Audiology BSc

Audiology is a rapidly developing area of healthcare with hugely rewarding career opportunities. With the global demand for audiologists rising, choosing to study Audiology is the first step towards a stimulating and lifelong career with fantastic employment prospects.

As an audiologist, you will develop relationships with your patients as you support them throughout their entire patient journey - from diagnosis to rehabilitation. Whether you’re helping babies to hear for the first time, or re-connecting patients with the world around them, careers in audiology are as fulfilling as they are varied.

Our graduates enjoy hugely rewarding and diverse roles suited to a variety of subject interests, including biological and social sciences, psychology, technology, as well as speech and language development. Whether you choose to work in a clinical setting, or focus your skills towards counselling and therapy, you will start making a difference from the word go.

Why choose Leeds?

• We prepare you for a career from day one with 93% of our students finding work and/or further study within 15 months following graduation (Discover Uni, 2021).

• We keep our cohort small so that we can guarantee you an exceptional clinical placement across a variety of hospitals and centres close to Leeds

• You will be taught by experienced industry professionals and external speakers who introduce innovative research insights to your learning.

• Gain hands-on experience and learn in dedicated on-campus audiology laboratories. Our facilities imitate different audiological conditions with innovative technology, designed to enhance student awareness of patient experience and produce expert practitioners in a safe and supported environment.

• Our course is designed around your wellbeing, with dedicated personal tutors to help with your academic and pastoral needs. Our timetable considers the circumstances of both on campus and commuting students, to help everyone make the most of their time at Leeds.

Accreditation

The course is accredited by the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) and the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Thus, on successful completion of this course, our graduates are eligible to apply for registration as audiologists with the RCCP and the AHCS and the HCPC as a Hearing Aid Dispenser.

Throughout the course, you’ll secure the skills necessary to become a successful and well-rounded audiologist. Importantly, you’ll also gain more general skills to broaden your career horizons through critical thinking, problem solving, scientific enquiry and reflective practice.

Course Structure

The list shown below represent typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. The names, descriptions and number of credits indicated are provisional and are subject to approval at revalidation. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Year 1 Compulsory Modules

The first year of study provides a broad understanding of the principles of audiology, and introduces the theory and practice of audiological assessment and rehabilitation. In this first year of study you will learn how to assess hearing function and about working as a healthcare professional, whilst developing your independent and critical thinking skills.

• Audiological Clinical Skills 1 (including placement) (20 credits)

The first of three clinical skills-based modules. Explore the basic role of audiologists in the context of NHS and private sector settings. We will introduce you to a range of concepts and skills relevant to basic audiological practice (e.g. person-centred care, history taking, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry and tympanometry, hearing aid maintenance). You will be provided with opportunity to practice these skills in on-campus laboratories as well as clinical placement.

• Routine Audiological Disorder and Assessment (20 credits)

In-depth theory to underpin a range of basic audiological tests and procedures used routinely with adult populations (e.g. pure tone audiometry, tympanometry). It runs in parallel with Clinical Skills 1.

• Adult Auditory rehabilitation 1 (20 credits)

This module introduces key theories and strategies surrounding adult aural rehabilitation. It covers the basic technological, psychosocial, and therapeutic aspects of rehabilitation that you will require to successfully help patients with hearing impairment.

• Fundamentals of Hearing Science (20 credits)

An introduction to the fundamental aspects of hearing science. In this module you will learn about the human anatomy and physiology that relates to normal and disordered hearing, and balance. The module will also cover fundamental principles of physics and acoustics relevant to audiology and a range of common measurement and instrumentation techniques.

• Introduction to Biological Principles (10 credits)

This module will cover the underlying principles of biological systems that can then be related to profession specific examples in the profession specific modules.

• Role of the healthcare professional (20 credits)

This interprofessional module seeks to introduce you to the healthcare setting. The module focuses on the role you will have as a healthcare professional, both as an individual and as a member of the team. This will allow you to begin to establish your contribution within the healthcare setting focusing in the main on patient care.

