The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in speech-language pathology requires 39 credit hours consisting of 34 coursework credit hours and 5 clinical practicum credit hours. Students begin their supervised clinical work in the University’s speech and hearing clinic with subsequent practica at various off-campus facilities. Speech-language pathology graduate students are assigned two offsite practicum placements during the last semester of their master’s program – one in a hospital and/or rehabilitation setting and one in a school setting. All coursework, with the exception of the research paper and/or thesis, must be completed prior to beginning the offsite practicum.
Prospective speech-language pathology graduate students are required to begin the master’s program in the fall semester because coursework is sequential and comprehensive. Students are required to purchase and participate in an electronic portfolio system in order to help document competencies related to standards outlined by ASHA and an electronic system to track client contact hours. In addition, students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination to qualify for graduation with an M.S. in speech-language pathology.
For almost 50 years, the School's M.Sc. program has provided students with an education that is grounded in the basic and applied sciences, can address complex communication problems within an interdisciplinary framework, and understand the relevance of theory in research as well as in clinical practice. The MSc program offers graduates an entry-level degree to practice as an Audiologist or a Speech-Language Pathologist. Studying in state-of-the-art teaching and research labs with outstanding faculty prepares students to be confident practitioners who are effective, in-demand, and equipped with the skills to pursue new knowledge and keep pace with the constant changes in science, practice and technology. The clinical education program strives to provide each student with experience in all aspects of the major professional area (audiology or speech-language pathology) as well as a foundation of clinical experience in the other area.
Students pick either the Audiology or Speech Pathology stream:
Audiology
Audiology is the health profession that investigates hearing science, and that involves the diagnosis and management of hearing loss and balance disorders. It includes a wide variety of subjects, including: acoustics; noise pollution; diseases and defects of the ear; effects of hearing loss on speech and language development; hearing aids and assistive listening devices. Audiologists work with patients of all ages, from newborns to centenarians. They work in a variety of settings, from private practices, to publicly-funded health and education sites.
Speech Pathology
Speech-language pathology is the health profession that is grounded in the study of developmental and acquired communication and swallowing disorders. It includes the assessment and management of such disorders. Speech-language pathologists work with people of all ages whose disorders may include delayed speech and language development, neurologically-based speech and language impairment, stuttering, voice and/or swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists often work as part of a team, working alongside teachers, physicians, audiologists, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation counselors and others.
The School of Audiology and Speech Sciences (SASS) in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC is the only accredited M.Sc. program in British Columbia that educates speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
SASS offers clinical externships, ensuring that you experience clinical settings that reflect the diverse realities of practice. Externships are taught by experienced clinicians who understand the needs of student-clinicians, clients and their families.
SASS faculty are internationally renowned for their research. In addition to mentoring and training M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, faculty members are regularly sought after to provide specific expertise. They often introduce cutting-edge techniques used by clinicians and institutions throughout B.C., across Canada, and around the world.
The School is widely known for its education and training that integrate foundational knowledge, research, and evidence-based practical skills. This learning experience allows individuals to adapt to changes throughout their career as an audiologist, a speech-language pathologist, and/or academic. In addition, our graduates develop a working knowledge and respectful appreciation of cultural and linguistic differences, and they learn to engage in culturally safe and competent clinical practice with people of all backgrounds.
The combination of a solid evidence-based education, externships in actual clinical settings, and interaction with world-class faculty ensures that our graduates consistently score above average in national certification exams, and become knowledgeable and effective practitioners and/or academics. Many graduates receive job offers before they graduate. The majority are currently working in health authorities, school districts, and private clinics throughout B.C. and across Canada. The School’s graduates have been very successful in finding work within their chosen profession.
Audiology
Audiologists work with patients of all ages, from newborns to centenarians. They work in a variety of settings, from private practices, to publicly-funded health and education sites.
As a profession, audiology:
Speech-Language Pathology
Speech-language pathologists work with people of all ages whose disorders may include delayed speech and language development, neurologically-based speech and language impairment, stuttering, voice and/or swallowing disorders. Speech-language pathologists often work as part of a team, working alongside teachers, physicians, audiologists, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation counselors and others, in a variety of settings.
As a profession, the field of speech-language pathology:
This interdisciplinary MRes is aimed at applicants whose interest in language spans more than one discipline. Building on a first degree in linguistics, speech sciences, psychology, cognitive science, or a cognate discipline, students plan their own programme of study, selecting from a range of modules in several different UCL departments.
