Hearing Sciences (top-up) BSc (Hons)

Our Hearing Sciences (Top-up) BSc (Hons) will broaden your knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of hearing science (rehabilitative and diagnostic), as well as giving you the opportunity to complete a research project in a relevant topic of your choosing.

There will be extensive practical elements during the residential days using the latest hardware from Siemens, GN Resound and Interacoustics, supported by interactive learning resources. The residential will give you the opportunity to share your learning journey and experiences with your tutors and peers and to expand your understanding and contacts in a collaborative environment. Our small, friendly, experienced and highly motivated academic team are assisted by invited external expert speakers.

Please note that this course doesn't currently provide a direct route to the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP). However, you can pursue an alternative pathway to registration after qualification.

If you’re a practicing Hearing Aid Audiologist with relevant professional body registration (e.g. Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser with Health and Care Professions Council) then you might also be interested in our BSc Hons Audiology (Top-up) course that does offer a direct route to the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).

Modules and Assessment

Due to the structure of this course, there will be instances where you will study two modules simultaneously during a trimester. You will be supported by your tutors to help manage your workload and assessment deadlines.

Please contact one of our advisers to discuss the pacing of this course and the options available to match your circumstances.

Tinnitus Assessment and Management

You'll gain an understanding of the consequences, assessment, and management of tinnitus. The module will also emphasize evidence-based practice in tinnitus management.

Managing People with Specialist Needs

You’ll develop your understanding of assessment and management of adults with complex and specialist needs, that can arise due to the complex nature of hearing disorder and/or comorbid conditions that are common in the elderly. These skills are particularly important to independent practitioners in audiology to be able to support the needs of the clinical audiology pathway in the current and future service commissioning.

Implantable Hearing Devices

Amplification devices continue to benefit people with hearing loss, although they have some limitations. In the recent years implantable devices have become the management option of choice for many people with hearing disorders. These include: cochlear implants; auditory brainstem implants; bone anchored hearing aids; and implantable middle ear devices. You'll gain an overview of these devices, in terms of its technology, candidacy, day-to-day maintenance, advantages and limitations

Hearing in Children

You’ll discuss the range of hearing disorders common in children and young adults, covering specific topics including development milestones, hearing disorders, and the assessment and management of these. You’ll also gain an understanding of the role of other stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams, and develop your knowledge of the transition of services from children to adults.

Advances in Adult Audiology

Hearing healthcare as a profession is developing rapidly with significant advancements in the diagnosis and management of people with hearing loss. You’ll gain an overview of both diagnostic and rehabilitative measures involved in managing adults with hearing loss with the aim of providing up-to-date knowledge, reinforcing the evidence-based practice.

Undergraduate Major Project

You'll create in a substantial piece of individual research and/or product development work, focused on a topic of your choice. You could choose your topic from a variety of sources including research groups, previous/current work experience, your current employer, a suggestion from your tutor or a topic you're specifically interested in. You'll identify problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, determine solutions, develop hardware, software and/or media artefacts as appropriate, process data, critically appraise and present your finding using a variety of media. Regular meetings with your project supervisor will ensure your project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction.

Assessment

Your progress will be monitored through regular online interaction, including discussion boards, blogs and assignments. You'll complete and submit assignments and your Undergraduate Major Project. There is also a practical exam.

Srikanth Chundu

Course leader

Previously a cochlear implant Audiologist at University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service, and a distance learning tutor for the course, Sri joined Anglia Ruskin University on a fulltime basis in April 2015. He has worked in various settings in Audiology and is currently involved with a number of research projects in collaboration with other Universities, in areas including Cochlear implant rehabilitation, Internet based rehabilitation, Psycho-social aspects of hearing loss and occupational hearing loss.

Sri is a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D), a Master of Science (M.Sc) in Audiology, a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Speech & Hearing: and is registered with the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) as Audiologist.

Dr Robert C MacKinnon

Senior Lecturer

Robert's undergraduate studies for his BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge gave him a broad scientific background. He specialised in Neuroscience in his final year and his undergraduate project was performed in Professor Brian Moore's lab and focused on cochlear implant simulation, and was subsequently published.

Robert completed his PhD in Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Nottingham. He worked in the National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit (now Biomedical Research Centre). His project focused on the long-term effects of recreational music listening, and used a novel questionnaire and hearing test to test hundreds of participants online over the internet.

Robert trained clinically as a HCPC-registered Clinical Scientist in Audiology at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with an associated MSc (Merit) in Clinical Science (Neurosensory) from the University of Manchester. He has experience in paediatric, vestibular, complex adult, and single sided clinics, as well as routine clinics. Robert is also a HCPC-registered Hearing Aid Dispenser.

Our Hearing Sciences (top-up) BSc (Hons) course is delivered in a blend of online learning and block residentials to provide a flexible, practical and career-enhancing learning experience.

You’ll study through Canvas, our world-class online Learning Management System (LMS), which can be accessed from your phone, PC or tablet at home or on the move. Canvas provides instant access to study materials, forums, and support from tutors and classmates, as well as enabling easy submission of your assignments.

The residentials are spread monthly during each semester, beginning with a week's induction residential in September. Further compulsory residentials take place in October (3 days), November (4 days), December (2 days), February (4 days), March (5 days) and March/April (5 days). Residential dates are provided at the earliest possible opportunity, to enable you to manage your absence with your employer.

On successful completion of your studies, you’ll be invited to attend a graduation ceremony on campus. If attending the ceremony in person is not possible then we’ll arrange to have your certificate sent to you.

To help you land your dream job, our Employability Service will work with you throughout your time at ARU and after you graduate.

