Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Bachelor of Psychology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Macquarie University

Program Overview

Imagine a degree where you don’t just explore why people think, feel, and behave the way they do, but also how we speak, hear, and make sense of the world through language. This double degree in Psychology and Speech and Hearing Sciences gives you a rare combination of insight and impact — perfect for curious minds who want to understand people deeply while making a tangible difference in health, education, or research.

Curriculum Structure:
In your first year, you’ll lay the foundations in both psychology and communication. You’ll get hands-on with introductory psychology, exploring cognition, emotion, and behaviour, while diving into core units on language and hearing. Expect to experiment with real data, analyse speech sounds, and begin uncovering what drives human behaviour — it’s learning by doing from the very start.

By the second year, the pieces start coming together. You’ll study how minds develop from infancy to adulthood and dig deeper into speech and hearing with units like “Phonetics and Phonology.” You’ll start connecting theory with real-world application, exploring how communication disorders affect lives, and gaining tools used by practitioners to support people facing these challenges.

In your third year, you’ll step into advanced topics and more personal choice. From social and personality psychology to detailed studies of speech and language disorders, you’ll sharpen your ability to interpret research and apply it meaningfully. Electives let you tailor your learning toward clinical, educational, or research paths — shaping your degree around your interests and career goals.

Your final year is all about bringing it all together. Through capstone-style projects, you’ll tackle real-world scenarios, combining psychology insights with applied speech and hearing work. You’ll plan interventions, communicate complex ideas clearly, and gain confidence in your professional skills — all while preparing for the next step, whether that’s postgraduate study or stepping straight into practice.

Focus Areas: Psychology fundamentals, language and communication science, research methods, developmental and social behaviour.

Learning Outcomes: Develop critical thinking about human behaviour, gain a scientific understanding of cognitive and communicative processes, practice analysing speech and hearing patterns, and build ethical, research-literate approaches to professional work.

Professional Alignment: This double degree lays the academic foundation recognised in Australia for further professional training. Psychology courses set you up for honours and postgraduate pathways toward becoming a registered psychologist, while speech and hearing studies prepare you for clinical master’s programs in speech pathology or audiology.

Reputation and Employability: Macquarie University is consistently ranked among Australia’s top universities and holds a strong global reputation. You’ll join a forward-thinking research community with strong industry connections, giving you skills and experience employers value highly.

If you’re fascinated by minds and voices, this program offers a perfect balance of curiosity and capability — giving you the tools to understand people and make a real difference.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This double degree at Macquarie isn’t about just sitting in lectures and memorising theory — it’s designed so you learn by doing, build real-world skills, and start thinking and acting like a professional from the very beginning. Whether it’s psychology, speech, hearing, or language studies, you’ll dive straight into real data, tackle genuine language challenges, work closely in small teams, and get involved in research and practical tasks that mirror what professionals actually do. Through laboratory work, collaborative projects, and guided hands-on experiences, you’ll sharpen your analytical thinking and communication skills while learning how to apply theory to real situations. By the time you graduate, you won’t just know your subjects — you’ll have practiced them in meaningful ways that set you up for careers or postgraduate study.

Here’s what learning by doing looks like in this program:

Hands-on lab work: You’ll explore how human speech and hearing function by working with real language, physiological, and acoustic data.
Real-world problem solving: Structured exercises connect theory to authentic communication challenges.
Collaborative learning: Small group projects and problem-based activities help you develop teamwork, critical thinking, and practical skills.
Research experience: You’ll have the chance to observe, collect, analyse, and present data through ongoing research projects.
Early exposure to psychology research: From your first year, you’ll see how psychological studies are designed and carried out.
Capstone and applied projects: Later in the degree, you’ll bring everything together through projects, reflective tasks, and professional-style placements that simulate real-world practice.

If your goal is to build confidence, gain meaningful experience, and step into a career or further study in psychology, speech pathology, audiology, or related fields, this degree gives you a rich, hands-on mix of people, data, and professional contexts — all designed to get you ready for what comes next.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating with a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Bachelor of Psychology at Macquarie University gives you a powerful combination of skills that bridge human behaviour, communication, and health. This unique mix opens doors to a range of meaningful careers — whether you’re interested in understanding the mind, helping people communicate, or supporting communities. You could work as a psychological researcher, speech and language clinician (with further study), audiology specialist (with further study), or a community health and advocacy professional — all grounded in solid scientific knowledge and hands-on experience. The degree keeps your options flexible, whether you’re drawn to clinical pathways or broader, community-focused roles.

Support for your career from day one
At Macquarie, career guidance isn’t something you worry about at the end — it’s built into your degree. From your first year, you can access career consultations, workshops, tools, and alumni networks that help you explore opportunities, polish applications, and prepare for interviews. This kind of ongoing support helps you step into the workforce confidently.

Real-world experience with PACE
One of the standout features of Macquarie degrees is the Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) program. Through PACE, you can work on internships, placements, and projects with over 3,000 government, not-for-profit, and industry partners. These experiences help you develop skills that employers value and give you a real taste of what working in your field will be like.

Strong academic foundations
Your studies give you a deep understanding of psychological science while also exploring how speech, hearing, and language work. This combination creates a unique skill set that’s highly valued in health, education, research, and community services.

Flexibility for postgraduate pathways
While this double degree doesn’t directly lead to professional accreditation, it’s the perfect springboard for further study. Many students continue into an honours year in psychology at Macquarie — an essential step toward becoming a registered psychologist. Others take the speech and hearing component into master’s programs in Speech Pathology or Clinical Audiology to become accredited clinicians. If research or academia excites you, you could pursue a Master of Research or a PhD in psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, or allied health fields. Macquarie’s postgraduate programs and research community provide clear, structured pathways to help you take your expertise to the next level.