Promotion

Established within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Gazi University, the Department of Speech and Language Therapy is a health-related discipline that carries out prevention-focused approaches as well as assessment and intervention processes in the areas of communication, language, speech, voice, resonance, and swallowing. The Department has been actively operating since 2017, and the undergraduate program admitted its first cohort of students as of the 2025–2026 academic year. The program lasts four years (eight semesters), and the language of instruction is Turkish.

The main aim of the undergraduate Speech and Language Therapy program is to educate “Speech and Language Therapists” who embrace lifelong learning, adhere to ethical principles, adopt evidence-based practice, collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams, and ultimately aim to improve individuals’ quality of life. Within this framework, the primary educational objectives of the program are as follows:

1. To develop the ability to implement prevention, screening, functional assessment/differential evaluation, and intervention processes in communication, language, speech, voice, and swallowing disorders using a scientific approach,

2. To gain competence in clinical decision-making, problem-solving, and taking responsibility in line with professional ethics and client/patient safety principles,

3. To work collaboratively with different disciplines, make appropriate referrals when necessary, and actively contribute to multidisciplinary teamwork,

4. To enhance research literacy by following scientific developments and sustaining a culture of evidence-based practice.

The curriculum consists of theoretical courses that build the foundational professional knowledge and practice-oriented courses. Students learn assessment and intervention approaches in key areas such as developmental and acquired language disorders, speech sound disorders and motor speech disorders, fluency disorders, voice and resonance disorders, and swallowing disorders across different age groups. They also acquire fundamental knowledge and skills related to augmentative and alternative communication practices. To graduate, students are required to successfully complete all compulsory and elective courses across eight semesters and obtain a total of 240 ECTS credits.

Graduates may find employment in a wide range of settings, including public, private, and university hospitals and related clinics, speech and language therapy centers, private practices, schools, special education and rehabilitation centers, elderly care and rehabilitation facilities, and various community-based service settings. They may also pursue postgraduate education and continue their careers in academia.