ÐßÐßÊÓƵ

Top 5 for Health Professions

Our Health Professions courses are ranked 4th best in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2026.

Undergraduate courses/Allied Health Professions courses/Speech and Language Therapy

Key facts

Typical offer

UCAS points:

128

A Level:

ABB

BTEC:

DDM

normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science

Key facts

Duration:

3 yrs full-time

Study mode:

Full-time

UCAS code:

B621

Institution code:

D26

See all the key facts and full entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

128

A Level:

ABB

BTEC:

DDM

normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science

UCAS code

B621

Duration

Three years full-time

Study mode

Full-time

See all the key facts and full entry requirements

This course has achieved over 90% across all areas in the 2025 National Student Survey ‑ including 100% for Academic Support, 99% for Teaching, and 96.7% for Learning Opportunities.

Overview

Speech and language therapists play a vital role in supporting individuals of all ages who experience difficulties with speech, language, communication, and swallowing. Working closely with families, carers, and a diverse range of professionals, therapists provide essential assessment, intervention, and support to enhance quality of life. This dynamic and rewarding profession offers opportunities to make a real difference in people’s lives.

At ÐßÐßÊÓƵ, our Speech and Language Therapy course equips you with the knowledge and practical experience needed for a successful career in this field. Throughout the three-year programme, you will study core subjects such as phonetics and phonology, psychology, medical sciences, linguistics, and language development. As you progress, you will delve deeper into communication disabilities, evidence-based practice, and therapeutic interventions. Your final year will provide opportunities to develop a specialist focus through an independent dissertation project.

Practical experience is a key component of our course. You will undertake practice-based learning each year, including weekly and block placements in diverse settings such as schools, hospitals, care homes, and community environments. These hands-on experiences allow you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, developing essential clinical and professional skills.

Key features

  • Top 5 for Health Professions: Our Health Professions courses are ranked 4th best in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2026.
  • Outstanding student satisfaction: Our BSc (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy course has achieved over 90% across all positivity measures in the 2025 National Student Survey - including 100% for Academic Support, 99% for Teaching, and 96.7% for Learning Opportunities.
  • Accredited and approved: Our course is approved by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and graduates are eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council, enabling them to practice as professional speech and language therapists.
  • Financial support: All speech and language therapy students are eligible to of at least £5,000 per year, with up to £3,000 in additional funding available.
  • Boost your employability: Gain extensive practical experience through a combination of external and simulated placements, starting from your first year and continuing throughout your studies.
  • Graduate destinations: Graduates have made significant contributions at prominent NHS trusts, including Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Derbyshire Community Health Services, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, and Sussex Community NHS Trust - working in adult mental health, learning disability, and community speech therapy roles.
  • Career-focused education: Our curriculum is designed to enhance employability, with insights from industry professionals, newly qualified therapists, and experienced practitioners to support your transition into the workforce.
  • Interprofessional collaboration: Develop essential teamwork skills through dedicated interprofessional learning activities with students from health and education disciplines, preparing you for effective collaborative practice in your career. 

 

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What you will study

Foundations for Professional and Clinical Practice 1

In this module, you will develop foundation theory and skills in preparation for clinical and professional practice. It is in this module that you will encounter your first non-clinical practice-based learning (PBL) with children in a school setting.

Lifespan Development

In this module, you will begin to develop an understanding of key underpinning knowledge of theoretical frameworks in psychology and lifespan development needed for application to speech and language therapy practice. You will also be introduced to linguistics terminology with reference to models, processes, and key stages of language development.

Understanding Communication Disability

This module provides the foundation to how we think about communication disability; how it might present, approaches to describing and assessing a range of conditions, and how these impact on a person’s life.

Foundations for Professional and Clinical Practice 2

You will learn about key life transitions as part of the ageing process and through two practice-based learning opportunities will meet a diverse range of individuals who will share their lived experiences.

Evidence-Based Intervention: Language and Cognition

In this module, you will focus on understanding assessment, intervention, and management of clients with developmental and acquired language and cognitive difficulties. Indicative content includes developmental language disorders and DLD, cognitive models such as psycholinguistics, neurodevelopmental conditions and learning disabilities, acquired language disorders such as aphasia, relevant medical sciences, and language analysis.

Evidence-Based Intervention

Speech and Swallowing: In this module, you will focus on understanding assessment, intervention, and management of clients with motor speech disorders and eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties. Indicative content includes dysphagia, apraxia, dysarthria, degenerative conditions, speech sound disorders, and cleft palate.

Developing Clinical and Professional Practice

In this module, you will develop clinical, personal, and professional skills. The module includes teaching to support simulated and clinical placement learning, communication skills, counselling, information gathering and assessment, delivering training, record keeping, reflection, and the application of social and cultural factors in SLT practice.

