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 2024

This research project aims to report on normative voice features of cis-gender Australian women in a contemporary context. Data will be collected through voice recording on site at Australia Catholic University and conducted by the student researcher/s. Participants will complete a survey detailing demographic information, including age, ethnicity, ancestry, place of birth, place of residence, occupation and educational level. Recordings will include a standard reading passage, a 60 second monologue and glissando/scale singing tasks. Acoustic analysis will be performed to determine Voice Range Profile (VRP) and Speaking Fundamental Frequency (sf0) characteristics.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Dr Nicole Free (nicole.free@acu.edu.au) and Dr Michelle Smith-Tamaray (michelle.smith-tamaray@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: Melbourne

Phase II of an empowerment evaluation will continue to support the expansion of camps for people with aphasia, language difficulties following an injury to the brain. The camps provide a supportive environment to connect with others, share experiences and engage in new activities. The project will identify:

  1. the progress made on previously established plans/goals by key camp stakeholders, and
  2. the key factors impacting their ability to achieve these goals.

Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts will be completed to identify key themes impacting their ability to achieve these goals.

Project supervisor(s) and contact email address: Megan Trebilcock (megan.trebilcock@acu.edu.au) and Anna Cronin (anna.cronin@acu.edu.au)

Campus where project is available: North Sydney

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

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

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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