You’ll be able to choose one 10 credit module, with relevance to their audiological studies, from the wider university undergraduate module catalogue

Year 2 Compulsory modules

Learn about a range of audiological disorders, assessments and rehabilitation techniques to further prepare you for clinical placements. Focus on adult hearing impairment and the current technological and non-technological options to improve the quality of life for hearing impaired individuals.

• Audiological Clinical Skills 2 (including placement) (30 credits)

Develop your clinical practice skills in audiology and practice their application in a laboratory and clinical settings. You will be able to start to integrate techniques that are introduced through this, and other level 2 modules, with the foundational and already familiar techniques developed in Year 1.

• Non-routine Audiological Disorders and Assessment (20 credits)

Building on knowledge obtained in Year 1, this module is designed to further develop your knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of patients with hearing or vestibular impairments. This module will also provide you with the opportunity to develop the skills needed for the interpretation of non-routine assessment outcomes and will investigate how these are related to hearing and vestibular disorders.

• Adult Auditory rehabilitation 2 (10 credits)

Reinforce and further your rehabilitative audiological knowledge gained during your first year of study, of technological interventions for hearing impairment. The module will also explore how these technological interventions can be applied through the audiological rehabilitative setting.

• Sound and speech perception (10 credits)

This module is designed to broadly set out fundamental aspects of speech understanding and auditory perception. It covers important elements of basic auditory perception, psychoacoustics, and the psychology of hearing and speech that are relevant to audiologists working in a clinical environment.

• Paediatric audiology (20 credits)

Understand the underlying concepts and theory of assessing and rehabilitating hearing loss in infants and children. Covers important topics of epidemiology of hearing loss in children, neonatal hearing screening, and a critical review of behavioural assessment techniques. Rehabilitation of hearing loss will be taught in relation to an ecological framework where family and educational settings are given importance.

• Communication skills for healthcare professionals (10 credits)

This module will cover the principles of communication and counselling skills that can then be related to profession-specific examples. The module aims to introduce communication theory and counselling skills within a healthcare setting, and to increase your knowledge of the nature of the counselling process.

• Research methods (20 credits)

Develop an understanding of how clinical practice is informed by evidence and gain the knowledge and tools to appraise both practice and published work. This module will introduce you to the skills you will need to carry out research effectively, including how to formulate research questions, gather information from a range of sources, make judgements on the quality of data gathered and draw conclusions.

Year 3 Compulsory modules

Explore more a wide range of both routine and advanced hearing and balance disorders and the options available to treat and manage these conditions. You’ll also conduct a research project in a specific area of audiology. You’ll continue to develop your clinical skills both in the on-site clinical laboratories and whilst on clinical placement.

• Audiological Clinical skills 3 (including placement) (30 credits)

This module is focused around time spent on clinical placement. You will build on experience acquired during Audiological Clinical skills 2, developing the necessary knowledge and skills to independently carry-out routine audiological procedures that are required to graduate as a qualified audiologist, prepare the student for employment and register with our corresponding regulatory bodies.

Your clinical competency will be demonstrated via a varied and innovative assessment process including clinical placement e-workbooks, an in-depth patient case study of your choice and live patient scenario discussions. The aim of this module is to develop your clinical competency and provide a platform where they are able to demonstrate their holistic and person-centred approach to their clinical practice.

• Advanced audiology A (20 credits)

This module will provide the student with advanced knowledge and understanding of hearing services and a range of non-routine audiology related populations, disorders, assessments and rehabilitation techniques. This module will explore audiology service delivery options and the evidence base surrounding the assessment and rehabilitation of non-routine disorders.

• Advanced audiology B (20 credits)

This module will provide you with an opportunity to explore a range of advanced and cutting-edge audiology topics (e.g. telehealth in audiology, hair-cell regeneration and its potential, and advanced hearing interventions)

• Research project (30 credits)

This interprofessional module is the culmination of the research thread that has run through your degree programme. You may carry out one of a range of projects in this module with the support of an allocated project supervisor you will carry out an independent piece of research in this module through completing either an audit, empirical research or systematic review.

