An Overview of Speech and Language Therapy Undergraduate Programs and Students in Türkiye: A Descriptive Research

Objective: Since undergraduate programs in speechlanguage therapy (SLT) in Türkiye started to admit students in 2012, these programs and student profiles have not been investigated in detail. This study aims to examine the undergraduate programs in SLT and SLT undergraduate student profiles in Türkiye. Material and Methods: Using publicly available data from government websites, 27 active and 34 inactive SLT undergraduate degree programs were examined through document analysis. The number and gender distribution of students and graduates who were placed in SLT undergraduate programs, the students' vocational preference tendencies, characteristics of the undergraduate programs, the number of SLT undergraduate programs and students between 2012-2024, and the distribution of academic staff in the SLT programs depending on titles were determined. Results: The proportion of females among SLT students and graduates ranges from 78% to 85%. Between 2012-2024, the number of active SLT programs increased from 1 to 27, and the number of students admitted per year increased from 31 to 1661. The proportion of professors and associate professors in active SLT degree programs is 14.73%. Conclusion: SLT undergraduate programs in Türkiye have proliferated since their inception in 2012. However, sustainable growth requires careful planning. The study findings highlight the female students' significant predominance in the field, the insufficient academic staff, and the concentration of programs in specific cities. The number of academic staff should be considered to provide growth for SLT undergraduate programs in Türkiye.