Research-Informed Speech and Language Therapy Practice

In this module, you will develop the knowledge and skills required to understand research methods and their role in service development and clinical practice.

Establishing Clinical and Professional Practice

In this module, you will further develop your personal, professional, and clinical skills needed for SLT. You will develop your clinical skills underpinning intervention planning, including aim setting, session planning, intervention, and evaluation alongside undertaking a clinical placement. Learning will include developing indirect intervention skills and will revisit and extend relevant personal and professional skills from year 2, including promoting inclusion and access, health promotion, interprofessional practice and team working, working with service users, families and carers, self-development, and management. You will act as a peer mentor to others on different levels of the programme.

Evidence-Based Intervention: Specialist Settings

In this module, you will study the features, assessment, and management of communication disorders associated with more specialist settings, including hearing impairment and audiology, cognitive communication disorder (CCD) arising from acute brain injury, right hemisphere disorders, complex dementia, mental health conditions in adults and children, forensics, voice and ENT, head and neck cancers and trauma, tracheostomy, and brain tumours.

Research Practice

In this module, you will draw on knowledge and skills acquired in levels 4 and 5 and will work in small tutorial groups and with individual supervision to demonstrate your understanding of the research process: motivating a research question, devising a method for gathering data, data analysis, and discussion of data (dissertation project).

Towards Professional Autonomy

Clinical and Professional Practice: In this module, you will demonstrate personal, professional, and clinical skills at a level appropriate for HCPC registration as an SLT NQP. You will integrate knowledge and skills from previous learning and complete a clinical placement covering all elements of the SLT role. Teaching and study to support this placement and your journey to autonomy will include advocacy, professional autonomy and accountability, leadership and lifelong learning, self-development and management, professional development and business management skills, developing others, innovation, and change.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Teaching is generally in relatively small groups and includes:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorial discussions
  • Practical workshops
  • Inter-professional (IP) learning with students from other healthcare professions
  • Practice Based learning – using case studies and simulated cases designed to support external placements.  

Sessions often have lots of opportunities for interaction and applying your learning through discussion, practical or case-based examples along the way. You will also undertake self-directed study within modules, such as reading, webinars and group activities. Learning also takes place within inter-professional learning events with other programmes and practice-based learning including virtual and/or physical placements.

You’ll be assessed using a wide variety of methods including:

  • Written assignments
  • Case studies
  • Video assessments
  • Presentations
  • Exams
  • Dissertation project

These are not only beneficial in demonstrating your learning on the programme, but often have relevance to your future role as an SLT

Teaching contact hours:

Contact hours in any week depend on modules and the year you’re in. Most modules take a flexible, blended approach, with online materials to support your studies as well as face to face taught sessions, but you can expect around 15 hours timetabled study each week, plus placement hours which differ according to the position of the placement within the programme.

In years 1 and 2, these are mainly focused across 3 days per week due to the weekly nature of placement. Across the programme you will also complete at least 150 sessions (approximately 75 days) practice-based learning.

 At ÐßÐßÊÓƵ, we have a structured personal tutoring approach and aim for a collaborative and collegiate feel for the programme. We’re delighted to regularly receive feedback from students on the approachability of the staff and the support they offer.

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Our facilities

Hawthorn Building

Home to students and staff from Health and Life Sciences courses spanning pharmaceutical, healthcare, lab based and social science disciplines.

The facilities and spaces in the Hawthorn Building are designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences, including contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories, audiology booths,  and pharmacy practice, nursing and midwifery clinical skills suites.

Purpose-built clinical skills areas allow you to practice in a safe environment. You will receive guidance and support from expert academic and technical staff.

Recently renovated, the Undercroft offers dedicated break out spaces and study spaces allowing for collaborative and interprofessional learning beyond the classroom.

Hawthorn Building - Magazine Square Entrance
Hawthorn Building is located in the centre of campus just 5 minutes from the city centre.
A student using one of the open study spaces in the Hawthorn Building
Technical staff are on hand to guide students throughout their course.
Midwifery students have access to specialist facilities and staff
Midwifery students get hands-on experience
Nursing facilities in the building and others on campus, allow our students to learn in clinical settings.
A student in the state-of-the-art diagnostic X-ray suite, a space to learn a range of practical radiographic skills
Bertec Computerised Dynamic Postuography (CPD/IVR) uses the latest technology in graphics and sensors to enable greater depth in our assessment of people who experience dizziness.

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Our expertise

The vast majority of our teaching staff are registered Speech and Language Therapists, so academic teaching is well-supported by clinical experience across a wide range of specialisms. You’ll also access some teaching from visiting lecturers, immersed in specialist areas of clinical practice.

Staff also have expertise in academic research, particularly relating to dysarthria, aphasia, autism/mental health and phonetics and phonological pedagogy; and a wide range of interests including reflection, collaborative practice and pedagogy.

