Speech and Language Therapy - BSc (Hons) Degree

• Excellent student satisfaction - We are ranked 1st for student satisfaction for Speech and Language Therapy courses in England, Wales and Scotland. 
• High quality teaching – The course is well established and is ranked 4th overall for Speech and Language Therapy courses in the UK.
• Paid tuition fees – Your tuition fees will be paid in full for students starting their studies in 2024 and committing to working for the NHS in Wales for at least 2 years after qualifying. For further details, see NHS Bursary and Financial Support below.
• Embedded research culture –You will be taught by research-active lecturers who as members of our Centre for Speech, Hearing and Communication Research are engaged in internationally recognised, clinically applied research with real-life impact.    
• Choice to study in Welsh – If you speak Welsh, you will be given the choice to study some of the degree through the medium of Welsh.
• State-of-the-art facilities – Facilities include an in-house clinic, a clinical simulation suite and two speech science laboratories, in which you will gain hands-on experience with the latest software and equipment. 
• Access to a supportive community of practice - You will learn from practising speech and language therapists with a genuine enthusiasm for their clinical specialism and a desire to pass on their knowledge and skills to you.  You will gain extensive clinical experience in a wide range of settings, including paediatric and adult placements.  You will have excellent employment prospects.
• Inclusive - We are committed to providing an environment where everyone is valued as an individual, and where students and staff can work, learn, flourish and develop their skills and knowledge in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and protected characteristics.
• Close links to Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists – this ensures prospective and existing learners with information about the ways in which the speech and language therapy profession is embedding equality, inclusivity and diversity into its admissions processes, in the teaching of speech and language therapy degrees, on placements and in support for students from diverse backgrounds. Read more here​.
  

This is a full and comprehensive programme, which requires daily attendance, and some lectures may finish after 5pm. Specific course content is as follows:

For Welsh-speaking students there is a dedicated pathway which allows you to study up to a third of the course through the medium of Welsh. 

Year 1:

The first year of the course provides you with a firm foundation in subjects which are core to the speech and language therapy profession, such as linguistics, phonetics, anatomy, physiology, and psychology. You also begin your clinical education with lectures and tutorials in which practising speech and language therapists provide an introduction to speech and language pathology and therapy. Off campus you learn about child development in a nursery placement, interact with older adults in a communication partner placement, and begin your initial clinical practice placement at the end of the year.

Year 2:

In the second year of the course, the focus of teaching becomes more clinical, and you extend your knowledge of the core subjects you studied in Year 1 to build your understanding of a variety of specific speech and language disorders. You explore ways of assessing and managing a range of client groups as well as extending your knowledge in areas such as sound, hearing and audiology. You will also undertake teaching on Dysphagia and begin to develop your competency in this area. On your two block placements, you will begin to have responsibility for the management of your own caseload, with guidance and supervision.

Year 3:

In the third year of the course, you will begin to study more specialised clinical areas, such as bilingualism, stammering, voice, multiple disability, and alternative and augmentative communication. You will also develop your understanding of the wider aspects of practising speech and language therapy within a professional context. A larger part of your time will be taken up on clinical placements in both terms, and you will also carry out data collection and analysis as part of your own research project.

A variety of approaches to learning and teaching are employed throughout the course. These include lectures, seminars and tutorials alongside practical workshops in our clinical simulation suite, as well as one-to-one supervision for final-year research projects. Our emphasis is on supporting students to translate theory into practice to become confident speech and language therapists.

The members of staff in the SLT Centre have expertise in Phonetics and Linguistics, Child Speech and Language Development, Audiology, Developmental Language Disorder, Speech Sound Difficulties, ASD, Fluency Disorders, Learning Disabilities and AAC, Swallowing Disorders and Adult Neurological Disorders. External specialist speech and language therapists provide teaching in other specialisms, alongside service users. Many of our staff are research-active with 74% of the research submitted by the Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences, including by Speech and Language Therapy staff, rated as internationally excellent or world-leading in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Throughout the course students are supported individually by their own personal tutor who helps to guide them on their journey to becoming a professional speech and language therapist.

Clinical Placements Students undertake both weekly and block placements during the course. This allows for the development of a broad range of clinical skills. We have newly refurbished dedicated in-house clinic facilities which host clinics for adults with acquired neurological difficulties and for children with developmental communication difficulties.

