Speech and Language Sciences

Speech and language sciences is the academic study of human communication, its neurological and cognitive underpinnings, its development in children, and the disorders that affect it across the lifespan. It is a rigorous scientific discipline that draws on linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and anatomy to understand how people produce and perceive speech and language, and what happens when those processes are disrupted by developmental conditions, neurological damage, or structural differences.

At the University of Newcastle this four-year full-time programme develops your understanding across the full range of the discipline, including causes, diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders in both adults and children. You will study the phonetics and phonology of speech, the grammar and semantics of language, the neuroscience of communication, and the clinical frameworks used to assess and treat disorders including stammering, aphasia, voice disorders, dysphagia, developmental language disorder, and autism spectrum conditions. The programme includes a year abroad as part of its four-year structure, broadening your academic and cultural perspective on the science.

The typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the scientific and linguistic demands of entry.

You will develop scientific rigour, research skills, detailed knowledge of speech and language, and the clinical awareness needed to apply that knowledge in therapeutic contexts.

Some graduates continue to professional training in speech and language therapy, which requires additional clinical and professional preparation beyond this science degree. Others pursue research in linguistics, phonetics, cognitive science, or neuroscience, or move into roles in education, healthcare policy, assistive technology, or speech technology development.