Our staff also contribute to wider developments in the SLT world, for example in RCSLT working groups on topics such as clinical education, equality and diversity and dysphagia competencies.

Profile picture for Samantha Littlefair

Samantha Littlefair

Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead

Sam worked as a Speech and Language Therapist in the NHS for over 10 years before joining the team at ÐßÐßÊÓƵ. She specialises in teaching adult acquired neurology and swallowing disorders and spent the majority of her clinical career working in a large acute teaching hospital where she led a team managing neurosciences, critical care and major trauma cases. Sam works closely with RCSLT to develop guidance and policy in her specialist areas.

Profile picture for Nikki West

Nikki West

Senior Lecturer and Admissions lead

Nikki is a Speech and Language Therapist who worked in the NHS and developed her own independent practice business before joining the team at ÐßÐßÊÓƵ. She spent her clinical career working in pre-school complex needs, special schools, adults with learning disabilities in the community and SEMH settings. Nikki is the admissions lead and enjoys supporting first-year students. She is also a Makaton Tutor and uses this in her teaching.

Profile picture for Lisa Morgan

Lisa Morgan

Senior Lecturer

Lisa teaches child language development, introducing communication disability, and developmental communication needs. She is our Employability and Inter-Professional Education Champion and leads the final year Transition to the Workplace module. Clinically, she worked with children and young people with developmental language disorders. Before ÐßÐßÊÓƵ, Lisa worked for a national charity and as Professional Director of the Communication Trust, shaping national policy and practice. She’s passionate about collaborative practice and professional development.

Profile picture for Ali Tempest

Ali Tempest

Associate Professor

Ali worked as an Speech Language Therapist in the NHS before joining ÐßÐßÊÓƵ. She worked with children of all ages, including those with complex needs, DLD, autism, stammering, and speech sound disorders. Her Master's focused on speech sound disorders and friendships. Ali teaches speech sound disorders, professional skills, counselling, and communication. She supports students on placements, is passionate about inclusive education, and serves as Subject Lead for AHP Programmes, maintaining strong professional links.

Profile picture for Lara Meredith

Lara Meredith

Senior Lecturer

Lara supports Linguistics and Phonetics across the Speech and Language Therapy programme, bringing examples from her clinical work into her teaching. Lara spent her clinical career as an NHS SLT specialising in working in Early Years settings with children and their families, and also worked with adult clients with a range of speech, language, communication and swallowing needs on a stroke ward, client’s homes, and care homes.

Profile picture for Iona Brown

Iona Brown

Senior Lecturer

Dr Iona Brown trained as a speech language therapist as a mature student in Newcastle upon Tyne and worked clinically in the NHS and in New Zealand before joining ÐßÐßÊÓƵ. She has worked mostly with adults, specialising in voice and motor speech disorders and now supports people in developing gender affirming vocal presentation. Her research focuses on speech changes in Parkinson’s disease and gender issues in SLT. She teaches psychology, research methods, and communication impairment, with expertise in professional governance and AI in higher education.

Accreditations, awards or memberships

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

The course is certified by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).  Graduates are eligible to apply to the HCPC for entry onto the speech and language part of the register in order to practise as speech and language therapists.

What makes us special

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ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as international exchanges.

Students on this course have previously undertaken ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Global trips to places such as India, where they visited schools and community groups, and The Gambia, where they helped support deaf children. In addition to this, students have travelled to Bangkok to teach English to schoolchildren.

Where we could take you

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Placements

During the programme you will take an active role in a range of interesting and diverse clinical placement opportunities across the midlands region. At ÐßÐßÊÓƵ we have a strong focus on the practical aspects of learning and the first placement starts in week 2.

First year placements:

The focus in year one is typical development and students move through a variety of placements including dementia groups and mainstream and special school settings. Throughout the year we offer practice based learning opportunities on campus which include online simulation packages and case based learning delivered by clinical specialists and supported by service users with lived experience.

Second year placements:

In the second year of study you will have block clinical placements as well as various Practice Based Learning experiences. You will work with experienced SLTs in a variety of NHS and private settings across adults and children. Following on from a practice based learning paediatric dysphagia day with a clinical specialist we also have a specific placement for Eating, Drinking and Swallowing in adults during second year which ensures you are developing the most recent standards of competency set by RCSLT.

Third year placements:

By the end of final year placements we ensure you have achieved a range of experiences across adults and children. These take the form of weekly and block placements in final year.

We have strong links with our placement providers and offer detailed training and support to ensure we provide the best quality learning opportunities for you. Feedback from our students demonstrates that placement is one of the most positive aspects of the course and equips our graduates with all the skills needed to transition into the workplace as newly qualified Speech and Language Therapists.

Four students sitting around a table at the Careers Hub

Graduate careers

Our graduates are highly sought-after by speech and language therapy providers, with previous students securing positions working for the NHS and private organisations, as well as in medical, educational and social care settings.

