Masters Degrees (Cleft Palate)

About the course

Develop your knowledge and skills of working with clients with developmental speech and literacy difficulties. This course is designed for speech and language therapists, and other professionals with a special interest in communication difficulties.

You can study part-time by distance learning or full-time.

Your career

Your masters will give you the skills and knowledge to make a difference. Feedback from our past students has confirmed that our module content is very relevant to practice in a speech and language therapy service or in schools and has enhanced job opportunities.

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. If you’re interested in a research career, we can also 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.

Different ways to study

The MSc Speech Difficulties is available part-time or full-time. It consists of a mix of online learning and blocks of intensive study in Sheffield. We work with you to develop your own interests through optional modules and a choice of dissertation topics.

Criminal records disclosure.

If you would like to take part in clinical observation opportunities, you will require a UK criminal records disclosure from the UK Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). If you are unsure whether you need one, please contact us for advice.

Core modules

PGCert

• Spoken and Written Language
• Developing an Evidence-Base for Practice
• Speech Difficulties 1: nature and investigation
• Speech Difficulties II: intervention and management

Cleft palate pathway (subject to university approval):

• Assessing and analysing cleft palate speech
• Intervention with cleft palate speech
• Developing an Evidence Base for Practice
• One additional core module

PGDip and MSc

• Same four modules as for the PGCert (standard or cleft palate pathway)
• Research Methods A
• Research Methods B (optional for PGDip)

Examples of optional modules PGDip and MSc only

• Communication Diversity & Difficulties
• Methods in Clinical Linguistics
• Cleft Palate (for standard pathway students)
• Literacy: Difficulties and Intervention
• MSc students also complete a dissertation

Teaching and assessment

Part-time students study online via distance learning plus optional attendance at study blocks lasting 2-3 days. These take place at regular intervals throughout the academic year. Full-time students may also attend lectures, seminars and practical workshops offered in the department. Each module is assessed by a written assignment.

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Who is it for?

The MSc in Speech & Language Therapy is designed for students who are committed to a rewarding career in speech and language therapy.

As a graduate with a first degree from a discipline outside healthcare, this course provides you with a fast-track route into health, enabling you to gain a pre-registration health qualification in two years as opposed to the usual three to four.

Ruth is a current Speech and Language Therapy student. Watch her video to find out more about her experiences and thoughts on life as a postgraduate student at City, University of London.

Objectives

City's MSc Speech and Language Therapy has an excellent reputation and is based within the largest, teaching, research and clinical division in the UK for language and communication science.

The MSc will help you:

• Take a fast-track route into speech and language therapy
• Learn a range of subjects to develop your understanding of typical speech, language, communication, swallowing and of pathologies in these areas
• Integrate theoretical and real-world knowledge in considering approaches to the assessment and management of clients with communication and swallowing problems
• Understand how to take a holistic approach to your clients’ needs
• Gain real-world experience by undertaking clinical placements within a range of settings
• Prepare for a career in a challenging and varied field – from working with autistic children and people who stammer to adults who have lost their speech following a stroke.

Accreditation

The MSc in Speech & Language Therapy is accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which is the UK-wide regulatory body for healthcare professions.

On successfully completing the MSc Speech and Language Therapy you are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and practise as a speech and language therapist in the NHS and other settings.

Placements

The MSc Speech and Language Therapy course provides you with many opportunities for clinical practice, including attendance at health centres, schools, departmental clinics, special educational settings and hospitals throughout the London area.

Academic facilities

As an MSc student, you will have access to specialist labs and equipment, such as ultrasound and laryngographs to help you understand speech production and audiological equipment when learning about hearing and deafness.

The Roberta Williams Speech and Language Therapy Centre, opened in January 2016, is our specialist speech and language therapy clinic. The Centre contains state-of-the-art equipment to enable staff within the Division of Language and Communication Science to deliver cutting-edge research and services to patients.

Moodle is an enhanced Virtual Learning Environment which provides you with access to online course materials, resources, interactive activities, assessment and communication tools and is a key element of our blended learning approach, combining face-to-face teaching with online activity.

Teaching and learning

City's MSc Speech & Language Therapy has an excellent reputation and is based within the largest, teaching, research and clinical division in the UK for language and communication science.

You will learn with expert staff who are leaders in the field of speech and language therapy. The innovative and research-informed curriculum is supported by a busy in-house speech and language therapy clinic led by specialist staff. It is considered to be one of the leading educational environments in the world.

We also have close links with speech and language therapy services throughout London, with many practitioners from these services acting as clinical tutors on our courses.

The MSc in Speech & Language Therapy is a very intensive programme which requires full-time study by attending lectures, small-group problem-solving sessions, practical classes and tutorials. You will also have access to the most up-to-date equipment in the Speech Acoustics Laboratory and innovative online learning materials.

During your clinical placements, you will benefit from the supervision of a qualified therapist.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a diverse range of assignments and examinations. Your clinical progress will also be monitored by supervising clinicians.

