MSc Speech and Language Therapy

This course is now closed for 2026 entry.

What is the MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-Registration)?

Are you a graduate who likes working with people? Would you like to become a registered Speech and Language Therapist within two years?

Our MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-Registration) is a two-year fast-track postgraduate course for graduates who want to become a speech and language therapist.

Speech and language therapists work with people of all ages who experience communication and swallowing difficulties, supporting them to maximise their independence in their social, academic and working lives.

The course is client-focused and brings together theory and clinical practice through a range of teaching methods. You will also undertake practice education placements with speech and language therapists and other members of multidisciplinary teams.

There's never been a better time to train as you can now apply for a £5000 grant that you won't need to pay back! There is also an extra £3000 funding available depending on your personal circumstances. You can find more information about eligibility and how to apply on the HSC Scholarships and Funding page.

Why study MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-Registration) at Essex?

• Prepare for a professional career: Successful completion of the course leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a speech and language therapist.
• Develop practical experience: Practice education placements give you opportunities to develop your clinical skills with speech and language therapists and multidisciplinary teams.
• Learn through theory and practice: The course uses a range of teaching approaches to help you integrate academic learning with clinical practice.
• Study in a multidisciplinary School: Learn alongside students studying a range of health and social care professions, giving you opportunities to interact with other aspiring healthcare professionals.
• Service-user involvement: Our Service User Reference Group (SURG) contributes to our courses and teaching, helping you understand the lived experiences of people accessing health and social care.
• Contemporary learning: The course is continually developed to reflect current health, education and social care practice.

Who should apply

This course may be suitable for you if you:

• Already hold an undergraduate degree and want to qualify as a speech and language therapist.
• Enjoy working with people and are interested in communication and swallowing.
• Want to work with people of different ages and backgrounds.
• Want to combine academic study with clinical placement experience.
• Are interested in becoming an allied health professional and developing a career in speech and language therapy.

Your learning experience

Our MSc Speech and Language Therapy is a client-focused programme that brings together theory and clinical practice.

Throughout the course, you will develop your understanding of speech, language, communication and swallowing needs and explore how speech and language therapists assess and support people across different stages of life.

You will learn through a range of teaching methods and have opportunities to apply your knowledge during practice education placements.

Our course continues to develop in response to contemporary health, education and social care practice, with a wide range of stakeholders contributing to ensure developments within speech and language therapy are reflected within the programme.

The School of Health and Social Care also works closely with our Service User Reference Group (SURG), which includes service users, carers and volunteers who share their first-hand experiences of health and social care.

SURG members support teaching and research activity, giving you valuable insight into lived experience and helping you develop your clinical knowledge, empathy, compassion and ability to advocate for the people you support.

What you will learn

Throughout the course, you will develop your knowledge and practical skills across areas including:

• Speech and language needs.
• Eating, drinking and swallowing.
• Psychology for speech and language therapists.
• Phonetics and linguistics.
• Biological and medical sciences.
• Social, emotional and cognitive communication.
• Assessment and management of clinical communication needs.
• Research and evidence-based practice.
• Clinical practice through placement experience.

Pre-registration Eating, Drinking and Swallowing (EDS) Competencies

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has developed pre-registration Eating, Drinking and Swallowing (EDS) competencies to ensure students graduating from pre-registration speech and language therapy programmes develop an appropriate and consistent level of competency.

These competencies are embedded within our teaching and placement curriculum.

Across your academic programme, you will have opportunities to develop EDS knowledge and practical competencies through a combination of lectures, practical workshops, e-learning and clinical placements.

Clinical experience may take place in settings including hospitals, community services, people’s homes, care homes, pre-schools, schools, special educational needs provision, mental health services and adult learning disability settings.

Developing these competencies will help broaden your clinical skillset and prepare you for speech and language therapy practice following graduation.

Placement opportunities

Placements are an integral part of the course and are arranged for you across a variety of settings and client groups.

Placement settings may include:

• NHS organisations.
• Independent and private speech and language therapy services.
• Charities.
• Schools and education settings.

You will have a minimum of 150 clinical experience sessions, approximately 75 days, during the programme.

This workplace learning provides essential practical experience of working with service users with communication and swallowing problems.

