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Speech and Language Sciences MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This MSc is an accredited professional programme leading to qualification as a speech and language therapist (SLT). The programme integrates theory with work-based clinical placements with adults and children with a range of communication and swallowing difficulties. The programme has an excellent reputation, and over 90% of graduates are working in SLT-related posts within six months of qualifying.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£35,000
Duration
25 months
Programme starts
September 2023
September 2024
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct – 11 Nov 2022

Applications closed

All applicants: 11 Sep – 17 Nov 2023
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

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Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Final year students on course for an upper second-class Bachelor's degree can also apply.
Before you submit your application, please download and fill out the following document and attach to your application as a supporting document. This will help us assess your relevant work experience. Summary of Work Experience Form

The English language level for this programme is: Special
IELTS and other equivalent tests are accepted. Applicants must obtain an overall grade of 8.0 with a minimum of 7.5 in each of the subtests.

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

You will learn to apply knowledge from a range of academic subjects to speech and language therapy (SLT) practice. Innovative and authentic learning methods help you develop skills such as team-working, assessment and therapy, and self-evaluation.

The curriculum promotes strong research skills, enabling you to evaluate and add to the evidence-base for the SLT profession. The programme prepares you well for future leadership roles.

Who this course is for

We are looking for applicants who have a good understanding of the SLT profession and some experience of working with people with communication difficulties. Good interpersonal and communication skills are essential. We ask for work experience because we're looking for people who are really committed to becoming speech and language therapists, as this is key to success on the programme. We also want to be sure that you have made the right career choice before starting the course. Gaining relevant work or voluntary experience will help to develop your confidence and comfort in interacting and working with people who have difficulty communicating. It will also enable you to show us that you really understand the role of the speech and language therapist in one or more settings.
The programme is suitable for applicants with a strong academic background who are committed to a career as speech and language therapist.
Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

You will benefit directly from UCL's world-leading research and teaching, supported by facilities such as the on-site national SLT library and our in-house clinic.

You will be taught by experts in the field including specialist speech and language therapists, psychologists, linguists, neurologists. Our strong partnership with SLT services across London ensures that you will attend a range of high-quality clinical placements.

This programme is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Our strong links with employers ensure that you get up-to-date and relevant information to support you in preparing for and securing your first job. Excellent university-based learning and the wide range and number of high-quality clinical placements also puts our graduates at an advantage. As a result, many of our students are offered jobs very soon after completing the course. Graduates from our programme are highly regarded by employers, with over 90% of graduates employed in speech and language therapy roles within six months of qualifying.

Our course equips you with transferable skills relevant to employability, such as: interpersonal and communication skills, oral and written presentation skills, collaboration and teamworking, critical evaluation, integration and synthesis of information, report writing, behaviour management and change.

Employability

Most graduates from this programme work as a speech and language therapist/pathologist, providing specialist assessment, intervention and support to adults and children with a range of communication and swallowing difficulties. These can include people with autism spectrum disorder, dementia, specific language impairment, learning difficulties or people who have had strokes or head injuries. You can work in the NHS, in hospitals, specialist centres, in the community and in education settings, in mainstream or special schools or justice settings. Our graduates are well placed to contribute to the evidence base for the profession through further research and to fast-track into specialist or leadership positions.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). RCSLT accreditation confirms that the programme meets the RCSLT Curriculum Guidelines. All students are enrolled as student members of the RCSLT at the start of the programme. Graduates of this programme will meet the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Education and Training, Standards of Proficiency and will be recommended for HCPC registration as a Speech and Language Therapist.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, small group tutorials, workshops, supervised clinical placements, practical classes and self-directed learning. Collaborative peer-working features strongly throughout.

A variety of assessment methods are used, including coursework, data analysis, clinical vivas, examinations and practice-based assessment on placement.

The programme is full-time over 25 months, with approximately seven weeks of holidays per year (two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter and three weeks in the Summer). Term dates vary and the programme doesn't follow the typical UCL term patterns.

In terms one and two there are 10 weeks of teaching (including one day a week on placement). In term three there is less direct teaching as you are given some private study time to revise for exams. There are 2-3 post-exam teaching weeks in late June/early July in both years.

During terms one and two, you can expect to have teaching sessions from 9am - 5pm for 3 days per week (with 1 hour for lunch), and be on placement for another whole day in most weeks. There is one full day of private study most weeks, which you will need to prepare for your placement, coursework assignments and to carry out additional reading.

Modules

The Speech and Language Sciences MSc is a two year programme comprising of twelve modules. You register for six modules in year 1 (totalling 165 credits) and six modules in year 2 (195 credits, including a 60 credit research project). The programme is 360 credits in total.

Professional and clinical studies work in Year One of the programme focuses on clients with developmental speech, language and communication difficulties, and practice placements are undertaken with relevant client groups.

