Professional Doctorate - Doctor of Hearing Therapy

Mode of delivery: Blended learning (mainly distance learning but with some essential face to face delivery).

Duration: The full Doctorate Programme takes a total of six years, part-time. A minimum of 180 taught module credits (including the Research Methods module) plus an approved project proposal and research ethics in principle must be in place by the end of Year 3 if you wish to apply for admission to the research stage. Admission will be determined by interview.

Subject to completion of a Qualifying Report and a successful Progression Panel by the end of Year 4, you will normally continue on the Programme for two more years and will be expected to submit a completed thesis by the end of Year 6. Final assessment is by viva voce with internal and external examiners.
 

Start date: October

Fees (2023/24): £9,350 research element plus modules: £620 per 10 credits.

Entry requirements:

Undergraduate degree

Applicants typically possess a good honours degree (minimum upper 2nd class) from a recognised university. See further details below.

Professional experience

Relevant professional experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis

• We welcome applications from candidates interested in our course who have the skills and capability to excel. All candidates are considered on an individual basis based on their qualifications, experience, references and motivation.
• The Doctor of Hearing Therapy programme is aimed at practising audiologists, who will complete case records were required for taught module coursework and will undertake a practice-based research project.
• Applicants typically possess a good honours degree (minimum upper 2nd class) from a recognised university.
• We will also consider applicants with relevant professional experience on a case by case basis.
• International applicants will be considered on a case by case basis.
• Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification. English language test requirements may be waived where students’ undergraduate degree was studied in an English speaking country. Find out more about our English language requirements. For more information about qualifications view our Aston in your country webpage.

The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor. 

Please note the application deadline for this course is Wednesday 23rd August 2023.

The Doctor of Hearing Therapy course can be broken into four stages. Students progress through:
1.    PG Certificate Hearing Therapy
2.    PG Diploma in Hearing Therapy
3.    M level project and development of additional studies
4.    Interview with Chair of Applied Health Research Group and allocation of supervisors moving to independent project work 

Entry to the doctoral pathway is open only to students who maintain over 70% average across the first two years of study and who are successful at interviews. 
It is possible to exit the course at any of the stages, enabling you to be flexible with your level of commitment at the outset. It is also possible to take any of the following modules independently as they are offered as part of the College of Health and Life Sciences Continuing Professional Development portfolio.
The programme is based on blended learning to enable it to be conducted while you remain in practice and apply the knowledge you gain from lectures to complete your assignments and case records based on theory and evidence-based practice.

The number of taught elements taken at any time is flexible:

• MSc programme requires six taught modules (120 credits) to be undertaken along with a research methods tuition and written research dissertation (60 credits total) (all within 5-6 years)
• DHearing Therapy programme requires six taught modules (120 credits) to be undertaken along with a research methods tuition and written research dissertation (60 credits total) (all within 5-6 years) plus a full practice-based research project (all within 6-7 years)
• Research Methods is a core module for MSc and doctorate students.

Taught modules are available once per year, with start dates 1 October, and are 20 credits each (nominally equivalent to 200 hours of student learning). All modules (excluding Hearing Therapy Counselling and Communication Skills) consist of remote access lectures with online tests for feedback and a module coursework assignment, such as an essay related to the module.  

Course Modules:

Hearing Therapy Counselling and Communication Skills: this module is taught on campus face to face over five days in a block of three days (October) and two days (January) This module provides the foundational skills in communication and use of counselling approaches in Hearing Therapy. The module also covers common practices within Hearing Therapy and the scope of practice with a range of patient/client groups. 

Tinnitus Management
This module introduces students to therapeutic practices in tinnitus management. Students critically engage with approaches and evidence on treatment approaches in tinnitus.  

Adult Rehabilitation
This module examines therapeutic approaches to rehabilitation and the use of technology (including hearing aids).
 

Evidence-based Practice
This module introduces students to the application of and use of evidence in clinical practice and the importance of well informed change strategies in practice. 

Vestibular Rehabilitation
This module introduces approaches in vestibular rehabilitation and examines the needs of people with vestibular disorders. 

Health Behaviours & Behaviour Change Interventions
This module introduces students to model of health behaviours and their role in explaining and predicting how individuals engage with healthcare. Students learn how to plan programmes of intervention and examine effectiveness. 

Dissertation I: Research Methods & Proposal 
This module teaches students about the range of research methodologies used in healthcare and supports the planning of individual project proposals and protocols. 

Dissertation II: Research Project
This module enables students to conduct original studies in the field of Hearing Therapy and audiology, using a wide range of methods. Students work individually and in small groups with supervisor support. 

The research review dissertation (MSc) or full project (DHearingTherapy) is the major component of the programme, supervised by members of the Aston Audiology department. You will develop your ideas and proposals guided by staff members with appropriate research interests. Because this is a distance-learning programme, research projects are not normally carried out on the University campus, and it is essential that the student has access to the facilities and resources needed to carry out the research, usually in the student's place of work.

Please note: details provided are intended to give an overview of the proposed aims and content in modules, they are not a complete exhaustive and definitive description of module content. In order to offer you the best possible experience and keep our programmes up-to-date and relevant, the University is going through a transition period and is reconfiguring a number of our programmes. These improvements will affect applicants from September 2020 onward. This webpage will be updated with new course information in due course.

Taught modules are available once per year, with start dates of 1 October, and are 20 credits each (nominally equivalent to 200 hours of student learning). All modules (excluding Hearing Therapy Counselling and Communication Skills) consist of remote access lectures with online tests for feedback and a module coursework assignment, such as an essay related to the module.  

If you have any questions about the application process please get in touch with our postgraduate admissions team:

Email: pgadmissions@aston.ac.uk

Call: 0121 204 3200 (Please note this line is open Monday-Friday between 10am-4pm)

Please click here for guidance on completing the postgraduate application. 

This course is delivered via blended learning - mainly distance learning but with some essential on campus face to face delivery, which will also give you the opportunity to participate in group activities to meet fellow Doctor of Hearing Therapy students.

All taught modules are worth 20 credits each, which is nominally equivalent to 200 hours of student learning. Modules consist of remote access lectures with electronic formative assessments and a module coursework assignment such as reflective case records, or an essay/literature review related to the module.

The research stage requires a significant long-term commitment, as it is equivalent to around 2 years of full-time work (i.e. 4 years part-time). Candidates ultimately submit a thesis which is examined in a viva voce examination.

Course Director: Dr Helen Pryce

Teaching staff:

• Dr Rachel Shaw 
• Dr Lou Atkinson 
• Dr Rebecca Knibb 
• Dr Amanda Hall 

The Doctor of Hearing Therapy is a unique qualification - a professional doctorate providing you with opportunities to pursue the study of rehabilitative practices and to develop their communication and counselling skills. It enables a critical and original reading of audiological practices, enabling problem solving and application of audiology to marginalised and complex patient groups. 

Rehabilitation continues to be a core part of providing audiological care. Audiology patients are predominantly service users for life and their needs are only partly addressed by technological solutions. The importance of continuing to deliver rehabilitation opportunities beyond hearing aids and to support education and social care provision of services has been recognised in the Department of Health Action Plan (April 2015).

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