Speech and Language Pathology

Speech and language pathology, known in some contexts as speech and language therapy, is the health profession concerned with the assessment and treatment of communication difficulties and swallowing disorders. Speech and language therapists work with people across the lifespan who have conditions affecting their speech, language, voice or the ability to swallow safely, including children with developmental language disorder, adults who have had strokes, people with progressive neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease or motor neurone disease, and individuals with learning disabilities or autism. It is a profession that combines scientific knowledge with sensitive clinical communication.

At the University of Strathclyde you will study speech and language pathology over four years of full-time study, on one of the longest-established programmes of its kind in Scotland and among the oldest in the UK. You will develop knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of speech and swallowing, linguistics, psychology, neurology and the evidence base for therapeutic intervention across a wide range of conditions. Clinical placements are integral to the programme, giving you supervised practice with real clients in a variety of settings.

A year abroad is built into the programme, broadening your perspective on how the profession is practised in different international contexts. The typical tariff of 184 reflects the academic and clinical demands of a degree that leads directly to professional registration.

Graduates register with the Health and Care Professions Council as speech and language therapists and work across the NHS, local authorities, educational settings, community health services, independent practice, charities and international healthcare systems. The profession offers a wide range of clinical specialisms and career progression routes, from paediatric language and literacy to adult acquired neurological conditions and voice. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study to develop specialist expertise or move into research.

Demand for qualified speech and language therapists in the UK is consistently high, and the profession combines clinical challenge with genuine human impact.