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History
Our mission is to train highly qualified Speech and Language Therapists to meet the needs in terms of communication and language in our multilingual and multicultural context in Lebanon.
Speech and Language Therapy is a communication health profession in charge of screening, assessment, intervention and prevention of disorders related to oral language and literacy, written language, fluency, voice and swallowing in the context of a developmental, neurological, genetic, sensory or other difficulties. Speech and Language Therapists provide this range of services for infant, children, teenagers, adults and seniors. The Higher Institute of Speech and Language Therapy (ISO) provides two speech therapy programs, one in French (since 1995) and one in English (since 2019). The validation of 240 ECTS credits at the rate of 30 credits per semester for 8 semesters (4 years) as well as the submission of a research project related to a field of SLT practice are required to obtain the bachelor’s degree in Speech Therapy (Undergraduate degree). Following the completion of the undergraduate program, a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Therapy is also available (since 2015). The validation of 60 credits as well as the submission of a dissertation are required to obtain the Master’s degree in SLT.
A history of innovation!
In 1968, the Higher Institute of Speech Therapy, affiliated to the Faculty of Medicine, was founded at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ), the first French-speaking university in Lebanon. Because of the Lebanese war (1975-1990), the academic activities of the institute were interrupted.
In 1995, Mrs. Rouba El Khoury, a Speech and Language Therapist who graduated from Paris and who was aware of the pressing needs of language intervention for the Lebanese population, suggested to the university to re-open the Institute of Speech and Language Therapy. This project was done with the support of Orthophonistes du Monde (ODM - www.orthophonistesdumonde.fr) and with the partnership of the School of Speech Therapy of Tours University, in France. Since 1999, around 450 speech therapists graduated from ISO-USJ (Bac + 4, 240 ECTS credits).
Moreover, given the constant commitment to training multilingual speech and language therapists capable of meeting the needs of the structurally multilingual Lebanese context, and with the support of the USJ Rectorate, the ISO developed, in 2019, a speech and language therapy program taught in English, supported by renowned international collaborations such as that with Newcastle University. A Master’s program in English was launched in 2023.
A University Diploma in Audiophonology (15 credits) was established in 2025. Its main objective is to train versatile audiologists capable of assessing hearing in patients of all ages, proposing appropriate solutions while supporting the patient and their family, and organizing awareness campaigns on noise exposure, hearing loss, and their consequences on individual development and quality of life.
Created in September 2025, the Speech and Language Therapy Research Laboratory aims to structure, promote, and develop research in the field, while fostering interdisciplinary and international collaborations. It contributes to the academic influence of ISO and places research at the service of clinical practice and public health policies.