Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and language therapy is a healthcare profession concerned with the assessment and treatment of communication disorders and difficulties with eating, drinking, and swallowing. It supports people of all ages, from young children with delayed speech development to adults recovering from stroke or living with degenerative neurological conditions. The work requires both scientific knowledge of how communication and swallowing work and the interpersonal sensitivity to support people at often difficult moments in their lives.

At the University of Huddersfield this three-year full-time programme gives you a thorough grounding in the anatomy and physiology of speech and swallowing, linguistics, psychology, and the development of communication across the lifespan. You will study the range of conditions that speech and language therapists work with, including developmental language disorder, stammering, voice disorders, aphasia, autism, and the communication difficulties associated with conditions such as dementia, Parkinson's, and head and neck cancer. Clinical placement is built into the degree throughout, so you gain supervised practice with real clients from an early stage, developing the professional competence and personal skills that the role demands.

The programme is accredited by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, and graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, which is required to practise in the UK.

Graduates work in the National Health Service, schools and educational settings, independent practice, research, and voluntary organisations. The combination of clinical, scientific, and interpersonal skills developed in the degree also provides a strong foundation for postgraduate study and for specialist roles in areas such as paediatric therapy, neurological rehabilitation, or voice disorders.