We are committed to embedding the values of the NHS Constitution into everything we do. They define the behaviours and expectations of our staff and students, underpinning the work we do. Our students and graduates work in a wide variety of locations where these values help shape the underlying principles of excellent care.

Funding

Eligible students may be able to access financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund, including a non-repayable annual training grant and additional funding depending on individual circumstances.

Find out more about available support through the NHS Learning Support Fund and our HSC Scholarships and Funding page.

Accreditation and Professional Recognition

Successful completion of the MSc Speech and Language Therapy (Pre-Registration) leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a speech and language therapist.

HCPC registration is required to practise as a speech and language therapist in the UK.

If you intend to work as a speech and language therapist outside of the UK, you should check the requirements of the relevant regulatory body in the country where you intend to practise.

Professional accreditation

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a speech and language therapist.

Recognised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) for the purpose of applying for newly qualified practitioner membership.

Course structure

Postgraduate study is the chance to take your education to the next level. These carefully selected modules will give you the chance to explore, question, and create powerful ideas. Picked to give you an extensive and in-depth education, they'll equip you with the specialist knowledge, vital transferrable skills, and the confidence to make a genuine difference to the world around you.

Attendance at the university is full time, along with your clinical placements.

We're reactive, we're pioneering, we never stand still, so modules might change from year to year in response to new developments and innovation. Those listed below show how a typical course might look, but more detail on course structure, including details of all optional modules, is available on our Programme Specification.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

Teaching takes place on campus. Please be aware you will be required to be on campus for between 4-5 days per week in the Autumn and Spring term. In the Summer term, you may have more self-directed study so you may not be required to be on campus so frequently. When you are on placement, you will be expected to commit to 5 days per week..

• Teaching staff in the School include clinically qualified lecturers in speech and language therapy, adult and mental health nursing, occupational therapy and a range of other health and social care professionals.
• The multidisciplinary nature of our School and its rapid growth has fostered a dynamic and innovative learning environment
• Practical skills classes, workshops and placements are used to integrate the theory and practice of speech and language therapy

Assessment

You are assessed through a range of techniques including, course work, examination, portfolio, vivas, presentations and essays and research dissertation. All clinical placements are assessed and must be passed in order to pass modules.

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 honours degree in any subject, or international equivalent.

• Successful performance at interview
• A personal statement, no more than 500 words in length
• One satisfactory reference (either an academic reference or a work-based reference)

You must also have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (including child and adult barred list check) and a Occupational Health Check - both of these are organised by the University.

For this course, you will be required to register for the DBS Update Service (information relating to this service can be found here). You will need to register for this within 30 days of your DBS certificate being issued. Registration with the DBS Update Service incurs a small annual cost which the University will reimburse. You will need to keep the subscription to this Service active for the duration of your course.

If you do not register for the Update Service within 30 days, or your registration lapses, and you later attend a placement where this is a requirement, you will have to pay for a new DBS check, which will enable you to sign up to the Update Service. Please contact dbs@essex.ac.uk if you have any questions relating to this.”

A satisfactory Overseas Criminal Record Check/Local Police Certificate is also required, in addition to a DBS check, where you have lived outside of the UK in the last 5 years for 6 months or more. Where it is not possible to obtain an Overseas Check a relevant professional reference may be accepted

NHS Constitution and Values

As part of the selection process, students will be expected to demonstrate good knowledge and a clear understanding of the scope of work that a speech and language therapist is required to undertake as well as the significance of the NHS Constitution and its core values (you can find further information on these on the Health Education East of England website and the Gov.UK webpages.

If you aim to work as a speech and language therapist in a country outside of the UK, you will need to check with the relevant regulatory body of that country to confirm suitability.

Interviews

Interviews will be via Zoom, details of which will be provided in advance.

Interviews and offers are made on a first-come-first-served basis until the available number of places are filled. After this, offers will be made for a place on the waiting list.

References

Don't worry if you cannot provide your reference when you make your application, as if we make you an offer you will be able to provide this at a later stage. Your reference should be recent and verifiable.

Continuing Professional Development

If you are already a registered speech and language therapist, please see Continuing Professional Development on our Health and Human Sciences web pages.

English language requirements

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.