You study the nature and management of relevant difficulties, taking account of medical, sociological and educational perspectives. There is also teaching in the complementary disciplines of phonetics and phonology, linguistic and psychological perspectives and anatomy and physiology.

A life-span perspective is taken so that, for example, adults with learning disabilities and congenital hearing loss, and the life-long consequences of persistent speech, language and communication disorders are covered. However, developmental disorders of motor speech, oro-facial abnormality and voice are covered in year two.

Particular attention has been given to the sequence and timing of teaching in the modules in year one, so that pre-requisite knowledge is introduced in the complementary modules before it is required within professional and clinical studies.

In addition, as skills and knowledge are gained, they are integrated into the study of developmental disorders of communication. Assessment of some disciplines is integrated, for example, child data presented for analysis in phonetics and linguistics assessments also forms the basis of case-based assessments relating to speech and language therapy management. 

During Year One, you are also introduced to a range of research methods. You also identify the research topic project and are allocated a project supervisor. You can choose to undertake research projects on a wide range of topics relevant to the practice of speech and language therapy. 

Professional and clinical studies work in Year Two of the programme focuses on clients with acquired communication and/or swallowing difficulties and disorders of the vocal tract across the lifespan, and practice placements are undertaken with relevant client groups.

You study the nature and management of relevant disorders, taking account of medical, sociological and psychological perspectives. Application of knowledge gained in the study of phonetics and linguistics to these client groups will be encouraged by analysis of speech and language data from clients with acquired disorders. There are also modules that cover the complementary disciplines of neuroscience and neurology and mental health.

You continue to develop your understanding and application of research design and statistics and complete your project work in Year Two.

Alternative Route: MSc Human Communication Science

If you are unable to continue on the MSc Speech and Language Sciences programme at the end of year one you may be eligible to transfer onto the MSc Human Communication Science route.  This is a non-clinical route that gives students the opportunity to complete a masters level qualification.

You will take modules as required for the completion of a masters level qualification. This will include SLAN0002: Research Project (60 credits) and other modules as required and in discussion with the Programme Director.

Compulsory modules














Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 360 credits. Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Speech and Language Sciences.

Placement

Clinical placements start in the first term and carry on throughout the programme. You will attend placements from the start of the programme working alongside qualified SLTs in a wide range of settings including hospitals, community, schools and charities. The placements are closely linked to classroom learning.

There are usually on-going placements that students attend one day a week over terms one and two of both years (October to March). These placements allow you to see changes in clients over a period of time and to develop your skills gradually over a longer period of time, supported by your university clinical tutorials and clinical tutors. You will also have block placements which you attend over a number of weeks. These usually take place in spring (Apr-May) and summer (July-August). The block placements are an opportunity to really focus on you clinical and professional skills development, supported by experienced SLTs and college tutors.

Placements are organised by the programme placements team and they aim to give each student a breadth of experience across different settings.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £9,250
Tuition fees (2023/24) £35,000

The Department of Health and Social Care have confirmed that new students on this programme will be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans (undergraduate) via Student Finance England. This applies even if you have already taken out loans for a previous undergraduate degree. For further information, please visit the Council of Deans of Health website .

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

There may be travel costs related to clinical placements. For home students, where these costs are above usual travel into UCL, the additional cost of travel to placement may be claimed back from the Learning Support Fund administered by NHS Business Services Authority. You will have to submit the appropriate claim forms and claims will have to meet the NHSBSA criteria.

Students must complete a UCL Workplace Health screening before the start of the programme and be assessed as fit for study and practise, this includes completing a pre-course health questionnaire and required immunisations. There is no additional charge for the workplace health screening.

If a student has a disability reasonable adjustments will be considered on a case by case basis before the start of the programme.

This programme requires a completed DBS check for some compulsory modules. You will receive more information from UCL on how to complete the check once you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer for the programme. The DBS application cost will be covered by UCL, but offer holders will also need to have their ID checked and verified at a Post Office, for which they will incur a charge of £15.00. The offer holder is also required to arrange and pay for any overseas police check that may be necessary; costs vary by country. For more information about the DBS application process, please contact the UCL Graduate Admissions team.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

Home students on this programme will be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance loans via Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Awards Agency for Scotland or Student Finance Northern Ireland. This applies even if they have already taken out loans for a previous undergraduate degree. They may also be eligible for an NHS Learning Support Fund AHP Training Grant.

More information on studying allied health professions in England is on the official Council of Deans of Health website. More information on tuition fee and maintenance loans is on the Gov.uk Student Finance website.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding should take note of the funding application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver. We will also be assessing your understanding of speech and language therapy as a profession; your experience of working with people with communication difficulties and your commitment to speech and language therapy as a career. Applicants are not usually accepted without an interview. In January 2023, interviews will be held online. They will usually involve an individual interview with a member of staff and speech and language therapist.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

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Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences

msc-sls-admin@pals.ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.