All of our clinical staff are speech and language therapists, some of whom offer placements in our in-house clinic. The clinical journey starts in year 1 where you gain experience of working with children and older adults, and begin your clinical placements, building on these skills further in years 2 and 3. Students experience a wide range of client groups on placement, with all students undertaking over 550 directly supervised clinical placement hours across the duration of the course.

You will be assessed in a wide variety of ways during the course. Assessments include essays, case reports, presentations, written examinations, a clinical viva, and a research project which focuses in depth on a topic of your own choice.

The assessments are carefully designed to enable you to develop the knowledge and capabilities which are central to working as a speech and language therapist. The innovative nature of some of our assessments has been praised by external examiners.

Graduates from the programme are qualified to practise as speech and language therapists (subject to registration with the Health and Care Professions Council after graduation).

The course has a good reputation throughout the UK, and our graduates gain posts working in a wide variety of SLT specialisms. There is demand for speech and language therapists both in the NHS and in the Education Service.

Information on current salaries can be found at: http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/working-in-the-nhs/pay-and-benefits/agenda-for-change-pay-rates/. (Newly qualified speech and language therapists start at Band 5).

Opportunities exist for speech and language therapists in hospitals, health centres, schools and specialist units. Graduates may also choose to progress to postgraduate study and/or research in the department. Some clinicians are employed by charitable organisations or undertake private practice. There are also opportunities to work abroad

Typical Offers

• Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
  
• GCSE: Five GCSEs to include Grade C / 4 or above in English Language / Welsh First Language and Science, and Grade B / 5 or above in Mathematics or Mathematics – Numeracy. A foreign language at GCSE is desirable.
  
• English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in all elements, or equivalent.
  
• A level subjects: Minimum Grades ABB in three clearly separate subject areas.
  
• Relevant subjects: One Science subject such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics is desirable but not essential. A level Double Award in any subject will only be counted as one A level. OR A level Grade BBB in three clearly separate subject areas and Grade B in Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
  
• BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: DDD considered. Dependant on subject studied and strength of overall application.
  
• T Level: Science subject considered, alongside a further relevant Level 3 academic qualification.
  
• Access to Higher Education Diploma: 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction in both Biology and an equivalent Science. Merits from the remaining level 3 credits. Access to Higher Education Diplomas in the areas of Biosciences, Health Care, Health Science and Science are acceptable. Five GCSEs to include Grade C / 4 or above in English Language / Welsh First Language and Science, and Grade B / 5 or above in Mathematics or Mathematics – Numeracy. A foreign language at GCSE is desirable.
  
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: Minimum two Grade 6 and one Grade 5 in Higher Level subjects.
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 2 x H2 and 2 x H1. One Science subject such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics is desirable but not essential. Academic subjects required.
  
• Scottish Advanced Highers: Grades BCC. One Science subject such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics is desirable but not essential. Academic subjects required.
  
• Other requirements: Successful interview, DBS and Occupational Health check.

For all applicants, evidence is required of successful academic study at a recognised pre-university level (e.g. relevant A-level(s) or an Access course) within the past five years, and an academic reference should be provided on the UCAS form.

We will interview all eligible applicants who are studying, or have studied, an appropriate Access to Higher Education Health related Diploma; level 3 or 4 work based learning qualification or similar level 3 programme; that meets the Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB) requirements for the programme.

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.

Due to the nature of the programme, we are not able to consider international applicants. We welcome applicants from the Republic of Ireland, as they are considered as Home applicants for fee purposes. Please check our Fee Status Assessment here​ for further information.

How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.​

All healthcare students, including those who have not subscribed to NHS Wales Bursary which provides financial support for tuition fees and for some aspects of maintenance in return for their commitment to work in Wales after graduation, are eligible for support from NHS Wales in the form of reimbursement of clinical placement travel and subsistence expenses which may be claimed through the Cardiff Metropolitan University Student Services Placements Office. For further information on reclaiming placement expenses please contact cpt@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

Please contact financeadvice@cardiffmet.ac.uk if you have any queries about funding, including student finance and NHS bursary. For further information about the NHS Bursary Scheme, please click here.

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact the programme team:
Email: SLTAdmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk