Masters Degrees (Aphasia)

As a postgraduate researcher in Speech and Language Sciences you will carry out a major research project working with supervisors who are experts in your field.

We offer expert supervision in the following research areas:
-Links between the production and perception of speech
-Monolingual/bilingual speech and language development in children for a range of language(s), particularly Arabic
-Early years policy with a focus on language and communication
-Relation of socio-economic factors to language development
-Assessment, diagnosis and intervention for speech, language and communication impairment, including: primary speech and language impairment in children (including specific language impairment); verb and sentence processing deficits in people with aphasia; memory disorders following stroke; effectiveness of interventions for speech and language impairments; the psycholinguistics of word production; computational modelling of word retrieval

Our website provides further information on research areas. Our supervisors' current research interests, projects and publications are available from our staff profiles. The majority of our staff have hands-on professional experience in speech and language therapy, teaching, or English language teaching prior to entering academia.

We advise that you contact Carolyn Letts, Director of Postgraduate Research, or a member of our staff as a potential supervisor before applying. You will be asked to submit a short research proposal (1000 words max).

Delivery

Your attendance at Newcastle is flexible, depending on your field work or if you are away collecting data. You will have regular meetings with your supervisory team, supported by email and Skype.

You can choose to enter the annual competition for ESRC funded studentships through the ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership. You should contact us well in advance of the February deadline if you are planning to apply.

You will be based in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, which is very diverse with a high number of international students. You will have opportunities to attend seminars across the disciplines of speech and language sciences, education and applied linguistics and to engage with staff and fellow-students from all over the world. Many of our students already have well-developed professional careers and are inspired to explore research questions arising from their experience.

If you are based in the UK and wish to maintain your professional employment, part time study is a flexible option.

Our links with research centres and institutes provide opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary seminars and interest groups. Our most important connections are with:
-Institute for Health and Society
-Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Studies
-Centre for Research in Learning and Teaching

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Our Language Pathology MSc is designed for those wanting to develop a career as a Speech and Language Therapist in the National Health Service. This practical course is accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.

In year one you will cover modules in psychology, linguistics and anatomy/physiology that underpin the discipline. You will also begin to work on speech and language therapy (SLT) cases and have your first experiences of working clinically under supervision.

Year two is more specialised with a focus on motor, head and neck and cognitive impairments. With academic and clinical supervision, you will carry out and write up a clinically-based research project (an extended case report), based on a therapy programme that you will deliver to one client.

You need to be able to identify with NHS values as stated in the NHS constitution.

Teaching is delivered through case-based problem solving which means you will be participating in guided self-directed learning and collaborating with peers in group work.

Our staff have an immense amount of experience of delivering SLT courses and many are qualified and experienced speech and language therapists. All are involved in research in this area and our teaching is supported by research findings.

We take a student-centred approach to your development of knowledge, thinking and professional identity. We offer an individual approach to clinical supervision in our clinics, which involves micro-analysis of video material and focuses on positive aspects of interaction. We also aim to provide transparent assessment procedures and a clear and specific marking criteria for coursework, helping you to prepare your coursework.

We have very high student satisfaction scores for our programmes in the 2016 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (92% satisfaction). We are ranked in the top 10 in the UK for Aural and Oral Sciences in The Complete University Guide 2017. We also rank 4th in the UK for overall student satisfaction in the 2016 National Student Survey, with a score of 93% (in the Aural and Oral Science category).

[Delivery

The course is taught at Newcastle city campus and in a variety of external clinical placements. The course runs from 9am to 6pm during weekdays from September to July in both years. This is an intense course with approximately 25-30 contact hours per week with the possibility of additional contact hours during clinical placements. There are also block clinical placements in the summer months in both years.

You will complete compulsory modules followed by a six-week clinical placement in both years. Assessment is through course work, written examinations, in-course assessment of the clinical practicum, case presentations and in-course class tests. An important element of year two is the extended case report, where you manage a clinical case, provide intensive input, and write up your findings in dissertation format.

Placements

You will complete two, 11-week on-site placements either in the Aphasia Centre or the Child Speech and Language Therapy Clinic. You will also complete two, six-week placements in a range of NHS and educational settings.

Your clinically-based research project (extended case report) will be the basis of a third six-week placement.

Accreditation

The course is accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). On successful completion of the course you can apply to register with the HCPC and RCSLT as a speech and language therapist.

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This multidisciplinary programme is aimed at professionals already working in child or adult services in health, education or social care in the UK and overseas who have an interest in developing research expertise and who have a motivation to carry out research in their workplace or a linked setting.

About this degree

Students will gain knowledge and skills in applied research related to the client groups with whom they work. Key topic areas include qualitative and quantitative methods related to communication disorders research, and planning, implementing and managing research. Students undertaking the MRes will conduct a supervised research project in their area of professional interest.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

Both the MRes and the PG Cert include three compulsory (core) modules (45 credits) and one optional module (15 credits). The MRes also includes a research project (120 credits).

On the Postgraduate Certificate students take four modules (60 credits). This can be full-time over 15 weeks or flexible study over a period of up to two years.

Core modules

• Research Evidence and Design I
• Research Evidence and Design II
• Research in Practice

Optional module

• Students may choose any 15-credit module from Language Sciences or from the Institute of Health Informatics.

Dissertation/report

MRes students undertake a research project in the area of human communication disorders, which culminates in a dissertation of 8,000-10,000 words, a research impact plan and poster presentation.

Teaching and learning

The programme takes a strong experiential learning approach through the demonstration, exploration and application of new skills. The programme also utilises significant online learning resources which allow learning outside normal classroom hours. These are combined with lectures, and small-group working. Assessment is through written reports, presentations, and the research dissertation.

Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Applied Research in Human Communication Disorders MRes

Careers

Now, more than ever before, continuing professional development (CPD) is linked to career progression. Gaining a PG Cert or an MRes in Applied Research in Human Communication Disorders will undoubtedly enhance your career opportunities within child and adult support services, and could act as a springboard to further research including study at doctoral level. In the long term, skills gained on this programme will place you in an exceptionally strong position to engage with research including contributing directly to research evidence.

Employability

Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) is of major importance for professionals working with vulnerable populations, and this programme is likely to enhance employability. For example, on completion you will be able to demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and a range of skills that relate directly to your professional career, including how to source appropriate literature, evaluate research conducted by others, select and conduct appropriate research designs, analyse data, and write a research report.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Division of Psychology & Language Sciences undertakes world-leading research and teaching. Our work attracts staff and students from around the world. Together they create a vibrant and interactive environment, taking advantage of first-class resources.

Academic staff in the division have a wide range of expertise in research methods and the management of people with communication disorders. Areas of expertise inlude:

• Acquired Apraxia of Speech
• Aphasia
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Children with Complex Special Needs
• Deafness/Cochlear Implant
• Dysphagia
• Dyslexia
• Language Disorders
• Progressive Neurological Conditions
• Speech Disorders in Children
• Specific Language Impairment
• Stammering
• Written Language Difficulties

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.

The following REF score was awarded to the department: Division of Psychology & Language Sciences

83% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)

Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.

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About the course

This course is for speech and language therapists/pathologists, linguists, psychologists or others with a relevant background who have an interest in acquired communication disorders such as aphasia, dysarthria and the communication difficulties secondary to dementia or traumatic brain injury.

The MSc will provide you with an up-to-date understanding of the main theoretical and clinical issues and approaches in this field and the implications of these findings for clinical intervention.

Your career

Your masters will give you the skills and knowledge to make a difference. Our MMedSci course provides the necessary training to meet the requirements of the UK Health and Care Professions Council which is the accreditation body for UK speech and language therapy. Our other courses provide professional development training. They can also lead to careers in university teaching and research.

How we teach

We have a reputation for high quality research in the field of human communication and its disorders. That research informs our teaching. We offer professional training for students who are considering speech and language therapy as a career. If you’re interested in a research career, we can prepare you for a PhD.

We also run professional development courses for students already working in the field, so you can study alongside your current job. We have links with the NHS, special schools and specialist charities to ensure that what we teach you is in line with current developments in the field.

We work with other departments across the University including the School of Education, the Department of Psychology, the Department of Computer Science and the School of English Language and Linguistics.

Core modules

PGCert

• Acquired Language Disorders
• Acquired Speech Disorders
• Methods in Clinical Linguistics
• Developing an Evidence Base for Practice

PGDip

• Research Methods A
• Research Methods B or an optional module if not continuing to the MSc

MSc

• Research Methods A
• Research Methods B
• Two optional modules
• Dissertation/ Evaluation of Clinical Practice.

Examples of optional modules

Students on the PGDip and MSc also take optional modules, from a range offered both within the department and across other departments in the University.

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