Students are introduced to academic and key skills essential for all fields of research in speech, language and cognition, gain research training with relevant supervisors from the UCL Centre for Human Communication, and are able to assess and critically appraise theoretical and applied research relevant to speech, language and cognition.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two core modules (30 credits), four options (30 credits), a research project (105 credits) and plan (15 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
In the Theoretical Frameworks module students choose and follow teaching from a total of four modules across the Division of Psychology and complete two cross-disciplinary projects examining aspects from two modules each term. These modules are chosen from at least two of the following fields of study:
There is no set list for these modules and students will choose modules which complement their intended research in consultation with the Programme Director.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project on an aspect of speech, language and cognition which culminates in a research plan of 3,000–6,000 words and a dissertation of 10,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of small group teaching, seminars, student-led research tutorials, self-study materials, supervised laboratory placement, lectures and computer-based practical classes. It is largely assessed by coursework, with only the statistics component being assessed by exam. The research project is assessed by dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Speech, Language and Cognition MRes
A small number of ESRC studentships may be available each year. These are generally based on a combined application for PhD and taught postgraduate study over four years. Students interested in these studentships should contact the research department where they are interested in PhD study.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
A large proportion of our students go on to study for a PhD and pursue a career in academia. The MRes is excellent preparation for a PhD degree and we have been very successful at getting candidates on to funded programmes. A number of graduates have returned to clinical practice as specialised speech and language therapists, or have gone on to work as researchers. Others go on to work in other fields ranging from business to education. The skills that the MRes develops – independent research, presentation skills, and statistics – are very highly sought after outside academia.
Recent career destinations for this degree
UCL Psychology & Language Sciences undertakes world-leading research and teaching in mind, behaviour, and language.
Our work attracts staff and students from around the world. Together they create an outstanding and vibrant environment, taking advantage of cutting-edge resources such as a behavioural neuroscience laboratory, a centre for brain imaging, and extensive laboratories for research in speech and language, perception, and cognition.
Opportunities for graduate students to work with world-renowned researchers exist in all areas of investigation, from basic processes to applied research. The division offers a supportive environment including numerous specialist seminars, workshops, and guest lectures.
This course leads to a professional qualification to practice as a speech and language therapist. This enables the individual to work in a diverse range of settings and roles, from schools and hospitals to higher education and research. The course is approved by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Health and Care Professions Council.
What will you learn?
You will investigate a range of subjects, including biomedical sciences, psychology, linguistics, communication and research methods. You will learn how to assess and manage a range of communication and swallowing disorders. Your skills will be put into practice through a series of clinical placements throughout the course.
We're one of only a few departments of our kind to run an in-house clinic. So as an MMedSci student at Sheffield, you’ll benefit from specialist facilities and training. To maximise your clinical skills, you’ll go on placements in our clinic and in settings throughout Sheffield and surrounding areas.
The course follows six main themes:
The course provides an interactive learning experience involving active participation, case-based and inquiry-based learning and small group teaching with an overall emphasis on integrating theoretical knowledge with
clinical expertise.
Some practical teaching takes place in the University’s human pathology laboratories. You will learn from a team of clinical and research specialists including speech and language therapists, psychologists, audiologists, linguists, information technologists, and medical practitioners.
Throughout the course, you will be working closely with your peers and tutors in a supportive environment.
Assessment of your knowledge and skills uses a variety of methods. These include exams, coursework and evaluation of clinical work. Your dissertation comprises a research-based systematic review of a clinically relevant topic in the second year of the programme.
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 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.
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.
PGCert
Cleft palate pathway (subject to university approval):
PGDip and MSc
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.
Ranked among the top 20 graduate programs of its kind nationwide by U.S. News and World Report, our renowned Master of Science program in Communication Disorders will provide you with the career-ready skills and hands-on experience you need to make an immediate impact on the lives of people living with communication and speech disorders.
In this program, you will have access to:
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a graduate degree program that provides students with career-ready skills and the hands-on experience needed to make an immediate impact on people’s lives.
The Master of Science in Communication Disorders program is designed for students interested in pursuing certification and licensure in the field of speech-language pathology. You will receive classroom and hands-on preparation in applying family-focused, developmental, cognitive, psychosocial, behavioral, and medical models to the assessment and treatment of a broad range of communication disorders and differences.
Graduates of the program are sought after to work with a wide range of populations in a variety of clinical settings throughout the US and internationally.