Modules

During the MSc Speech and Language Therapy course you will learn about the foundations of speech and language, about how children learn to talk and about disorders that affect communication.

A number of subjects equip you for the analysis of speech, language and hearing difficulties, such as phonetics, linguistics and audiology. You will also develop research skills and the ability to apply evidence based practice. You will undertake weekly and block clinical placements in both years of the course.

Modules

• Articulatory Phonetics, Phonology and Speech Development
• Bio-medical Sciences
• Life Span Psychology and Research Methods
• Speech Disorders, Dysfluency and Augmentative and Alternative
• Dysphagia, Voice, Motor Speech Disorders, Dementia
• Language Sciences: Linguistics and Language Development
• Professional Studies A
• Evidence Based Practice and Data Analysis
• Acoustic Phonetics, Audiology and Deafness
• Acquired and Developmental Language Disorders
• Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disability, Child Mental Health, Cerebral Palsy, Cleft Palate
• Professional Studies B
• Research Project

When you have successfully completed 13 modules totalling 240 credits you will qualify for an MSc Speech and Language Therapy.

Career prospects

On successfully completing the MSc Speech & Language Therapy, you will be able to join a profession that makes a real difference to people’s lives.

On successfully completing the MSc in Speech and Language Therapy, you will be eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council and practise your profession within the NHS or in a range of other settings, including schools, hospitals, community clinics and charities.

A career in speech and language therapy offers opportunities to work with clients of all ages in settings such as:

• Health centres.
• Hospitals.
• Schools.
• Charities.
• Universities.

Increasingly, many graduates also work in the private sector as independent speech and language therapists.

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If you are a dental graduates who wants to pursue a career in paediatric dentistry either in primary or secondary care services, or in a university setting, this programme is for you. The programme can contribute the first two years of your clinical training and if you successfully complete an optional third year of training -which is available through competitive entry - this can lead to Membership in Paediatric Dentistry of The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh and full active membership of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.

Programme outline
On this programme you will have extensive clinical, formal teaching and will complete a supervised research project. All the taught and clinical mod in the programme are core modules but you will have considerable choice in selecting a topic for research project.

The programme comprises 9 modules:

Module 1: Foundation Course

Module 2: Statistics, Ethics and Research Methods

Module 3: Basic Knowledge in Paediatric Dentistry includin the following:

Behaviour science/patient management, sedation and general anaesthesia Dental Traumatology
Prevention of Caries and Periodontal Disease
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
Basic Orthodontics
Module 4: Advance Knowledge in Paediatric Dentistry I, including:

Consolidation of the Basic Knowledge
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology
Children with special needs
Module 5: Advance Knowledge in Paediatric Dentistry II, including:

Paediatric medicine and surgery
Dental Anomalies
Multi-disciplinary treatment planning
Module 6: Basic Clinical Skills and case-mix

Module 7: Specific Clinical Skill

Module 8: Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

Module 9: Research Project



You will undertake the care of child and adolescent patients to gain experience and prepare for your case presentations in your final examination. An important feature of the programme is that you will also participate in medical clinics held in the main hospital. You will also attend specialist clinics such as cleft lip and palate, and developmental disorders.

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The MClinDent course is a full-time three year specialist training programme with two pathways: Endodontology or Prosthodontics. It has been designed to enhance student life-long learning skills, aid in developing evidence-based practice, develop advanced clinical skills to enable you to become a mono-specialist in Prosthodontics or Endodontology, and facilitate further career development.

You will study 10 taught modules as well as a dissertation module based on your own research project.

By fully engaging in this course, you should be able to:

• Demonstrate an unbiased, systematic and critical appraisal of contemporary knowledge, and an awareness of current problems and/or new insights, many of which are informed by the latest advances in Restorative Dentistry.

• Be capable of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of new and complex ideas in Restorative Dentistry often in the absence of complete data, be able to communicate ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to other specialist colleagues and non-specialist audiences, and engage in critical dialogue about clinical management in Restorative Dentistry.

• Read, understand and critically appraise relevant scientific and clinical literature.

• Formulate a hypothesis, plan and implement an appropriate project to test the hypothesis report the findings of the project in the appropriate format.

• Evaluate psychological aspects relevant to restorative dentistry.

• Execute simple and complex treatment procedures.

• Collaborate in multidisciplinary teams and treatment of compromised patients, such as cleft lip and palate and tooth anomalies, such as hypodontia.

• Understand the relevance of underlying social, dental and medical factors that may influence the uptake compliance and outcome of treatment.

• Be familiar with all aspects of clinical governance (clinical, corporate, research) and conduct of professional care.

Structure

There are two pathways to this course: Endodontology or Prosthodontics. Students will choose one pathway.

Years one and two consist of four 30-credit modules per year with the final year consisting of two 30-credit modules and a dissertation module of 60 credits.

