Newcastle University

Speech and Language Sciences BSc Honours
UCAS Code: B620 (4 Years)

• Course Overview
• Modules
• Entry Requirements
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Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are responsible for assessing and treating people of all ages who have difficulty communicating. This might be a three-year-old learning to talk or an eight-year-old learning to read and write.

SLTs also work with adults who have trouble expressing themselves as a result of a recent stroke and with people who have difficulty swallowing, using their voices, or speaking fluently.

This degree teaches you to describe accurately the symptoms of communication disorder, after which you learn to analyse patterns of disorder, allowing diagnosis to take place.

Our innovative curriculum is based in part on case-based learning to develop your problem-solving skills and we provide a substantial amount of clinical work with adults and children in community clinics, hospitals and schools, where we have established close working links with local therapists.

Professional accreditation

This programme is professionally accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the Health and Care Professions Council.

Graduates will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, and qualified to practise as a speech and language therapist.

You can also become a full member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Quality and ranking

Newcastle was the first UK university to offer a degree leading to a clinical qualification in speech and language therapy in 1959. Today, we continue to offer one of the UK’s leading speech and language sciences degrees.

We achieved an overall student satisfaction score of 96% in the 2013 National Student Survey. Newcastle also ranks number one in the UK for Speech and Language Sciences in The Complete University Guide 2014.

Teaching and assessment

Research shapes the content of our undergraduate degrees and makes sure that you have the chance to cover the most up-to-date theories and discoveries. This degree is taught within the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences. The research within Speech and Language Sciences covers the following areas:

• communication disorders in adults
• child language
• phonetics

We also engage in research in partnership with the NHS through the North East Speech and Language Therapy Research Collaboration (NESLTRC).

Small group case-based problem solving is central to clinical teaching. This is supplemented by lectures, seminars and, in Stages 2 to 4, clinical placements.

Assessment is varied and includes formal examinations, class tests, essay assignments, and oral and written case presentations. Teaching and assessment methods may vary from module to module; more information can be found in our individual module listings.

Clinical experience

We know that practical experience is important to help prepare you for your future career, so at Newcastle you gain clinical experience in all four Stages of your degree.

The amount of time you spend on clinical practice increases in each year of the course.

At Stage 3 you will actually spend half a day each week on a placement in a clinic in the community in the first semester and a six-week block placement in the second semester.

At Stage 4 you will undertake a second six-week placement, as well as gaining supervised experience of evaluating a clinical service.

School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences

As a Speech and Languages Sciences student at Newcastle you will become part of the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences. This is one of the largest Schools within the University, offering an exceptional range of facilities and support.

We have:

• a language analysis lab for transcription and analysis of recorded samples of language and for teaching
• audio visual lab
• on-site clinics: the North East Aphasia Centre, The Literacy Clinic and The Paediatric Speech & Language Clinic
• recording studio

The School also have a very active student society, The Speech Therapy Society which organises a wide range of social events to help you get to know people from all year groups. The Society also organises a range of activities to raise awareness of speech and language therapy amongst students and the general public, including raising money for clinics within the University.