply

We welcome applications from UK and international students with a wide range of qualifications and experience. We are happy to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you might have.

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