For Endodontology modules please visit the website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/master-of-clinical-dentistry-endodontology

For Prosthodontics modules please visit the website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/master-of-clinical-dentistry-prosthodontics

Teaching

A diverse range of teaching and learning styles are used throughout the MClinDent. You will attend lectures, and participate in seminars, tutorials, and a clinical attachment. All taught modules are compulsory, and you will also undertake a laboratory-based or clinical research project and independent study to enable you to complete your dissertation. You will be given a list of laboratory, clinical and/or library-based project titles which will form the basis of the final dissertation. Project topics are generally related to the scientific/clinical areas of interest of members of staff, and you will have individual supervision.

Support

All modules make extensive use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Learning Central, on which you will find course materials and links to related materials. You will be supervised when undertaking your dissertation, and will have the opportunity for regular meetings with your supervisor to discuss progress, provide advice and guidance, and give written feedback on a draft.

Opportunities to reflect on your abilities and performance are made available through the Learning Central ‘Personal Development Planning’ module and through scheduled meetings with personal tutors.

Feedback:

You will receive written feedback on all assessments, in addition to oral feedback on assessed oral presentations.

Assessment

There are ten taught modules within the course which are assessed through the following in-course assessments over three years together with the dissertation module:

Extended essays
Clinical Assessments
Oral presentations
Short Answer Questions
Statistical assignments
Library and information skills assignments
Dissertation (not more than 20,000 words)

Career prospects

On successful completion of the course, you should have the opportunity to pursue a career as a specialist in either Prosthodontics or Endodontics.

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Further entry requirements:   International applicants should be aware that full registration with the RCSLT entails completion of a probationary period of clinical practice in the UK after the successful completion of the degree. It may be necessary to confirm with the professional body in your home country that this qualification is recognised and that full registration in the UK will entitle you to practice in your home country.

This course is for people with a relevant degree seeking to refocus their studies into the area of speech and language therapy. It will enable you to register with the Health and Care Professions Council and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) to practise as a speech and language therapist in the UK.

As a speech and language therapist, you will assess, diagnose and treat children and adults with a wide range of communication difficulties. This will include developmental disorders and speech and language problems resulting from injury, stroke and disease. You will also develop strong practical skills as well as a sound understanding of the theory of speech and language therapy.

There is a major clinical studies (ie placement) element to this course and clinical work is underpinned by modules in linguistics, psychology and biological and medical sciences. Although every effort is made to arrange summer block placements to suit students’ circumstances, this is not always possible and students must be prepared to be flexible about placement location and timing. Students are responsible for any travel and/or accommodation costs incurred during placements.

Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching will include a mix of lectures, tutorials, student-led seminars, clinical placement experience, case study analysis and individual project work. Emphasis will be placed on integrating clinical and university based learning opportunities and on independent study. Your performance will be assessed by a combination of course work including essays, reports, presentations, vivas and examinations, as well as clinical practical assessments.

Teaching hours and attendance

Each module which you study on campus will require you to attend classes and carry out independent work. Your attendance at placement is compulsory and your attendance at QMU-based modules is expected. Classes will be spread over the whole week, except for placement days when you will be off campus. This is a full-time course, with the expectation that classes, independent study and placement together require 35 - 40 hours of dedicated time each week.

Links with industry/professional bodies

The course provides graduates, including those who complete the PgDip, with eligibility to register with the Royal College of Speech and  Language Therapists and the Health and Care Professions Council to practice in the UK.

Modules

Foundations for Speech and Language Therapy/ Linguistics 1: Introduction to Linguistics/ Neurology for SLT and Audiology/ Adult Acquired Language and Cognitive Communication Disorders/ Linguistics 2: Clinical Linguistics/ Disorders of Speech and Fluency/ Manual Handling/ Dysphagia (Developmental and Acquired)/ Within-Semester Clinical Placement 1/ Professional Practice for SLT 1/ Biological and behavioural Science for SLT: Typical Processes/ Developmental Disorders of Language and Communication/ Intellectual Disability, Physical and Sensory Impairment/ Linguistics 3: Linguistic Processing and Variation/ Within-Semester Clinical Placement 2/ Motor Speech Disorder, Voice Disorder, Cleft Lip and Palate/ Clinical Contexts/ Within-Semester Clinical Placement 3/ Professional Practice 2/ Research Methods

If studying for the MSc, you will also complete a dissertation (60 credits).

Careers

Most graduates work within the NHS in community clinics, schools and hospitals. Some graduates have gained research posts and some have gone on to achieve higher degrees. Some graduate Speech and language therapists may wish to seek employment outside the UK. For further information about how and where this qualification can be used outside of the UK please contact the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Quick Facts

• The diploma course is the only postgraduate pre-registration course of its kind in Scotland. 
• This course is the only one in the UK whereby speech and language therapists and audiologists are in the same department. 
• Both these awards qualify you to register to work as a speech and language therapist in the UK.

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