MSc Audiology

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
MSc
Duration
12 months FT
Entry requirements

We require a relevant honours first degree (Upper Second or above, or equivalent) from an approved higher education institution or evidence of previous advanced study, research or professional experience that the University accepts as qualifying the applicant for entry. For advanced and paediatric pathway, you must have evidence audiology qualification and/or audiology experience.

Part-time students seconded from employment to undertake this course must have the written support of their employer to attend and to complete any necessary practice requirements.

Full entry requirements

Number of places/applicants

40 places

How to apply

Please apply via our online application form . See the application and selection section for details of the supporting documents we require.

We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MSc Y N N N

Course overview

  • This flexible course allows you to tailor your learning to the area of audiology that most interests you and your career choice.
  • Learn from internationally recognised experts at the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD).
  • Develop your knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, pathology and assessment of hearing and balance mechanisms.
  • Choose from one of three pathways: Audiology (general), Audiology (advanced), Audiology (paediatrics).
  • Individual units from this course are also available as CPD.

Open days

 Attending an open day is a great way to find out what studying at Manchester is like. Find out about our upcoming open days .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MSc (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £13,000
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £32,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry).

For general fees information please visit postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international/EU applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Additional expenses

An optional component of this course is a one-week clinical placement in the north-west region. This will incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for which there is no funding.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Telephone
+44 (0)161 529 4563
Email
Website
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/speech-hearing/
School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require a relevant honours first degree (Upper Second or above, or equivalent) from an approved higher education institution or evidence of previous advanced study, research or professional experience that the University accepts as qualifying the applicant for entry. For advanced and paediatric pathway, you must have evidence audiology qualification and/or audiology experience.

Part-time students seconded from employment to undertake this course must have the written support of their employer to attend and to complete any necessary practice requirements.

English language

International students must demonstrate English proficiency through a secure and approved testing system.

We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found on the GOV.UK website ).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

  • IELTS: 6.5, including 6.0 in the written section
  • TOEFL: 90, including 22 in the written section

See further information about requirements for your country .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Professional entry qualification

For the Advanced and Paediatric pathways, you must be a qualified audiologist registered with the relevant professional body in your country of residence.

Other healthcare professionals from associated fields with an interest in this area are also eligible to apply.

Other entry requirements

A maximum of 30 credits from our A udiology short courses (CPD master's-level units) are accepted as accredited prior learning for entry onto this course.

This will then reduce the amount of credits required to complete the course.

Application and selection

How to apply

Please apply via our online application form . See the application and selection section for details of the supporting documents we require.

We recommend that you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Advice to applicants

You must include full information on your academic qualifications in the personal statement section of the online application form. We cannot make a decision without this.

In addition to the online application form, please provide copies of the following one current academic and one professional reference on official headed paper, electronically where possible.

These may be scanned and then attached online or sent directly to the University. Please contact us for more information.

Interview requirements

Candidates may be invited to an informal interview, which may will take place online.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

The MSc Audiology course is open to international students.

International students who wish to apply for the MSc Audiology course only are advised to do the following on application.

  • Send copies of the required qualifications to the University as soon as possible.
  • Send proof of funding for the course to which they are applying. The University does not fund individual students. Candidates should seek finance from their own government, an international awarding body or be self-funding.
  • Check the English language requirements for the course.

All international students must also upload a scanned copy of their passport as part of the application process.

Fitness to practise / health requirements

Health Screening

The University of Manchester is mindful of the health of both its students and of the public, with whom healthcare students come into contact on placement. Consequently, if your application is successful, we will require you to comply with a confidential health screening as advised by the Department of Health.

Health screening will be undertaken by the Student Occupational Health Service who will advise on any follow-up vaccination or other intervention that may be indicated.

Health questionnaire and screening

Please note that audiology clinical work and study requires all applicants to complete a pre-acceptance health questionnaire which is returned to the University's Occupational Health Service having been checked and countersigned by your GP. All such forms are screened to decide whether, on the basis of the information provided, the student would be able to fulfil the core competencies of their chosen programme of study, as defined by the British Academy of Audiology.

To ensure safe audiology practice the following will need to be considered:

  • Mobility
  • Upper limb function
  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Speech
  • Literacy and numeracy
  • Skin function
  • Interruption of consciousness
  • Concentration, awareness, memory and ability to learn and understand

Disclosure and Barring Service check

The University of Manchester is mindful of the wellbeing of both its students and of the public, with whom healthcare students come into contact on placement. Consequently, if your application is successful, we will require you to comply with a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as advised by the Department of Health.

International applicants - if you are successful in receiving a place on this course, as part of your conditional offer you must supply a police check from your home country which must be considered satisfactory by the University.

Please see the Gov.uk website for further information on the certificate required from your country.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

Course description

This Audiology course is aimed at anyone who wants to acquire or expand their knowledge of audiology. Advanced and Paediatric pathways are particularly well-suited for practising audiologists who want to prepare for advanced roles in clinical management, clinical practice, teaching and research.

