MSci (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy
-
UCAS code
B62M -
Typical offer
AAB -
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
-
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
Through this MSci (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy degree you will prepare for a career as a qualified speech and language therapist and gain valuable experience of working with patients.
As a Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) student, you will benefit directly from our world-class research into subjects, such as linguistics, language development, language pathology, and bilingualism. You will also be able to take advantage of our in-house speech and language therapy clinic, observational facilities, speech research laboratory and new sound recording room. We are one of the first departments in the UK to host NHS clinics in our purpose-built speech and language therapy facility on site.
The course has recently changed to an undergraduate entry integrated Masters from a BSc degree, and has been approved by the Health Care Professions Council. Once you graduate from the MSci Speech and Language Therapy programme, you can apply for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council which will then allow you to work as a speech and language therapist.
The MSci has been identified by our students, local employers and other stakeholders as the best way forward to maintain quality and enjoyment of the programme and to support future employment.
This course combines theoretical knowledge with clinical practice and you will gain hands-on experience right from the start. For example, in year one, during our "Child Development Assignment", you will be assigned a baby and go to home visits in order to observe its development over approximately 18 months. This will allow you to observe how a typically developing child develops, and enable you to develop your professional skills of interacting with parents and engaging with young children.
Throughout the course you will study core modules in linguistics, psychology, medical sciences and language pathology. You will also cover therapy and management, and how to diagnose, assess and treat (or manage) communication and swallowing disorders. You will also have the opportunity to gain valuable experience of working within a large range of professional settings through a combination of weekly and block placement opportunities. The majority of our staff are practising speech and language therapists, and they will give you a direct insight into the latest developments in clinical practice.
During the final year you will be able to pursue your own interests through optional subjects such as autism spectrum disorders or specific language impairments. Additionally, you will carry out an original piece of research and write a dissertation.
The values of the course are aligned with those set out in the NHS Constitution.
The School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences is committed to providing an excellent quality service, demonstrating compassion and dignity, care and respect to our patients, students and colleagues whilst embracing equality and diversity. We achieve this by clarity of communication and reflecting courage and integrity in all areas of our work, supported by our knowledge, competence and innovation.
Placement
You will have the opportunity to carry out both weekly and block placements through this course. These take place in a large range of clinical settings, including within NHS organisations, schools and the private and voluntary sector. Placements are organised by our in-house team and are carefully selected in order to give you variety of experiences and the opportunity to work alongside enthusiastic professionals in a well-supported environment.
You will have the opportunity to work with a wide of range of children and adults, and develop your communication, clinical and research skills within professional settings.
By the end of the degree you will have amassed around 600 hours' experience in observing and treating patients with communication and swallowing problems. This is in excess of the minimum number required by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
For more information, please visit the School of Psychology's website.
Overview
Through this MSci (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy degree you will prepare for a career as a qualified speech and language therapist and gain valuable experience of working with patients.
As a Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) student, you will benefit directly from our world-class research into subjects, such as linguistics, language development, language pathology, and bilingualism. You will also be able to take advantage of our in-house speech and language therapy clinic, observational facilities, speech research laboratory and new sound recording room. We are one of the first departments in the UK to host NHS clinics in our purpose-built speech and language therapy facility on site.
The course has recently changed to an undergraduate entry integrated Masters from a BSc degree, and has been approved by the Health Care Professions Council. Once you graduate from the MSci Speech and Language Therapy programme, you can apply for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council which will then allow you to work as a speech and language therapist.
The MSci has been identified by our students, local employers and other stakeholders as the best way forward to maintain quality and enjoyment of the programme and to support future employment.
This course combines theoretical knowledge with clinical practice and you will gain hands-on experience right from the start. For example, in year one, during our "Child Development Assignment", you will be assigned a baby and go to home visits in order to observe its development over approximately 18 months. This will allow you to observe how a typically developing child develops, and enable you to develop your professional skills of interacting with parents and engaging with young children.
Throughout the course you will study core modules in linguistics, psychology, medical sciences and language pathology. You will also cover therapy and management, and how to diagnose, assess and treat (or manage) communication and swallowing disorders. You will also have the opportunity to gain valuable experience of working within a large range of professional settings through a combination of weekly and block placement opportunities. The majority of our staff are practising speech and language therapists, and they will give you a direct insight into the latest developments in clinical practice.
During the final year you will be able to pursue your own interests through optional subjects such as autism spectrum disorders or specific language impairments. Additionally, you will carry out an original piece of research and write a dissertation.
The values of the course are aligned with those set out in the NHS Constitution.
The School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences is committed to providing an excellent quality service, demonstrating compassion and dignity, care and respect to our patients, students and colleagues whilst embracing equality and diversity. We achieve this by clarity of communication and reflecting courage and integrity in all areas of our work, supported by our knowledge, competence and innovation.
Placement
You will have the opportunity to carry out both weekly and block placements through this course. These take place in a large range of clinical settings, including within NHS organisations, schools and the private and voluntary sector. Placements are organised by our in-house team and are carefully selected in order to give you variety of experiences and the opportunity to work alongside enthusiastic professionals in a well-supported environment.
