Advanced Professional Practice PG (11984.1)

Please note these are the 2024 details for this unit
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Advanced Professional Practice PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Placement
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Speech Pathology Post Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This is a professional practice/placement unit that consolidates and advances the application of theory to speech pathology professional practice. Upon successful completion of this unit, students will demonstrate readiness to enter the profession.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Undertake a variety of assessments for clients with complex communication needs to determine the need for speech pathology services;
2. Make clinical decisions based on critical appraisal of evidence and make modifications based on contextual, ethical and cultural considerations;
3. Develop holistic and client-centred management and treatment plans for a range of clients with complex communication and swallowing disorders with minimal support;
4. Use a variety of oral and written communication strategies considering health literacy;
5. Critically evaluate and synthesise research to inform clinical practice; and
6. Understand the principles of interdisciplinary practice.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - apply their knowledge to working with Indigenous Australians in socially just ways


Prerequisites

10275 Professional Practice 2 PG AND 11983 Special Topics in Speech Pathology PG

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Placement Dr Jacqui McKechnie
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Placement Dr Jacqui McKechnie
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Placement Dr Jacqui McKechnie
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Placement Dr Jacqui McKechnie
Not available

Required texts

All required readings are on the UClearn site, including: 

Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia (2020). Speech Pathology Australia.

Competency Based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathology (Entry Level) (2011). Speech Pathology Australia.

Compass® Competency Assessment in Speech Pathology Assessment Resource Manual (2017). Speech Pathology Australia

Reflection with Compass® Reflecting in relation to clinical learning. Speech Pathology Australia.

University of Canberra Master of Speech Pathology Clinical Handbook (electronic).

Submission of assessment items

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessments will be provided for this unit in line with the University Assessment Procedures.

According to the University's Assessment Procedures, supplementary assessment will only be offered to students who satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

  1. A student has been allocated a final mark in the unit of at least 45% and less than 50% inclusive, and/or are within 5% of satisfying a hurdle assessment; AND
  2. The unit undertaken in the final teaching period is the last and only unit required to meet all academic course requirements to enable conferral of a degree.

This eligibility criteria is applicable to any teaching period commencing after 1 April 2024.

If students fail a clinical viva, they have one opportunity to take a supplementary viva in the same range of practice area but with a different case. If the student fails the second attempt, the student does not pass the unit and must repeat the unit when next offered.

If a students does not make Entry-level on their final placement COMPASS® evaluation, they will have one opportunity to take a supplementary placement. If the student does not make Entry-level on their supplementary placement, the student does not pass the unit and must repeat the unit when next offered.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

Clinical placements are full-time (4-days a week) unless otherwise arranged with the Clinical Placement Coordinator and Inclusion and Engagement. If you are experiencing difficulty whilst on placement, please contact the Clinical Placement Coordinator and/or Unit Convener as soon as possible and do not wait until the end of the placement.

Participation requirements

To pass this unit, student are required to:

  • participate in all clinical placement activities
  • attend 80% of the workshops
  • attend 100% of the intensives in person
  • attend all the vivas (through the virtual room)
  • complete placement at entry-level competency
  • pass all oral and written vivas
  • submit a reflection and clinical portfolio

If a student does not attend all the vivas without a request for deferment, they will not be able to pass the unit.

Required IT skills

This unit involves online meetings in real time using the Virtual Room in your UCLearn teaching site. The Virtual Room allows you to communicate in real time with your lecturer and other students. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, go to the Virtual Room in your UCLearn site and 'Join Course Room'. This will trigger a tutorial to help familiarise you with the functionality of the virtual room.

In-unit costs

Students may be required to travel to/from placement or stay in the region of their placement. Students are expected to cover any associated travel and accommodation costs for the placement.

Students are expected to cover travel costs associated with placement requirements (e.g. attending a home or school visit). Please contact the Clinical Placement Coordinator or Unit Convener if you are experiencing difficultis with this whilst on placement.

Students are recommended not to book travel and accommodation that can not be cancelled, as placements are subject to change at the last minute.

The placement office may be able to discuss accommodation support options with students.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves work integrated learning: Placement. Students must adhere to University policy during WIL activities, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL Policy and WIL Procedure, and the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure. This unit has pre-placement requirements (e.g. Working with Vulnerable People registration, immunisation/s). You must complete Pre-Place: Preparation for Work Integrated Learning prior to commencement of your Placement. You can self-enrol in this module through the UC Learn site here. You are also required to complete details in InPlace, refer to inplace.canberra.edu.au. If you have any queries related to InPlace please contact placement@canberra.edu.au. Contact your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.

Additional information

Clinical placements run for 30 days, for four-days a week (Monday - Thursday), unless a prior approval for a part-time placement is granted by Inclusion and Engagement and the Clinical Placement Coordinator.