As someone who's always loved science and research, it made sense for me to do honours. What I didn't realise is just how much I got out of the whole experience and the doors it's opened for me! I've been able to take my research beyond university and apply it to the real world within my new graduate year, and that is indescribable. It's hard work, but for anyone with a passion for research or an area of interest, it is so unbelievably worth it.

Cara Heggie
Bachelor of Speech Pathology

Course information

Course overview: As well as developing more advanced professional knowledge and skills, students will learn how to undertake research - from data collection to data management and analysis, and will learn and apply project management skills to ensure their project is effectively and ethically conducted, managed, analyses and presented. Students will write a comprehensive literature review that justifies the need for the research project. This work will culminate in the preparation of a final dissertation where students will be expected to finalise their literature review and prepare their manuscript for publication, reporting on the study and the methodology used. Students present their research findings at a student conference at the end of their final year.

Check the relevant handbook for details of the Honours program

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Examples of projects offered in 2025

Many children with cleft palate with/without cleft lip have persistent speech errors associated with their cleft palate. These children often receive/require long term speech intervention. Active engagement in speech therapy can be difficult when children have long-term intervention needs. Children's and families’ perspectives of speech pathology intervention for cleft palate speech is required as little is known about their experiences with speech therapy and their goals.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr Leah Hanley leah.hanley@acu.edu.au and Dr Anna Cronin anna.cronin@acu.edu.au

Campus where project is available: Any campus

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being utilised across the health professions. In 2024, we commenced a study to explore the use of AI in allied health and the views of clinicians and consumers of allied health services regarding the benefits and challenges of using it in service delivery. Given the rapid growth and developments in AI, this project is intended as a follow-up of participants from the first study to explore how their views about and use of AI change over time and the factors that contribute to changes in perceived acceptability or concern. 

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Jane McCormack jane.mccormack@acu.edu.au and Kieran Flanagan kieran.flanagan@acu.edu.au

Campus where project is available: Any campus

Honours student publications

Just, E., Pearce, W. M., & Crosbie, S. (2022). Pathways to paediatric speech pathology services in Australia. Speech, Language and Hearing, 25(2), 192–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/2050571X.2020.1846837

Karusoo-Musumeci, A., Pearce, W. M., & Donaghy, M. (2022). The effect of workshop training on rater variability in children’s oral narrative assessment. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 38(1), 8–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/02656590211023839

McMahon, A., Musgrove, E., Smith-Tamaray, M., Berg, N., & Christie, L. J. (2024). Current oral care practices in an acute aged care setting: An Australian metropolitan hospital perspective. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2024.2409135

Norman, T., Pearce, W. M., & Eastley, F. (2021). Perceptions of a culturally responsive school-based oral language and early literacy programme. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(1), 158–167. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2019.25

Pearce, W. M., Jacobs, D., & Lai, C. (2024). A survey of speech-language pathology service delivery in Australian schools. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2024.2404035

Shoebridge, S. J., Flanagan, K. J., & Pearce, W. M. (2021). Narrative comprehension skills of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian children in their first year of school. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 23(6), 632–640. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2021.1914729

Zingelman, S., Pearce, W. M., & Saxton, K. (2021). Speech-language pathologists’ perceptions and experiences when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 23(3), 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2020.1779345

More information

If you have any other questions or queries in relation to completing an honours degrees, please contact Dr Megan Trebilcock, Speech Pathology Honours Coordinator via email: megan.trebilcock@acu.edu.au

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