Hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness are major international public health problems. Audiology is the clinical discipline of assessing and treating those conditions in health services. Hearing Science aims to understand hearing and hearing disorders, and to develop the technologies to help them.
Our goal at Southampton is to develop the future leaders of audiology and hearing science. By providing an inspiring, challenging and supportive learning environment, we can help you towards a successful and rewarding career. Audiology graduates can work in NHS services, delivering care to adults and children with hearing loss, tinnitus, other auditory deficits and vestibular disfunction. Hearing Science graduates can work in research and development of new techniques and hearing technology and non-clinical healthcare roles. Our courses are led by worldrenowned experts working at the cutting edge of research and clinical practice. Our teaching team includes audiologists, hearing scientists, engineers, teachers of the deaf, speech and language therapists and a surgeon. We offer unique, multidisciplinary perspectives of audiology and hearing science, helping you to discover and understand the bigger picture.
Teaching and learning The ISVR is an enthusiastic and supportive community. Most of the teaching on our courses takes place within one building (the ‘hub’), which also houses most staff, the audiology centre and our skills laboratory. Our courses are hands-on with students developing their practical skills in our first-class facilities from the start. In the first year of the courses you will learn about the scientific, clinical and professional background to neurosensory science (including hearing/audiology and vision science and neurophysiology). The course
provide innovative and diverse learning opportunities in a range of environments which enable you to develop independent learning, critical thinking and collaborative working skills.
Practical skills Approximately one-third of the first two years of the courses consist of practical sessions based in our audiology clinic and dedicated skills laboratory. Within the first year you will learn a variety of skills including patient interviewing, hearing testing, taking ear impressions and fitting hearing aids.
Clinical placement course Our BSc/MSci Healthcare Science (Audiology) courses include 40 weeks of clinical placement guaranteed, organised and overseen by us. We have strong, long-standing links with our placement centres who have extensive experience in providing training. Placement centres are mostly located in the South of England. To make sure you have the skills, techniques and confidence you need on placement we organise two or three fortnightly taster clinical placements in the first year.
Non-placement course BSc/MSci Hearing Science is a non-placement course for students who aspire for roles in research and development, and non-clinical leadership roles, as well as for international students who wish to undertake separate clinical training in their home country. Students are
encouraged to identify a substantial period of optional work experience during the third year, which we then support and assess. For students who are interested in clinical training after their degree, we also offer MSc Audiology with Clinical Placement at postgraduate level.
Research projects The dynamic and multidisciplinary research projects at the ISVR form a crucial part of our BSc and MSci courses. The research projects are distinctive in their duration and depth and cover areas including clinical hearing aid measurements, balance function testing and human auditory brain processing. Many masters projects generate publications in scientific journals. We also offer exciting postgraduate opportunities for those wanting to continue in research after completing the MSci course.
Flexible learning The Hearing Science course and the fourth year of the MSci in both courses have been designed for flexible learning with a range of optional modules within and beyond audiology to suit your interests. The fourth year can be taken part time so that students can start earnand-learn and gather valuable extra work experience.
Further information For more details about our courses visit: www.southampton.ac.uk/ audiology
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