Speech and Voice Science

Undergraduate | 2026

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Mode icon
Mode
Mode
Your studies will be on-campus, and may include some online delivery
On campus
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Area/Catalogue
SPTH 1006
Course ID icon
Course ID
208155
Campus icon
Campus
Adelaide City Campus East
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course owner
Course owner
School of AH & HP
Course coordinator
Course coordinator
Kate Walker
Course level icon
Course level
1
Work Integrated Learning course
Work Integrated Learning course
No
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
No
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
No
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
No

Course overview

This course will provide students with comprehensive knowledge on both voice source and vocal tract contributions to speech production using speech sound instrumentation. Brief introduction to the vocal tract, airstream mechanisms, states of the glottis; Consonants: voicing, place and manner of articulation; Vowels: vowel quadrilateral, height, front v back, lip-rounding; diphthongs and tripthongs; Broad vs. Narrow transcription and the use of simple diacritics and stress marks; Suprasegmental aspects of speech in English: Prosody; The Physics of Speech: Speech Acoustics; Acoustic Analysis (spectrogram); Develop students' skills in objective assessment focusing on applied issues using speech science instrumentation for analysis of physical parameters of frequency and amplitude. Theories of speech production and psychological aspects of speech perception are also explored e.g. gender identification of voice.

Course learning outcomes

  • Apply speech sound principles to clinical practice
  • Understand the acoustic properties that contribute to speech rhythm, stress and intonation
  • Promote the clinical relevance of acoustic measurement of prosody
  • Advance student knowledge on the physics of motion related to the acoustics of sound waves
  • Provide basic information on instrumentation including digital data acquisition, microphones, and recording for clinical and research purposes

Availability

Census date Icon
Census date
Fri 04/09/2026
Enrol by date
Enrol by date
Fri 21/08/2026
Last day to W
Last day to W
Fri 18/09/2026
Last day to WF
Last day to WF
Fri 16/10/2026

Class details

Adelaide City Campus East

Class number
Class number 54180
Section
Section LE01
Size
Size 75
Available
Available 69
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
3 Aug - 21 Sep Monday 9:10am - 11am Adelaide City Campus East ,
12 Oct - 9 Nov Monday 9:10am - 11am Adelaide City Campus East ,
Class number
Class number 54184
Section
Section TU01
Size
Size 25
Available
Available 19
Dates Days Time Campus Location Instructor
5 Aug - 23 Sep Wednesday 12:10pm - 1pm Adelaide City Campus East Bonython Jubilee, BJ3-30
14 Oct - 11 Nov Wednesday 12:10pm - 1pm Adelaide City Campus East Bonython Jubilee, BJ3-30

Prerequisite(s)

  • must have completed SPTH1004 Introduction to Human Communication Science

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

  • must not have completed HLTH1064 Speech and Voice Science at the University of South Australia

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The Student Contribution amount displayed below is for students commencing a new program from 2021 onwards. If you are continuing in a program you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, or are commencing an Honours degree relating to an undergraduate degree you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, you may be charged a different Student Contribution amount from the amount displayed below. Please check the Student Contribution bands for continuing students here. If you are an international student, or a domestic student studying in a full fee paying place, and are continuing study that you commenced in 2025 or earlier, your fees will be available here before enrolments open for 2026.