You will have the opportunity to work with a wide of range of children and adults, and develop your communication, clinical and research skills within professional settings.
By the end of the degree you will have amassed around 600 hours' experience in observing and treating patients with communication and swallowing problems. This is in excess of the minimum number required by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
For more information, please visit the School of Psychology's website.
Entry requirements A Level AAB
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Typical offer
AAB
International Baccalaureate
34 points overalls including 4 in standard level English, Maths and Science
GCSE
English, Mathematics and Science at grade B (5).
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDD
Additional Requirements
As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview.
Candidates should demonstrate a deep understanding of speech and language therapy and be aware of the clinical populations therapists typically work with. This can be achieved through personal research or experience having worked with children or adults with or without communication disorders. Previous applicants have gained experience through voluntary or paid work, for example in local hospitals, schools, charities, elderly care homes, play schemes, etc. You can also observe speech and language therapists in clinical settings but this is not a requirement as we are aware this is often difficult to arrange.
Candidates from the UK will need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, arranged and funded by the University. All non-UK candidates need to provide a certificate of no criminal convictions – provided by their own Country before entering the UK. Candidates also complete an occupational health questionnaire, provided and funded by the University, and complete a declaration of health. Evidence is required of up-to-date vaccinations including MMR, varicella (chicken pox), hepatitis B and tuberculosis.
English requirements
Please note that if your first language is not English you are required to have passed an IELTS test with an overall mark of at least 8.0, with not less than 7.5 on any individual component, prior to the commencement of the degree programme.
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Other information
Deferred Entry available.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.
Pre-sessional English language programme
If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.
The University of Reading has signed a joint statement with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists that states our commitment to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion in speech and language therapy pre-registration degrees.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PL1CLIN1 | Clinical Studies 1 | MRS Fiona Baillie |
PL1LING1 | Introduction to Linguistics | MR Daniel Fryer |
PL1MED1 | Medicine Module 1 | DR Fatemeh Mollaei |
PL1PHON1 | Phonetics and Phonology 1 | DR Mirjana Sokolovic-Perovic |
PL1PSYCH | Psychology for Speech and Language Therapy | DR Emma Pagnamenta |
PL1SLCD1 | Speech Language and Communication Disorders 1 | DR Fatemeh Mollaei |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PL2CLIN2 | Clinical Studies 2 | MRS Theo Read |
PL2LING2 | Linguistics 2 | DR Ian Cunnings |
PL2PHON2 | Phonetics and Phonology 2 | DR Mirjana Sokolovic-Perovic |
PL2SLCD2 | Speech Language and Communication Disorders 2 | DR Tom Loucas |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PL3CLIN3 | Clinical Studies 3 | MS Carol Fairfield |
PL3MED2 | Medicine 2 | DR Vishnu Kaleeckal Krishnankutty Nair |
PL3RES | Research Methods | DR George Pontikas |
PL3SLCD3 | Speech Language and Communication Disorders 3 | DR Arpita Bose |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PL4CLIN4 | Clinical Studies 4 | MS Carol Fairfield |
PLM4P | Dissertation | DR Christos Pliatsikas |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
PL4CSDP | Culturally Sustaining and Decolonisation Practices in Speech and Language Therapy | DR Vishnu Kaleeckal Krishnankutty Nair |
PL4DS | Disorders of Eating Drinking and Swallowing | MS Carol Fairfield |
PL4LDG | Language and Communication in Genetic Disorders | PROF Vesna Stojanovik |
PLMML | Multilingualism and Impairment Across the Lifespan | PROF Ludovica Serratrice |
PLMNL | NEUROSCIENCE OF LANGUAGE | MR Daniel Fryer |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*
New international students: £24,500
*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Available funding can be found on the Funding Clinic’s website.
Training grant
The Department of Health and Social Care offers new and continuing students on Speech and Language Therapy programmes access to the Learning Support Fund, administered by the NHS Business Services Authority. This Fund includes a non-means tested Training Grant, currently (2021) set at £5,000 for each academic year for all eligible students, plus additional funds for eligible students who have parental responsibility and/or qualify for additional funds for Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses. This fund applies even if you have already taken out loans for a previous undergraduate degree. The application process is administered by the NHS and you will be able to apply from 1 July. To apply, please visit the NHS website.
You will need to ensure you check the Learning Support Fund site regularly to keep up to date with what is being offered.
Careers
As a graduate of this course you can apply to work as a speech and language therapist. The integrated master’s element of the course develops further your analytical and critical thinking skills preparing you for your career path and provides a unique degree once you graduate. Most of our graduates choose this career path and go on to work within the NHS, education or the independent sector.
In hospitals, Speech and Language Therapists provide services to clients on an in-patient and out-patient basis, with an increasing focus on outreach and intermediate care. They also work in a range of other sites in the community such as health centres, day nurseries, schools and colleges, training centers, and care homes. Some speech and language therapists are employed directly in education, the voluntary sector or work in private practice. Alternatively you may decide to move into research or postgraduate study