The MS in Communication Disorders program is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top graduate programs of its kind nationwide. The program is fully accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Your program of study at Emerson will satisfy the academic and clinical requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology of ASHA.
In 2015, Emerson College’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorderscelebrated its 80th anniversary. As a pioneer in the dynamic and increasingly important field of speech-language pathology, the department has earned a reputation for excellence in clinical preparation.
Exceptional Clinical Opportunities
Through your clinical placements, you will learn about the range of communication disorders that affect speech, language, cognition, and swallowing across the lifespan. You will have opportunities to work in multiple clinical settings, such as early intervention programs, public and private schools, private practices, acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, and others. Through your clinical placements you will learn professional collaboration, counseling skills, and how to best evaluate and treat a wide range of individuals, including a multicultural urban population. As an Emerson student, you will acquire the clinical knowledge and skills necessary to excel as a speech-language pathologist.
Learn more about clinical training and supervision »
This programme will give a comprehensive grounding in the theory and practice of phonetics. Students will learn the core phonetic topics of speech production, speech acoustics, and speech perception, and will learn how phonetics relates to many other language-related disciplines.
The programme has a strong practical emphasis. It is designed primarily for graduates wishing to continue studying phonetics at PhD level, and for those wishing to use phonetics as a tool for investigation in related fields, e.g. historical linguistics, phonology, developmental linguistics, psychology, speech technology, etc.
The taught MSc in Phonetics will provide students with an intensive grounding in phonetics and related disciplines, its methodologies, research questions, and techniques of research.
Students will take options from a wide range of courses offered in Linguistics & English Language and related subject areas, and will write a dissertation project.
All students will be required to take the core courses. Those students who do not have a strong background in phonetics and phonology may also be required to take an introductory course in Phonology & Phonetics.
Courses will include lectures, tutorials, and lab practicals.
Assessment is by coursework, project, and/or exams and a dissertation project.
At the dissertation stage, students are assigned a supervisor with whom they meet to plan their reading and to discuss their work.
The taught MSc in Phonetics will give students all of the intellectual and practical skills to engage in phonetics research, either for its own sake, or as part of research in another sub-area of linguistics, speech technology, or speech pathology.
Students graduating from our programme will understand basic anatomy and physiology of speaking and hearing, phonetic typology, current theories of phonetics and its relationship to phonology and other parts of grammar, and how to test these theories using empirical data.
We offer a strong focus on practical skills: students will learn how to elicit and collect phonetic data, the mechanisms involved in recording sound, how to measure and analyse acoustic and articulatory components of speech, how to create and analyse perceptual experiments, as well as core elements of scripting and statistical analysis.
This course is primarily as a conversion course for students looking to do serious postgraduate work in phonetics, speech pathology, speech processing, forensic linguistics or related fields.
Students will also receive training in practical skills, e.g. statistics and computational techniques, which could be relevant for a variety of different fields.
The one-year advanced Master of Science in Deglutology programme aims to train competent professionals in deglutology, the science of deglutition. It originated from a societal demand for skilled professionals specialised in the integrated care of patients with swallowing disorders in the mouth, throat or oesophagus.
As a student, you will receive a theoretical, deeply evidence-based training in the field of swallowing. In addition, you will be taught diagnostic techniques and therapeutic strategies.
This one-year master's programme is taught in English and can be followed full time or part time upon request. 60 credits are earned according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
The programme is intended for candidates who hold a Master’s Degree in Medicine or in Speech Language Pathology from an accredited university programme.
This Advanced Master’s programme aims to train competent professionals in deglutology, the science of deglutition. This advanced master’s degree focuses on a theoretical in depth evidence-based training in the field of swallowing in oral cavity, throat and oesophagus as well as clinical diagnostic techniques and therapeutic strategies. The student can, through a studious attitude and scientific interest, be lifelong learning in an area that is quickly expanding in terms of technology and science. The graduate in deglutology focuses on in the integrated care of patients with lifelong or newly onset swallowing disorders in the mouth, throat or oesophagus stemming from a broad spectrum of underlying medical pathologies such as prematurity, cerebral palsy, stroke, head and neck cancer, neurodegenerative disease etc.
Once you obtain this academic master's degree, you will be able to focus on the integrated care of patients with lifelong or newly onset swallowing disorders in the mouth, throat or oesophagus.
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 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.
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.
PGCert
PGDip
MSc
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.
Join one of our 16 International English-language Master’s programs at the University of Haifa