We offer:

• careers advice, including one-to-one online and telephone appointments with our experienced advisers
• help with your CV, job searches, applications, and interview preparation
• an online portal packed with useful careers resources
• our Employability Programme, which helps you hone the skills employers say they want in graduates.

This Level 6 top-up course in BSc (Hons) Hearing Science is suitable for practising Hearing Aid Audiologists with relevant professional body registration (e.g. Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser with Health and Care Professions Council). However, if you don’t have professional body registration you can still be admitted to the course with a view to developing advanced knowledge in this specialist area, although this qualification will not provide eligibility for you to register with any regulatory bodies.

The minimum requirements for admission to this top-up award are one of the following:

• Foundation Degree in Hearing Aid Audiology (or equivalent).
• Dip HE in Audiology and/or Hearing Aid Audiology.
• 240 University credits (at level 4 and 5) with core audiology subjects achieved via any other means.

You will need to provide evidence that a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance has been undertaken.

If you have lived outside of the UK for 6 months or more within the last 5 years then you will need to provide a police check from the country/countries previously resided in

If you are completing placements overseas then you will be required to obtain a police check/certificate of good conduct from the relevant country

As a distance learner, you'll also need a suitable computer with internet connection, together with sufficient IT competence to make effective use our online learning management system (LMS) with high-speed internet and email.

If you hold the relevant professional body registration you might be interested in our BSc (Hons) Audiology (Top-up) degree.

Please note that we are currently unable to offer this course to international students. This course is taught via a mix of distance learning and face-to-face residentials, which means it does not meet the requirements of either the Student Visa Route or Short Term Study Visa routes under current UK Visa and Immigration regulations. 

Fees

This top-up degree costs £6,500 in total.

Accredited Prior Learning may reduce the tuition fees. This will be confirmed once your application has been submitted.

Please note that accommodation and personal travel to and from the residentials is not included in the tuition fees.

Funding

Government-backed part time student loans are available to cover the cost of studying this course. These are subject to eligibility and terms and conditions.

We offer payment by instalments, so you can spread the cost of studying with us.

For military students: You can use your ELCs towards this course. Anglia Ruskin University is a recognised ELCAS provider (number 1007). Please contact your Learning Centre for details of ELC, eligibility and how to apply.

For more information on how you fund your studies please see our funding page.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People estimates that one in five UK adults experience hearing loss of over 25 dBHL. 

With a hearing sciences degree, you’ll develop the skills to provide diagnostic and rehabilitative treatment to patients and embark on or progress in a career that makes a difference and provides valuable support to those experiencing hearing loss. 

Our top-up BSc is a great way to build upon your learning within the field of audiology – as a student on this course, you will have an existing understanding of hearing sciences through working experience and/or foundational qualifications within the field which will give you a strong grounding on which to develop. 

And this distance learning top-up degree will transform that learning into a full BSc qualification. Taking less than a year to complete, our course is a fast-track to an undergraduate degree, and a quick and effective way to capitalise on your existing experience whilst taking the next steps in your career progression – since your existing knowledge will count towards your qualification, you won’t have to start from scratch.

At ARU, it’s important to us that whichever online degree you choose, your course should be the perfect fit for you. 

And amongst our diverse catalogue, we offer multiple online degrees in the fields of hearing sciences and audiology. 

Although some of our courses may share certain similarities, they have all been designed with one key aim – to help you specialise in the right area of expertise, and give you the skills to achieve your goals. 

The skills you’ll learn on this course will prepare you for advancement in your audiology career, and in the future after you graduate, you may choose to pursue registration with a professional body. However, if you already have the relevant professional registration, you may be interested in our BSc (Hons) Audiology (Top-up) course. 

Whatever your ambitions in audiology and hearing sciences, our courses can help you get there.

This course will explore a range of topics in the field of hearing sciences and audiology to improve your skills as a practitioner.  

Through the modules of this course, you’ll come to learn diagnostic processes as well as treatments, to assist patients experiencing hearing loss. This course is designed to deliver a contemporary experience of growth in the field of hearing care, and will give you the chance to learn about cutting-edge technologies and the wide range of devices used to support hearing loss. 

You’ll also develop your expertise in dealing with conditions such as tinnitus, as well as learning to provide support to a range of patients, including the elderly, young people and other vulnerable groups to enable you to provide the best possible care as a practitioner of audiology. 

As part of your major project, you’ll also have the opportunity to explore a specialist topic or area of interest – this may be one in which you have existing experience, or an aspect of your course that you would like to study in greater depth. 

As part of this course you’ll also have the chance to enjoy hands-on experience thanks to our residentials, which take place throughout the semester each month for the duration of your course. You’ll be assessed through a combination of online engagement and practical examination to give you the chance to practice your skills as a student as well as mastering theory.

If you’re looking to develop your skills as an audiology and hearing sciences practitioner, this course is a fantastic next step to advance your career. 

And by studying your BSc top-up as a distance learning degree, you’ll enjoy a number of unique benefits. 

With any degree in the field of health and social care, courses which offer practical experience will help you to gain confidence in your abilities and advance your learning, which is why it comprises such a significant part of our Hearing Sciences (top-up) BSc with monthly residentials. 

However, if you’re studying alongside your career and/or other commitments, it can be difficult to balance your timetable. But by studying primarily through distance learning, you’ll have the flexibility to juggle your professional development in both workplace and academic settings. 

And when you study with ARU, you’ll learn with the help of expert tutors, enjoying a work-based course that gives you hands-on experience as well as the freedom of distance learning. Our course is also BSHAA approved. 

Want to transform your existing skills into a full BSc in hearing science? This course can be the key to the next step in your audiology career.  

Want to learn more about our courses? Take a look at the following blogs: 

• What Can I Do With An Online Degree?
• 5 Types of Students That Thrive As Distance Learners
• 5 Reasons To Return To Education After A Break