Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy is the healthcare profession concerned with assessing and treating disorders of communication and swallowing across the full range of causes and life stages. Speech and language therapists work with children who have delayed or disordered language development, with adults who have acquired communication difficulties following stroke or head injury, with people who have voice disorders, and with those whose eating and swallowing are affected by neurological conditions, structural abnormalities or developmental challenges. The role requires a combination of scientific understanding, clinical skill and genuine human sensitivity, operating in settings from NHS hospitals and schools to community clinics and care homes.

At the University of St Mark and St John, this three-year qualifying degree prepares you to register as a speech and language therapist and to work across the breadth of the profession. You will study anatomy and physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms, linguistics and phonetics, child language development, neurology and the clinical presentations of the major conditions that affect communication and swallowing. Clinical placements are an essential and substantial part of the programme, giving you supervised experience with real clients across different settings and presenting conditions.

These placements are where you develop the clinical reasoning and practical skills that academic study alone cannot provide, and they are a requirement for professional registration.

Speech and language therapy is a regulated profession, and graduates who meet the competence requirements of the programme can apply to register with the Health and Care Professions Council and join the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Graduates work in NHS hospitals, community health services, schools, special educational needs settings, care homes, private practice and research. Career progression routes include specialist clinical roles, team leadership, education and academic research, as well as broader NHS management for those who develop managerial interests.