• Transition to practitioner (10 credits)

As healthcare professionals you will become a member of a multidisciplinary team within a healthcare organisation. You will also be called upon to make decisions and be accountable for them. The aim of this interprofessional module is to consider the transition from student to healthcare professionals and prepare you for your first graduate post and these demands.

Year 3 - Optional module (choose one module from the following)

International work-based learning (10 credits)

• An exciting opportunity to apply your learning in a work-based situation on an international placement. It will allow you to investigate the organisation and delivery of imaging in your chosen area of practice within a different health care system.

Independent study (10 credits)

• Choose a topic of your own relating to audiology. The aim will be to investigate the topic in detail. This may include (but is not exclusive to) audiological conditions, treatment options, diagnostic processes and management. This will allow you to develop your independent working.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Learning and teaching

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

We use a variety of assessment methods to help you develop a broad range of skills. These include presentations, group assessments, unseen examinations, OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations), essays, oral examination and the grading of clinical practice.

You’ll need to demonstrate the knowledge and application of standard concepts, information and techniques relevant to the discipline, as well as your emerging abilities, skills and competencies. You need to be able to draw on a wide variety of material and be able to evaluate and criticise received opinion.

Entry requirements

A-level: ABB including a science subject (Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Psychology). Other science based subjects will be considered.

We consider all A-level subjects for the remaining grades, except general studies or critical thinking.

EPQs are not considered within our scoring.

GCSE: 5 A*-C (new grading 4-9), including Maths, English language and a science.

The School of Medicine recognises that some applicants may have studied a more flexible curriculum, where they have been able to progress through their educational development at an appropriate rate according to their ability. Where a Level 2 (for example, GCSE) or Level 3 (for example, A Level) qualification has been taken ‘early’ the academic reference should include the reasons for this so that it can be taken into consideration by the admissions team.

Other course specific tests:

Age

Please note that applicants must be 18 years of age or over by 1st September in the year that they will be entering the course.

Evidence of Study

Applicants will need to show evidence of study in the last 5 years.

DBS Checks

The University of Leeds is obliged to refuse admission to applicants for certain courses which are regulated by national or statutory bodies where enhanced DBS checks or Certificates of Good Conduct reveal prior criminal behaviour giving rise to concern for the protection of the public.

As part of your application to study you are required to declare any criminal convictions in order that certain checks with the DBS can be undertaken. The University will send further instructions as part of the admissions process where such checks are required.

The DBS check can only include background checks on your time in the UK. If you have been resident in the UK for less than 3 years, then a criminal record check from your home country is required in addition to the UK DBS check. This may be referred to as a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ (CoGC) but the name varies.

Occupational Health Clearance

Any offer of a place to study on this course is conditional upon a satisfactory confidential occupational health assessment, which will include a health questionnaire, and if necessary further telephone consultation and/or an appointment with an occupational health clinician. Screening for serious communicable disease, (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and a review of immunisation status and needs, which includes COVID-19, will also be arranged before beginning your studies.

HEOPS offers guidance on occupational health resources and health surveillance.

• Access to HE Diploma

  45 credits at level 3, which must be at distinction and include 15 credits from science subjects.

  We strongly advise you to contact the School to discuss the suitability of your chosen Access course. We consider Access Courses to be suitable for mature applicants (21 plus) who have been out of full-time education and have had no previous access to higher education.

• BTEC

  BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF): distinction/distinction/distinction and must contain at least one-third science content at distinction.

  Health and Social Care qualifications have insufficient science content and will only be considered with an additional science A level – Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology.

  All BTEC modules must be listed on your UCAS form or else your application will be rejected.

• Cambridge Pre-U

  Three Merits (M1) in 3 Principal Subjects, one of which must be a science

• International Baccalaureate

  34 points overall, including 3 higher level subjects at minimum of grade 5, one of which must be a science subject

• Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)

  (Leaving Certificate): AABBBB, including English, Maths and 2 science subjects

• Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

  BB at Advanced Higher level and AABBB at Higher level
  Or
  B at Advanced Higher level and AAABB at Higher level
  
  For applicants without Advanced Highers, we require AABBBB at Higher level.

