If a teenager suffers a brain injury, how can you help them to learn to speak or read again? How can you help a client to eat when their ability to swallow has been damaged by a stroke? How does a child communicate when they only know a few words?
Our MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-Registration) course is an accelerated, two-year postgraduate course aimed at graduates who wish to prepare to practise as a registered speech and language therapist. Our course content reflects the values of the NHS constitution and combines theory and practical sessions over 45 weeks per year.
On the course, you’ll study topics including developmental language disorder, stroke, and difficulties with eating, drinking or swallowing (dysphagia). You’ll also explore areas such as autism and stammering, mental health, speech sound disorders, augmentative and alternative communication, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. We aim to prepare you to work across a variety of settings with both children and adults...
Full-time: 2 years
On our MSc Speech and Language Therapy course, you’ll explore some of the issues you might face working as a modern speech and language therapist. We aim to prepare you to work across a range of settings and support clients and their families across their lifespan.
The curriculum will be delivered via an active learning approach and leaners will benefit from digital flexibility whereby they can prepare in advance for on campus teaching sessions and work through their own learning. This delivery of the curriculum will also be combined with lectures and seminars workshops, problem based and innovative simulation-based learning, clinical placements and independent study. This will enable our graduates to enter the workplace with the confidence and abilities to flourish in a variety of clinical and research contexts and provide a comprehensive grounding for their future as lifelong learners.
The programme incorporates teaching and learning in the university in conjunction with a minimum of 525 hours of work-based learning in health and educational settings. Students will have the opportunity to apply skills and knowledge on placement with speech and language therapists, working with children and adults experiencing a range of speech, language and communication needs and difficulties with eating drinking and swallowing. Simulation based education and inter-disciplinary learning with Occupational Therapists and Dieticians, is threaded throughout the department, so that students are fully prepared for clinical placement learning, as well as being competent professionals of the future.
The programme will be approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
In your first year, we usually focus on teaching you the theory to develop your knowledge of speech, language cognitive and communication development, alongside the psychological and social factors that affect individual communication across the lifespan. You will also learn about eating, drinking and swallowing throughout the lifespan. There will be a focus on health and well-being of people, families and communities.
You’ll learn through a variety of methods, including case-based learning. This allows you to practice assessing scenarios and applying the theory you have learned to cases you may come across on your placement.
You’ll learn how to use intervention materials, assessments, and specialist computer programmes. We have a team of technicians to help you master specialist equipment and you’ll use these skills on your clinical placements which occur in year 1 and 2 of the programme
In your second year of our course, you will continue to attend placements which occur on both the Autumn and Spring terms, and alongside this you will further develop your knowledge of developmental and acquired communication conditions, as well as the psychosocial factors and mental health and how these impact speech and language therapy practice. This year also focuses on research and evidence-based practice in the field of speech and language therapy through your choice of a self-selected topic of interest, which can include an empirical research project.
Past topics have included research projects investigating midwives’ experiences of multi-disciplinary working with speech and language therapists, investigating staff experiences of managing children’s swallowing difficulties in a school setting and, investigating support workers’ understanding of supporting speech, language and communication.
Outside of studying, you can join our Speech Society which is mainly run by the speech and language therapy students on our undergraduate degree. They organise a series of talks, workshops and events to help promote speech and language therapy and develop your knowledge outside of the classroom. You can also join and our Community of Health Professions, where you can learn with, and from, other students in the department who you will work alongside in practice when you qualify as a speech and language therapist. The Community of Health Professions also has a focus on engagement with the local community, fundraising for charities and opportunities for students to participate in social events.
You may also have the opportunity to apply to work on research projects with our academic team.
Whether you've already made your decision about what you want to study, or you're just considering whether postgraduate study is right for you, there are lots of ways you can meet us and find out more about postgraduate student life at Manchester Met.
We offer:
Your studies are supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field.
We often link up with external professionals too, helping to enhance your learning and build valuable connections to the working world.
These typical entry requirements may be subject to change for the 2025/26 academic year. Please check back for further details.
