What characterises academic speech therapy, such as patholinguistics?
There are academic (i.e. at colleges/universities) and non-academic (i.e. at vocational schools) speech and language therapists. Non-academic speech and language therapists are, for example, speech therapists and state-certified breathing, speech and voice teachers according to Schlaffhorst-Andersen. Academic speech therapists are, for example, patholinguists (graduates of the patholinguistics programme at the University of Potsdam), speech and language therapists, clinical linguists, clinical speech scientists and speech therapists. An overview of the study centres that train academic speech therapists can be found here. The German Federal Association for Academic Speech Therapy and Speech Therapy e.V. (dbs) describes in a mission statement what academic speech therapy is all about. This mission statement and a competence profile can be found here.

How is the Patholinguistics (BSc) degree programme at the University of Potsdam structured and which courses do I have to take?
Information on the structure of the Patholinguistics (BSc) degree programme can be found in the study regulations and module regulations as well as in the information for prospective students.

What does the programme cover?
The degree programme is interdisciplinary and includes courses from the fields of patholinguistics (neurolinguistics, language acquisition, language processing), linguistics, medicine, education and psychology.

The programme deals with the theoretical, diagnostic and therapeutic principles of speech, language and swallowing disorders in adults, children and adolescents. A particular focus is on evidence-based therapy research, in which scientifically sound diagnostic and therapeutic materials are developed and their effectiveness and efficiency are proven in controlled studies. Traditional and clinically proven therapy methods can also be compared and evaluated in this way. This helps to prove the quality of speech therapy interventions and to establish an effective link between linguistic theory and speech therapy practice. Other focal points are research into the relationship between language and the brain and the development of models of (unimpaired) language processing.

What does the programme cover?
The degree programme is interdisciplinary and includes courses from the fields of patholinguistics (neurolinguistics, language acquisition, language processing), linguistics, medicine, education and psychology.

The programme deals with the theoretical, diagnostic and therapeutic principles of speech, language and swallowing disorders in adults, children and adolescents. A particular focus is on evidence-based therapy research, in which scientifically sound diagnostic and therapeutic materials are developed and their effectiveness and efficiency are proven in controlled studies. Traditional and clinically proven therapy methods can also be compared and evaluated in this way. This helps to prove the quality of speech therapy interventions and to establish an effective link between linguistic theory and speech therapy practice. Other focal points are research into the relationship between language and the brain and the development of models of (unimpaired) language processing.

Why study at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Potsdam?
The Department of Linguistics at the University of Potsdam is one of the largest in Germany and has a strong interdisciplinary focus. In addition to patholinguistics (neurolinguistics, language acquisition, language processing), grammar theory (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics) and computational linguistics are also represented in teaching and research. The broad spectrum of all linguistic disciplines forms the basis for the understanding of language disorders and the investigation of healthy language processing and is unique in this form in Germany.

What is the teaching and learning concept of the Patholinguistics degree programme?

Cross-course and cross-semester learning
Students from ‘older’ semesters are available as mentors for students from ‘younger’ semesters on selected content-related questions. The content developed in seminars is also presented to students from other semesters, e.g. as a poster presentation. The practical-therapeutic training takes place across all courses and runs from the 1st semester through the entire degree programme.

Problem-based learning
Teaching is competence-orientated: The skills and abilities required for speech therapy practice and speech therapy research are constantly promoted and taught and completed through self-determined, discovery-based and action-orientated learning. As a result, our graduates not only have up-to-date and comprehensive specialist knowledge, but also the skills to apply this directly and independently in their professional practice.

Practical training integrated into the degree programme
Practical training as a speech therapist begins in the 1st semester and continues throughout the entire degree programme. The so-called internal internship takes place in the 1st - 4th semester: Students observe therapies with children and adults and carry out therapies independently under the guidance of experienced speech therapists. This internal internship is supplemented by practical exercises on making findings and therapy planning, dialogue management and therapy didactics. Students spend the 5th semester in the so-called external internship and acquire practical clinical skills in speech therapy practices and clinics. The practical training is completed with the presentation of two therapies carried out in the external internship.

Fully equipped therapy rooms are available to students both on the Golm campus and at ZAPP Potsdam. Connected supervision rooms and video recording of the therapy sessions enable intensive supervision of the students. A therapy library with numerous diagnostic and therapy materials, including a computer workstation, is available to students for preparation.

