Speech Pathology Australia is recognised by the Federal Government of Australia, Department of Education, Employment and workplace relations (DEEWR), as the professional body that represents speech pathologists in Australia.  The Association is concerned with the maintenance of professional standards through the accreditation of speech pathology degree programs in Australia.

Eligibility for practising membership of Speech Pathology Australia is the recognised standard required to practise as a speech pathologist in Australia.  Accreditation of university speech pathology programs is one way that the Association determines eligibility for practising membership of Speech Pathology Australia.

The reason for the Association carrying out accreditation is to assure the general public of the quality of the speech pathology degree programs provided in Australia and, by direct inference, of the quality of professional speech pathologists who enter the profession by means of graduating from any of the accredited programs.   The aims of the accreditation of speech pathology degree programs are to: 

1. maintain minimum standards of the speech pathology profession in Australia
2. protect consumers of speech pathology services
3. stimulate maintenance of high standards and continuing improvement in the quality of professional education in speech pathology
4. provide support to the university programs to encourage excellence in professional preparation
5. support varied and flexible degree programs that are aligned with the changing realities of the speech pathology workplace

Speech Pathology Australia is committed to achieving these aims through implementing, as far as possible, an outcomes-focused accreditation.  The outcomes-focused accreditation involves a Speech Pathology Australia accrediting panel obtaining a thorough and detailed understanding of the degree program to be accredited, including an in-depth investigation of the adequacy of the assessment of competency carried out in the program.  The standards used to define the level of competency to be assessed are set down in the Competency Based Occupational Standards – Entry Level 2001 (CBOS 2001).   The CBOS 2001 is accepted by the profession as the expression of the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of someone entering the profession of speech pathology in Australia.

Accreditation is granted to those degree programs that adequately assess all graduating students against the CBOS 2001 Units and Elements across all the range indicators.  An accredited degree program allows only students who have demonstrated competency according to the CBOS 2001 across the range indicators to graduate with the degree from the program. 

See the Speech Pathology Accredited Courses currently available.