Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy is a clinical profession concerned with the assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing difficulties across the lifespan. Therapists work with children who are slow to develop language or who have conditions affecting speech intelligibility, with adults who have acquired communication difficulties following stroke, brain injury or neurological conditions, and with people of all ages who have conditions such as autism, learning disabilities, voice disorders or cleft palate. The work is scientifically grounded, drawing on linguistics, psychology, anatomy and physiology, and it requires both rigorous clinical reasoning and sensitive interpersonal skill.

At the University of Sheffield this three-year full-time programme is accredited and leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a qualified speech and language therapist. Clinical practice is at the heart of the degree: you will undertake placements with real patients and clients throughout your training, building the practical experience that underpins professional competence. The course includes a sandwich year and a year abroad alongside embedded work placement components, offering an unusually broad range of clinical and international learning experiences.

Sheffield's description captures the course's dual focus on clinical practice and theoretical knowledge, including case-based learning that connects academic content to real-world situations.

You will develop detailed knowledge of normal and disordered communication, phonetics, linguistics, anatomy of the vocal tract and swallowing mechanism, and the evidence base for different therapeutic approaches. Alongside clinical knowledge, you will develop the communication and counselling skills that define effective therapeutic relationships.

Registered speech and language therapists work in NHS hospitals and community settings, special schools, private practice, and social care. Specialisation areas include child language disorders, dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), aphasia, voice disorders, autism and neurodevelopmental conditions. Postgraduate study and continuing professional development are integral to a career in the profession.