GOAL: To analyze dissertations and theses in a graduate speech therapy program based on topics and research methods. METHOD: A cross-sectional study in the Program of Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PPUC-SP) in Postgraduate Studies in Speech Therapy. The dissertations and theses have been defended in 40 years of existence, inserted into the program's site, and categorized in specific spreadsheets by year, title, author, leader, and summary; this was followed by the area (e.g., voice, hearing, language, oral motor, public health, and clinical methods) and the search method (e.g., assessment and diagnosis, intervention, and literature review). Descriptive analyses have been performed by absolute and relative frequencies and measures of central tendency and dispersion. For this study, we tested linear regression models (i.e., quadratic, exponential, polynomial, and potential), based on the year, the area and the research method. RESULTS: Between 1978 and 2012, we analyzed 739 productions with an annual average of 24 productions. (The largest number of productions, 62 productions, occurred in 2000 and 2001). Hearing and language and speech showed an increasing trend, whereas the areas of oral motor and clinical methods registered a convex curve. The thematic evaluation and diagnosis in hearing and in language and speech showed a higher number of productions: all presented a statistically significant rising trend. CONCLUSION: The productions focused more on observational assessment and diagnosis in the areas of oral language, hearing, speech, and reading/writing, which increased over the years. This did not occur in the area of oral motor, which is reflected by the absence of a specific line of research on this subject.