The course consists of a mixture of audiology-specific units and those shared with health professionals from a range of other disciplines, enabling you to tailor the course to your own interests.

You may choose from the following pathways:

Audiology (general)

This pathway provides a conventional audiology curriculum with fixed units worth 120 credits:

  • Auditory Science;
  • Adult Auditory Assessment;
  • Adult Auditory Management & Rehabilitation;
  • Paediatric Audiology;
  • Vestibular Assessment & Management;
  • Professional Practice;
  • Research Methods.

For those wishing to do an MSc, there’s also a 60-credit dissertation unit.

Audiology (advanced)

This bespoke curriculum is those in advanced audiology roles in clinical management, clinical practice, teaching and research if you are already a practising audiologist.

There are 15 units and you can choose a selection from:

  • Customary audiology units: Auditory Science; Adult Auditory Assessment; Adult Auditory Management and Rehabilitation; Paediatric Audiology; Vestibular Assessment and Management.
  • Specialist optional units such as Neurosensory Sciences, Clinical Applications in Neurosensory Sciences, Adults with Complex Needs.
  • Multi-disciplinary optional units such as: Dementia - A Person Centred Approach to Enhancing Care, Support; Well-being or Health Policy, Strategy and Leadership.
  • Paediatric optional units: Effective Amplification in Infants and Children; Language Acquisition; Developing Deaf Child; Paediatric Assessment; Children with Complex Needs; Changing Paediatric Hearing
For those wishing to do an MSc dissertation, there’s also a 60-credit dissertation unit and Research Methods (15 credits) is mandatory.

Audiology (paediatric)

This pathway offers a bespoke curriculum for paediatric audiology roles if you are already a practising audiologist.

You can choose any of the bespoke curriculum provided at least 75-credits are from paediatric units.

Paediatric units include:

  • Effective Amplification in Infants and Children;
  • Language Acquisition;
  • Developing Deaf Child;
  • Paediatric Assessment;
  • Children with Complex Needs;
  • Changing Paediatric Hearing.

For those wishing to do an MSc dissertation, there’s also a 60-credit dissertation module and Research Methods (15 credits) is mandatory.

You may choose to complete 60 credits for a PGCert (exit award) or 120 credits for a PGDip. If your application onto the programme is successful, it is important you contact the programme team as soon as possible to discuss the units you wish to study, so an individualised timetable can be arranged.

On successful completion of 120 credits, progression to the full MSc qualification allows you to explore, in depth, a specific aspect of audiology practice, policy, research or education in a 60-credit, 12,000 to 15,000-word dissertation.

Aims

This course aims to:

  • enable you to critically evaluate and apply aspects of contemporary audiology and healthcare practice, policy, research and education;
  • foster positive values and attitudes that recognise and respect individual and cultural diversities and challenge discriminatory practice;
  • equip you with in-depth knowledge, understanding and skills to critically evaluate research and the evidence base for audiology practice that promotes optimal health and involves service users and carers in the delivery of care;
  • develop your abilities and skills in critical reflective practice, problem solving and creative ethical decision-making;
  • contribute to innovation, change and quality improvement in audiology and healthcare practice at both individual and organisational levels by equipping you with a systematic and critical understanding of relevant knowledge, theoretical frameworks and advanced skills;
  • enhance your career development and lifelong learning to support safe practice and the maintenance and enhancement of appropriate standards of audiology practice.
Additional aims for the MSc are to enable you, through the systematic, in-depth, exploration of a specific area of audiology practice, policy, research or education to extend your knowledge, understanding and ability to contribute to the advancement of audiology knowledge and practice at an individual and/or organisational level.

Special features

Inter-professional learning

You will have the opportunity to attend some professional practice lectures and workshops.

Wide range of units

In the Advanced and Paediatric pathways you can choose from a variety of units to customise the course to suit your own interests.

Research experience

You will be required to design and complete a research project as part of the course, helping develop your research skills and giving you the opportunity to focus on a specific area of interest within audiology.

Expert teaching

This course is led by members of the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD), an internationally recognised multi-million pound hearing research programme. Manchester's hearing health research is benefiting as part of a £59 million investment through the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, so MSc students will benefit greatly from studying in an intensive and high-quality research environment.

Additional course information

  • Reading list

The following books have been suggested by staff members for pre-course/core reading.

Introductory/background reading:

  • Welling, D and Ukstins, C (2013) Fundamentals of Audiology for the speech-language pathologist. Jones and Bartlett Learning.

