Speech and language therapist

This is a full-time training program during which five external internships are completed. The training concludes after three years with a state examination. It consists of a practical, written and oral part.

Theoretical training

At least 1740 hours of theoretical and practical lessons and at least 2100 hours of practical training take place during the three-year course.

The aim of the theoretical and practical training is to provide trainees with the necessary professional skills that will enable them to enter working life after six semesters of training as well-trained young professionals with a wide range of technical and methodological skills and abilities.

The starting point for training at our school is the model of professional speech therapy competence, on the basis of which we train highly qualified speech therapists.

Overview of theoretical and practical teaching according to the training and examination regulations, LogAPrO:

I Main subjects

• Speech therapy
• Phoniatrics
• Ear, nose and throat medicine
• Anatomy, physiology and pathology
• Psychology and clinical psychology
• Pedagogy and special education
• Phonetics and linguistics
• Audiology and pedaudiology
• Neurology and psychiatry

II Other subjects

• Pediatrics and neuropaediatrics
• Voice training
• Speech training
• Electrical and hearing aid acoustics
• Sociology
• Aphasiology
• Professional, legal and civic education
• Orthodontics and oral surgery
• Child and adolescent psychiatry

Practical training

The aim of the practical training is to acquire both technical and methodological as well as comprehensive personal and social-communicative skills and abilities. The practical training comprises approximately 2,100 hours. The School of Speech Therapy is located in the Head Clinic of Heidelberg University Hospital and thus ensures a close integration of theory and practice.

As part of the practical training, trainees are prepared specifically and individually for working with patients. They diagnose and treat outpatients and inpatients from various departments and clinics (e.g. phoniatrics, neurology, ENT, radiology). The diagnostics and therapies are closely supervised by the respective specialist teaching speech therapist.

Regular observations in all disorders during the entire training period are also an important part of the training. Music therapy, psychological self-awareness and conversation techniques are further training contents.

Training begins every year on October 01. Professional aptitude includes

• excellent verbal and written communication skills
• flawless articulation
• good musicality
• mental resilience
• empathy
• critical judgment
• normal eyesight and hearing

Prerequisite for access to training:

• Secondary school certificate with completed two-year vocational training or
• Intermediate school leaving certificate or
• Advanced technical college certificate or
• General higher education entrance qualification
• Health suitability and proof of immunity against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and pertussis

For applicants who have obtained their school-leaving certificate abroad: Assessment of the school-leaving certificate by the Stuttgart Regional Council

The majority of our trainees have a general higher education entrance qualification. Experience in the medical and / or socio-educational field is desirable. Applications for the start of training on October 1 will be accepted until February 15 of the same year.

Please download the application form available here and fill it out. For a complete application, please attach the following documents to the completed application form:

• Cover letter
• passport photo
• Current curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Description of your motivation for training as a speech and language therapist (separate document, not included in the cover letter) approx. 1 DIN A4 page.
• School-leaving certificate, last current certificate if applicable
• If applicable, final certificate of vocational training / studies or current certificate
• Employment reference, if applicable
• Proof and, if applicable, assessments of internships

Please do not send originals but copies of certificates and other evidence. If you have obtained school certificates outside Germany, these must be transposed into the German grading system by an authority. Foreign-language documents must be translated and notarized.

Please do not send any application folders, loose-leaf binders or similar, but simply place your documents in an envelope and send it to us.

The aptitude test takes place as follows:

• Introduction round in the large group with applicants and teaching logopedists
• Individual interview
• Voice and musicality test
• Small group work on a topic
• Writing an essay

The aptitude test for training from 01.10.2025 will take place from 03.03. to 07.03.2025.

• From the start of your training, you are an employee of Heidelberg University Hospital.
• You have 30 days of vacation per year
• You will receive a training allowance (see above).
• You can apply for a job ticket in the form of a discounted Germany ticket.
• If you meet the relevant requirements, you can rent a room in the staff residence. Rooms of different sizes and facilities are available in staff residences in Heidelberg-Neuenheim (Neuenheimer Feld campus) and Heidelberg-Schlierbach (Orthopaedic University Hospital). In Neuenheim, rents are between € 175 and € 239/month, in Schlierbach between € 295 and € 302/month. (as of January 2024)