Research-based learning
The degree programme not only teaches and discusses empirical results, but also gives students the opportunity to carry out their own empirical investigations, therapies and surveys as part of seminar and project work. The integration of the Patholinguistics degree programme into the Cognitive Sciences structural area enables a particularly research-based approach through the various laboratories located in the Department of Linguistics. Professors, research assistants and research and student assistants work hand in hand in these experimental laboratories. The Patholinguistics degree programme works particularly closely with the Treatment Lab, the Swallowing Lab, the Nola Lab, the Babylab and the Developmental Disorders Lab.

Why is it recommended to have your voice and hearing checked by an ENT specialist or phoniatrist?
As a speech therapist, you will be working in a speech-intensive profession, so it is in your own interest to have your voice and hearing checked. However, the examination is not a prerequisite for your application!

Why is it recommended to do a four-week social work placement?
This internship should help you to decide whether you are basically suitable for working with children and adults and whether you enjoy the work. However, the internship is not a prerequisite for your application!

Can speech therapy training be recognised in the degree course?
Successfully completed speech therapy training or proof of an equivalent qualification can replace the external internship in the 5th semester.

Can I study abroad during my degree programme?
The University of Potsdam and the Patholinguistics degree programme expressly support stays abroad during your studies. You can study abroad or complete an internship. The University of Potsdam participates in the Erasmus+ programme, which promotes cross-border mobility for students in Europe. The Patholinguistics degree programme has partner universities in Belgium, Finland, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Turkey and Switzerland. Stays abroad outside Europe are also possible. You can find further information on stays abroad as part of the degree programme on the website of the International Office.

Where can I work as a therapist after studying Patholinguistics (BSc)?
As a speech therapist, you can work in various institutions, e.g. in speech therapy/logopaedic practices, socio-paediatric centres, learning therapy facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, geriatric facilities and counselling centres. You can find a selection of speech therapy practices where patholinguists or other academic speech therapists work in the vpl therapist directory and the dbs therapist directory.

Which disorders am I authorised to treat with the BSc Patholinguistics degree in Potsdam?
With a degree in BSc Patholinguistics, you are authorised to treat the following disorders (indication codes) and to bill all cost bearers. This eligibility for admission is set out in Annex 3: ‘Evaluated degree programmes’ of the admission recommendations of the GKV-Spitzenverband.

• Developmental disorders and rhinolalia (SP1 - SP3 and SF)
• Speech disorders with profound hearing loss and cochlear implants (SP4)
• Aphasia, dysarthria and apraxia of speech (SP5/6)
• Stuttering and poluttering (RE1/2)
• Chewing and swallowing disorders (SC)

How can I also gain authorisation for voice disorders (indication code ST1-4)?
Further qualification is possible via the Master's degree programme ‘Speech Science’ at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg or as part of a postgraduate degree. You can find information about the Master's programme in Speech Science here. If you have any questions, please contact the colleagues in Halle directly; in particular Stephanie Kurtenbach (study advisor for the Master's programme).

When do I need a health insurance licence?
A health insurance licence is only required if you are opening your own practice. If you work as an employee, authorisation for the disorders treated is sufficient. The basis for the health insurance licence is the licensing recommendations of the GKV-Spitzenverband. You can obtain information on health insurance authorisation and setting up a practice from a professional association, for example (see below)

What is the salary of an academic speech and language therapist (patholinguist)?
The salary depends on various factors, such as the type of job (employed or self-employed; clinic or practice) and the individual structure of the employment contract. It is therefore not possible to give exact figures. The dbs regularly publishes salary recommendations for employees in practices.

Is there a professional association for patholinguists?
Yes, many students and graduates of the Patholinguistics degree programme are members of the German Federal Association for Academic Speech and Language Therapy (dbs), which is committed to the professional policy and content interests of all academic speech and language therapists. In 2021, the non-profit Verband für Patholinguistik e.V. (vpl), which was founded 20 years earlier, decided to merge with the dbs. Until then, the vpl was the ‘association home’ of many patholinguists and represented their professional interests. In a joint, larger association, professional policy goals can be achieved even better in the future.