This is a basic textbook that would be suitable for those with no prior knowledge of audiology or the auditory system. The following chapters are recommended:

  • Chapter 2: Sound and Hearing
  • Chapter 5: Pure Tone Audiometry and Masking
  • Chapter 9: Interpretation of Audiometric Results (please note audiogram symbols are from the USA; the UK uses slightly different symbols)

Other recommended introductory/background reading includes:

  • Tate-Maltby, M and Knight, P (2000), Audiology: An Introduction for Teachers and Other Professionals
  • Taylor, G and Bishop, J (1991), Being Deaf: The Experience of Deafness, Pinter Publishers, ISBN 0861871766

Some useful core textbooks:

  • Katz J (2009). Handbook of Clinical Audiology.( 7th Ed). Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia
  • Galfand, S (2009) Essentials of Audiology (4th Ed). Thieme Medical Publishers, New York
  • Dillon, H (2012) Hearing Aids (2nd Edition). Boomerang Press: Sydney

Teaching and learning

Many of the staff involved with this course are actively involved in either scientific or pedagogical research. Where possible, members of staff teach course units related to their research interests, so they are able to keep their teaching informed and up-to-date.

A large number of the teaching staff are also clinically trained audiologists, hearing therapists or hearing scientists.

We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures, small group work, student-led seminars, problem-based learning and online learning.

In addition, you will be required to undertake independent study to further develop and consolidate your learning.

To develop clinical skills, you will be required to undertake practical skills training as part of the course.

Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.

Coursework and assessment

You will be assessed using a variety of methods within individual units and across the course as a whole.

All assessments require you to integrate knowledge and understanding, and apply this to your own practice relevant to the outcomes of each unit.

Assessment methods include:

  • essays
  • case studies
  • assessed seminar presentations
  • literature reviews
  • written examinations
  • multiple choice exam questions

The full MSc qualification requires an extended written piece of work (12,000-15,000 words) that focuses on a specific aspect of audiology practice, policy or research in the form of an extended literature-based review.

A substantial and mandatory component of the MSc involves the design and completion of a high-quality research project. The research project component represents 33% of the MSc (600 hours or four months' full-time study).

The project is completed under supervision in an area related to audiology. The research project is an opportunity for you to consolidate much of your previous learning and to pursue a specialist area of interest.

Course unit details

Taught units can be studied in any order except where there are specific pre-requisites.

Not all optional units may run each year and will be subject to minimum numbers. You will meet with your course director to plan out a pathway that meets your needs.

Part-time students on the PGDip or MSc course will need to complete 60 credits per year as required for the award.

Attendance at the university will vary depending on which units you choose to take. Some units are delivered online, some face-to-face over a number of days, and others are delivered via traditional lectures on a weekly basis.

Please note this is not an online course and attendance at the university will be required.

An exit award of PGCert is available to students exiting after completing 60 credits. This must include at least 15 credits of audiology-specific units from those available.

A maximum of 30 credits of individual course units can also be studied on a standalone basis.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Vestibular Assessment and Management PCHN60022 15 Mandatory
Auditory Science PCHN60041 15 Mandatory
Paediatric Audiology PCHN60052 15 Mandatory
Professional Practice PCHN60060 15 Mandatory
Research Methods and Statistics PCHN60170 15 Mandatory
Dissertation PCHN61610 60 Mandatory
Adult Auditory Rehabilitation and Management PCHN64250 30 Mandatory
Adult Auditory Assessment PCHN69411 15 Mandatory

Scholarships and bursaries

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

What our students say

'I am working for hearing device company Cochlear in clinical technical support. I am responsible for helping doctors and patients solve clinical problems related to cochlear implants, and for carrying out scientific research into cochlear implants and audiology. I was able to get such a satisfying job because of the MSc.'

Lin Wu. Read Lin's blog.

'The staff at the University are supportive and inspiring and I found that they invested so much effort and time to help us succeed.'

Wen-Hui Hsieh. Read Wen-Hui's blog.

'I chose to study at Manchester due to its excellent reputation and the fact that the MSc course has modular elements. I was able to tailor this to my interests and needs and learn at a pace to fit in with funding and time constraints.'

Ben Gillett. Read Ben's blog.

Facilities

You will use high-quality laboratory equipment and facilities for the teaching of practical skills. You will have access to these facilities outside of timetabled sessions to facilitate individual practice of procedures that carry minimal risk.

You will also be able to access a range of facilities throughout the University.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .

CPD opportunities

We offer individual units from this MSc as standalone courses for continuing professional development.

Careers

Career opportunities

Our course will prepare you to enter roles in clinical management and practice in audiology, as well as teaching and research.

At Manchester, we conduct a range of research including developing testing techniques to check that babies between the age of three and seven months are able to hear a range of speech sounds when wearing hearing aids. We travel around Britain in our specially adapted hearing van to perform testing close to families' homes.

Find out more about this research: Testing a baby's hearing (YouTube).

Graduates of this course have progressed to a PhD, while others have entered health-related professions or gone into work with large hearing aid manufacturers and voluntary sectors.

Other students have successfully applied for the  Scientist Training Programme  (STP). This is the training route to become a Healthcare Scientist/Clinical Scientist. Read a  blog post  by one of our MSc graduates about his experience of both the master's course and STP programme.

Associated organisations

Optional audiology placement is undertaken either in the NHS or in the independent sector. Associated organisations include the NHS, Boots, Amplifon, independent companies.