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Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
51
The Freshman years – theoretical
component:
In the Junior Freshman (first) year you will be introduced to the
area of language acquisition and speech. These courses will be
the foundation for later years of study, and include modules in
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Clinical practice
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Pre-clinical skills
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Speech and hearing
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Linguistics – introduction to language, the individual and
society; Syntax; the CHILDES database
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Phonetics – the study of vocal sounds
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Psychology
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General and neuro-anatomy (studied through lectures and
human dissection)
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Physiology – the study of the functions of living organisms
In the Senior Freshman (second) year, theoretical courses move
to more specific areas and you will study:
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Disorders of speech, language and communication and
swallowing – you will learn about possible frameworks and
tools for assessing skills in each of these areas, as well as
how to ensure individuals with communication difficulties can
participate in society
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Clinical and experimental phonetics
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Linguistics
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Psychology
The Sophister years
In the Sophister (third and fourth) years the theoretical
component of the course focuses more specifically on therapy
approaches and clinical management. You also continue to
study aspects of psychology, psychiatry and linguistics (i.e.
discourse analysis).
The clinical component takes on greater significance in
the final two years of the course. By the end of the Senior
Sophister (fourth) year you will be expected to participate fully in
assessment and diagnosis, as well as in therapy planning and
implementation. Such work is supervised, with students learning
self-evaluation and reflective skills during the process.
Assessment
Your theoretical knowledge is assessed by a combination of
continuous assessment and written end-of-year examinations.
Practical clinical examinations take place both in Trinity College
and in the clinics that you have been attending on placement.
Clinical placements are examined on a continuous assessment
basis by practice educators who work with you. There are
additional assessment procedures where students are observed
in practice, and present their clinical work for examination to
College mentors.
The Trinity College degree and
professional practice
On graduation, your qualification from Trinity College Dublin is
recognised as a licence to practise as a Speech and Language
Therapist in Ireland. Those holding the degree are eligible to
apply for membership of the Irish Association of Speech and
Language Therapists (IASLT)
Graduates who
wish to work in the UK should contact the Health Professionals
Council,
. Graduates of the course who wish
to work in another European country will have to apply for
government approval in that country. If you are considering
applying for professional recognition to work as a Speech-
Language Pathologist in the US or Canada, you should contact
the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association at:
or the Canadian Association of Speech-Language
Pathologists and Audiologists at
Career opportunities
For more detailed information on your career prospects, visit the
professional associations’ websites at
and
Further information
Tel: +353 1 896 1496
