Program Overview

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Speech & Language Therapy (Pre-registration)

MSc

Attendance

Full-time

Campus

Preston Campus

Start

September 2025

Duration

2 years

Delivery

In-person

Our MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-registration) course will prepare you for a successful career in the continually evolving health and social care sector.

Overview

From day one your learning will link theoretical knowledge with professional practice, so by the time you graduate you’ll be equipped with the skills you need to pursue a successful career in speech and language therapy, where your work will transform lives.

Working in our purpose-built rehabilitation and assessment facilities on campus, you’ll benefit from small class sizes. Your tutors will be on hand to offer you all the support you need throughout the course.

As you progress, you’ll undertake a number of work placements, giving you valuable experience and employable skills. By your second year, you'll have a clearer idea of potential career paths. You'll then complete a full-time work placement, which we aim to align with your area of interest within the health and social care sector.

We have strong links with speech and language therapists working throughout the NHS, in private practice across the North West, charitable organisations, and international institutions. So you’ll get opportunities to gain experience of the full breadth of modern practice.

Why study with us

• This course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
• We have strong links with clinical partners across the North West, in both NHS and non-NHS settings. You’ll have lots of opportunities to gain valuable work experience
• Pursue something new and gain the knowledge and skills that employers are craving.

Important information

• Applications for September 2025 are now closed.

What you’ll do

• You’ll engage in work-based learning placements within NHS Trusts and the independent sector across the North West of England. Here, you will experience modern, high quality Speech and Language Therapy practice within a range of settings.
• You'll learn from a team of experienced, innovative, and highly motivated Speech and Language Therapists.
• You’ll learn the research skills needed to provide high-quality Speech and Language Therapy, guided by evidence. You’ll also be ready to make a real difference to the profession, advancing professional knowledge and best practice.

Modules

Compulsory modules

• Speech Science for Speech and Language Therapists
• Biomedical Science and Dysphagia for Speech and Language Therapists
• Developmental Speech and Language Disorders
• Conditions Across the Lifespan
• Acquired Speech and Language Disorders
• Professional Studies 1
• Professional Studies 2
• Using Research to Inform Practice
• Undertaking Research and Service Evaluation

Accreditations

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (RCSLT)

Future careers

Students who have graduated from our Health and Social Care Professional programmes have proven to be highly employable. Through consultation with our clinical stakeholders, we know that there is a high demand for speech and language therapists in the North West.

By the time you graduate you’ll have gained a wealth of skills, knowledge and work experience within professional health and social care settings. You’ll be ready to advance your career in the world of speech and language therapy, working in the NHS, private sector or charitable organisations.

Entry requirements

• Applicants should hold a 2:2 degree
• Applicants will be assessed through interview
• For applicants where English is not their first language, we require IELTS: Score of 8.0 with no component lower than 7.5 at point of application
• GCSEs: Maths and English Language at Grade C/4
• A satisfactory reference
• A satisfactory Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland) and Occupational Health clearance are required for this course
• Please note that as this course has been developed to meet the demand for Speech and Language Therapists in the North West, in exceptional circumstances where places are limited preference may be given to applicants in the North West.

Fees and funding

2025/26

• UK: Full-time £11,000 per year
• International: Full-time £17,900 per year

Additional costs

As part of your course there may be additional costs to consider that are not included in your tuition fees. Most of these will be optional, but some courses have essential additional costs.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer many scholarships, bursaries and funds to support you during your studies. Select your country or region to see if you are eligible and how to apply.

Learning and assessment

Classroom teaching typically takes place over two or three days per week across three semesters (over the full year). When you’re on campus you’ll be taught in small groups, so you’ll get all the support you need from us.

The course content has been designed to advance your knowledge of care-based and client-centred approaches in contemporary clinical practice. You’ll engage in a mixture of tutor-led and self-directed learning, applying your knowledge and developing your skills through a range of tasks, including practice-based learning assessment, written assignments, presentations, practical skills assessments, clinical analysis, and project work.

Work-based learning is embedded within the modules. From the first semester of Year One you’ll gain real-life experience by undertaking short work placements in a range of contemporary settings. Your clinical experiences will include paediatric and adult patient settings, giving you a breadth of experience to fit with local service provision. This practice-based learning will take place in blocks of between one and five weeks in health and social care settings across the North West. You’ll be supported by your Practice Placement Educator and be visited by your University Placement Tutor. So you’ll have opportunities to learn in practice environments while being supported by academic staff at the University.

During the course you’ll need to successfully complete 525 hours of assessed placement practice in all. The final placement will be a five-week full-time block.

Throughout the course we’ll assess you in line with the five Core Capabilities outlined by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT): Communication; Partnerships; Leadership and lifelong learning; Research and evidence-based practice; and Professional autonomy and accountability.

We’ll assess you in various ways, from online learning to peer assessment of written work, class presentations, academic adviser support for your core practice skills portfolio, and debrief sessions of placement experience.

Pathway opportunities

Within the wider School we provide opportunities for you to advance to a Professional Doctorate or PhD.

Further information

As part of the course you will have the opportunity to hear about the experiences of service users, carers, patients and public members via our community engagement and service user support groups (Comensus).