Recent graduates have gone on to work at:

  • Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust as Speech and Language Therapists
  • Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust as Speech and Language Therapists
  • Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust as Speech and Language Therapists
  • Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust in Adult Learning Disability and Adult Mental Health Speech and Language Therapy
  • Sussex Community NHS Trust as Adult Community Speech and Language Therapists

Speech and Language Therapy graduate Alison Fowler came to study at ÐßÐßÊÓƵ after more than 20 years working as a teacher, so she could follow her dream of helping people who have had a brain injury or a stroke, or any condition that might affect their communication.

She said: “I was utterly thrilled when I was offered my place on the course and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.”

Take your next steps

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Open Days - Book your place

We’d love to welcome you to one of our university Open Days where you can see for yourself what we have to offer.

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Find out about Leicester

We’re a campus-based university situated in the city centre, with the hub of activity in Leicester right on your doorstep - we’re one of the few universities in the UK where you’re getting the best of both worlds.

How to apply

Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Speech and Language Therapy BSc (Hons)
Programme code:
B621

UCAS applications

  1. Register on UCAS Hub (create an account)
  2. Fill in your UCAS application form:
  3. Personal details (name, contact, residency)
    • More about you (any mental health conditions or long-term illnesses, parenting responsibilities, whether you’ve served in the armed forces)
    • Education history (qualifications taken or pending)
    • Employment history (if applicable)
    • Course choice
  4. Write your personal statement (why you want to study the course, skills, achievements, future goals)
  5. Get your reference (usually from a teacher/tutor/employer)
  6. Pay the UCAS fee (single choice or multiple choices)
  7. Submit the UCAS application before the deadline.
Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Speech and Language Therapy BSc (Hons)
Programme code:
B621

Apply directly as an international student

Find out more and apply
  1. Visit ÐßÐßÊÓƵ’s international section and select the course you wish to apply for as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
  2. Prepare your documents - gather the essentials:
    • Academic transcripts and certificates
    • Personal statement
    • English language proficiency evidence (e.g., IELTS)
    • Portfolio (if required by the course)
    • Copy of your passport
  3. Complete the application - submit via the ÐßÐßÊÓƵ Online Portal
  4. Submit the application and supporting documents - you can still receive a conditional offer even if some documents will follow later
  5. Application review and offer - ÐßÐßÊÓƵ’s Admissions team will assess your application and issue:
    • A conditional offer (pending remaining docs, test results, etc.)
    • Or an unconditional offer, if all requirements are fulfilled

Key facts

Course title

Speech and Language Therapy

Award

BSc (Hons)

UCAS code

B621

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Start date

September

Duration

Three years full-time

Fees

2026/27 UK tuition fees:
£9,535*

2026/27 international tuition:
£17,300

*subject to a compounded annual inflationary increase announced by the government in October 2025, the amount of which is yet to be confirmed for the 2026/27 academic year

Additional costs

Entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

128

A Level:

ABB

BTEC Extended Diploma:

DDM

normally in Health and Social Care or Applied Science

Contextual Offer:

This course does not provide contextual offers due to capacity management. To find out more about our contextual offer policy at ÐßÐßÊÓƵ, head to dmu.ac.uk/contextual

T Levels:

Distinction in Healthcare Science (optional module in Assisting with Healthcare Science, not Optical Care Services)

Distinction in Health (optional module in Supporting the Therapy Teams or Supporting the Adult Nursing Team or Supporting the Mental Health Team or Supporting the Care of Children and Young People)

Access to HE:

Pass in the QAA Access to HE Diploma ‘Science’ or ‘Medicine and Healthcare’ with 45 level 3 credits at Distinction.

English GCSE grade C/4 required as a separate qualification; equivalency not accepted within the Access qualification.

International Baccalaureate (IB):

30+

GCSEs:

5 x GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English and Maths

English language requirements:

If English is not your first language an average IELTS score of 8.0 (with no component below 7.5) when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Additional application stages

Interview required? No

Work experience required? No

Non-academic requirements

Self-Declaration Form clearance: Yes

Enhanced DBS disclosure clearance: Yes

As part of your application process, you will be required to submit an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application before starting the course.

For overseas applicants, you will also need to submit a criminal records certificate from your home country.

Further details will provided by our Admissions team after you receive an offer to study with us.

Occupational Health clearance: Yes

Additional information:

Availability: This course has a limited number of places so that we can ensure a good quality placement experience. In exceptional circumstances this may result in the course becoming full before you have completed the admissions process. In this situation we will offer you the opportunity to be considered for a place on an alternative course.

You must meet and fulfil all non-academic requirements before 17 July 2026. Failure to meet this deadline may result in your offer being withdrawn.

Mature applicants need academic attainment normally no more than five years of joining the course.

Additional costs

You may incur  for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.