  Each of these options requires 1 science, from Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics.

• T-Levels

  We do not accept T Level qualifications for this course.

• Other Qualifications

  Foundation Year

  Interdisciplinary Science Foundation: a minimum grade of 60% overall, with a minimum of 55% in each subject.

  Refer to admissions for other foundation course eligibility.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.

Access to Leeds Deadline

In order for us to give your application due consideration, we'll need you to submit your Access to Leeds (A2L) application at the same time as you submit your UCAS application.

Please note we're unable to accept applications for A2L after the deadline of 8th February, so get your applications in as early as possible, ideally by the UCAS deadline of 25th January 2023.

Typical Access to Leeds Offer

GCSEs

A minimum of 5 GCSEs grade C or above (or 4 or above) including Maths, English language and a science.

A Levels

BBC and must still include a science subject to grade B (Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Psychology). Other science based subjects will be considered.

Scottish Highers

CC at Advanced Higher level and AABBB at Higher level (or)

C at Advanced Higher level and AABBB at Higher level.

For applicants without Advanced Highers, we require BBBBBB at Higher level.

Each of these options requires 1 science, from Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics.

Irish Highers (leaving certificate)

Require a minimum of 6 subjects taken at Higher level (not ordinary IO) and must include English Language and Maths plus 2 sciences from Biology, Physics or Chemistry, grades required are minimum BBBBBB.

Cambridge Pre-U

Three Merits (M2) in 3 Principal Subjects, one of which must be a science.

IB

33 points overall, including 2 higher level subjects at minimum of grade 5, one of which must be a science subject.

BTEC

DDM, with at least one-third science content which must be at distinction.

Access to HE

122 points equivalent.

We strongly advise you to contact the School to discuss the suitability of your chosen Access course. We consider Access Courses to be suitable for mature applicants (21 plus) who have been out of full-time education and have no previous access to higher education.

Foundation year or OU module candidates are not eligible for A2L offers

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

How to apply

Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

Values based recruitment is carried out across our vocational programmes. Candidates who apply to more than one vocational course in the School of Medicine will only be considered for one course. Please note that if a candidate demonstrates motivation and insight for another non-School of Medicine vocational course (e.g. nursing or dentistry) they will be rejected without further consideration.

Where possible, candidates who apply for multiple programmes within the School of Medicine will be informed that they must choose one course only.

The School of Medicine does not normally participate in the UCAS Extra scheme for entry onto the Audiology BSc degree course. You must tell us in your UCAS application if you want to defer entry and if you have any prior criminal convictions.

Please see the latest School of Medicine Admissions Appeals and Complaints Procedure.

Selection

We shortlist applicants against agreed criteria, using the information you submit on your UCAS form only. You must meet the academic entry requirement for the programme, at application or within the academic cycle. Your academic background and personal statement help us to assess your interest in the academic subject and are an important part of the process. The reference you provide on the UCAS form must also support your application.

Interviews

Shortlisted applicants are normally invited for multiple mini interviews with the School of Medicine. This allows us to further assess your aptitude for, and interest in the course.

If shortlisted, you'll receive a written invitation from the School to attend a selection event on a specific time and date. If this date is unsuitable, contact the School and where possible we'll offer an alternative date. If you don't notify us and don't attend a selection event, your application will be rejected.

Fees

UK: £9,250

International: £27,500

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2022/23 the fee will be £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students for 2023/24 have been agreed by the UK Government and will remain at the current fee level of £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 should be available on individual course pages from September 2022.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

One in every ten of us is affected by hearing impairment - a number expected to increase with an ageing population. The demand for hearing assessment and rehabilitation services is high and expected to increase. We need people with your skills, capabilities and curiosity.

Studying audiology will set you up for a rewarding and exciting career. In addition to assessing and treating patients, careers in audiology can involve consultancy, counselling, advising, educating, researching and therapy.

The NHS employs audiologists in a range of settings and a variety of roles, including hospital Ear, Nose and Throat departments, self-contained audiology centres and educational establishments. A number of audiologists also work as independent practitioners in private practice.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.