Applicants will have a minimum 2:1 UK undergraduate degree, or equivalent and evidence of academic or professionally related study in the five years prior to application. Applicants must meet requirements for NHS values-based assessment at interview, have Occupational Health Assessment and a satisfactory enhanced DBS report. Applicants whose first language is not English must be able to communicate in English to the standard equivalent to level 8 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with no element below 7.5. This is a requirement of the Standards of Proficiency for Speech and Language Therapists (HCPC 2023).
Full-time fee: £9,250 per year. This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation and may increase each academic year in line with inflation or UK government policy for both new and continuing students.
Full-time fee: £22,000 per year. This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation and may increase each academic year in line with inflation or UK government policy for both new and continuing students.
A masters qualification typically comprises 180 credits, a PGDip 120 credits, a PGCert 60 credits, and an MFA 300 credits. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of study provided the course is completed in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Optional estimate: £15 to £50 for replacement or non-standard uniforms. Optional equipment £650.
All of the books required for the course are available from the library. The University also has PC labs and a laptop loan service. However, you may choose to buy some of the core textbooks for the course and/or a laptop. You may also need to print your assignments and other documents. Campus printing costs start from 5p per page. Estimated costs are £500 for a laptop and up to £100 each year for books and printing.
Uniforms: Full uniform is provided free of charge when the course commences. If you wish to replace any item of uniform or secure additional items of uniform throughout the course (eg because it has been damaged or no longer fits) then you must order and pay for this directly with the supplier. There are certain exceptions to this, for example if you become pregnant. These are detailed in the faculty uniform policy. You can choose to purchase non-standard items such as fleeces directly from the supplier.
Compulsory estimate: £4- £15 day whilst on placement (costs will vary considerably)
You’ll need to budget for travel costs to your placement which could be up to 100 kilometres from the University. Travelling time one-way should not exceed 2 hours, and it is rare for it to be up to the maximum limit. Travel costs to placement will vary considerably depending on where you live, the location of your placement and how you choose to travel. Information on public transport costs within Greater Manchester can be found at www.tfgm.com.
All NHS Trusts charge for car parking.
Compulsory estimate: DBS £0 to £135 depending on your status. Please go to our DBS webpage for more details: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/dbs/. HCPC registration fees are currently 90 for two years
Optional estimate: Membership as a student to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is free
DBS Checks: Before starting on your course, you must undergo a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check (Enhanced Disclosure). At the time of going to press, you do not have to pay for your first DBS check. If you cannot attend a DBS session at the University before the start of the course, you can use the UK Post Office Document Certification Service, which costs approximately £10. If you are not a UK citizen, or if you have lived in one country outside the UK for six or more months in the last five years, you must, where this is possible, obtain a police clearance certificate from the country in which you resided, in addition to the Disclosure and Barring Service check.
You must supply a certified translation if the certificate does not automatically include this. Costs vary and can include fingerprint and translation fees where required. Returning students, who have already had a DBS certificate from Manchester Met and who need a second DBS certificate, for example, due to a suspension of study, are required to pay the DBS fee. Please go to our DBS webpage for more details and for current DBS fees: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/dbs/
Optional estimate: £7
You may wish to join the Manchester Met Speech, Language and Communication student society which costs approximately £7 annually.
When you graduate, you’ll have the skills to work in clinical practice as a speech and language therapist with children and adults.
You can apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration to practise as a speech and language therapist. You can also apply for membership of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the professional body for speech and language therapy in the UK.
Applications to this course should be submitted via UCAS.
You should submit your application prior to the standard undergraduate admissions deadline of 29th January 2025*. Applications received after this date may still be considered but will be classed as a late application.
*This is because the pre-registration programmes will be using the undergraduate UCAS admissions service. Please double check your application before submitting to ensure that you have applied to the correct postgraduate course.
Get advice and support on making a successful application.
You can review our current terms and conditions before you make your application. If you are successful with your application, we will send you up to date information alongside your offer letter.
Programme review
Our programmes undergo an annual review and major review (normally
at 6 year intervals) to ensure an up-to-date curriculum supported by the
latest online learning technology. For further information on when we
may make changes to our programmes, please see the changes section of our
terms and conditions.
Important notice
This online prospectus provides an overview of our programmes of study
and the University. We regularly update our online prospectus so that
our published course information is accurate. Please check back to the
online prospectus before making an application to us to access the most
up to date information for your chosen course of study.
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