Msc / apprenticeship speech and language therapy
Hello. I am currently studying a BA in English language and linguistics. I'm interested in doing Msc or degree apprenticeship in speech therapy. I'm also on a break this academic year and would like to take a bit of time to narrow down what i'd like to do later.
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
I'm tagging in @EmmaC_SLT and @UniofReading Skye to see if they can answer any of your questions. They are both current SaLT students although at different unis to those you listed.
I also think @kuponut is a graduate who might be able to help.
I also think @kuponut is a graduate who might be able to help.
(edited 2 months ago)
Original post by K202837
Hello. I am currently studying a BA in English language and linguistics. I'm interested in doing Msc or degree apprenticeship in speech therapy. I'm also on a break this academic year and would like to take a bit of time to narrow down what i'd like to do later.
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
Hey I’m a Speech and Language Therapist. Graduated from the University of Essex MSc in 2022.
I’m unsure about the apprenticeship but I know that they do run that scheme now through some nhs trusts / unis. I know Essex has one available.
Re the MSc it’s a 2 year accelerated course (undergrad is 3) and you have to cover both paeds and adults to quality. I was set on working with children only but then did the MSc and really enjoyed both years / placements.
I’m not sure about your universities but placements vary. I know with Essex if students did not have cars, they were prioritised for placements closer to the uni. However some placements were a fair distance. There’s the NHS bursary which everyone is able to get if you are a UK student and have a loan - maintenance and fees (you don’t have to pay it back like a loan). This helps a lot with placement costs as you can claim back any travel expenses e.g train bus petrol (there’s a limit on the petrol) and also they pay a certain amount towards a hotel room / air BnB….!
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me any more questions
Original post by K202837
Hello. I am currently studying a BA in English language and linguistics. I'm interested in doing Msc or degree apprenticeship in speech therapy. I'm also on a break this academic year and would like to take a bit of time to narrow down what i'd like to do later.
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
Sorry just re read your question. You can apply to the MSc with a BA yes. I’m not sure about the apprenticeship as sometimes they require you to already be working in the NHS (I might be wrong).
In terms of specialising. You would graduate and then apple for a band 5 job in paeds or adults as a NQP - newly qualified practitioner. Then you work for the first year to complete your competencies.
You then go up in the bands and can become specialist / highly specialist
There’s lots of areas of paediatrics - autism / stammer / feeding - swallow / DLD and you can do more of the assessment / diagnostic side or therapy side of things (schools / clinics etc).
Work wise during the degree - it is quite full on so I would say working on the weekend is more realistic than weekdays! It’s doable. Or even holidays. Just be mindful it is a reasonable intensive course and you will have placements as well as essay / exams.
Original post by Ma2337
There’s the NHS bursary which everyone is able to get if you are a UK student and have a loan - maintenance and fees (you don’t have to pay it back like a loan). This helps a lot with placement costs as you can claim back any travel expenses e.g train bus petrol (there’s a limit on the petrol) and also they pay a certain amount towards a hotel room / air BnB….!
Thanks for your help on this thread.
Just to clarify for the OP, it is the NHS Learning Support Fund that provides the additional training grant (the NHS bursary is for medics/dentists) and it is only available to those who study at a uni in England.
Original post by K202837
Hello. I am currently studying a BA in English language and linguistics. I'm interested in doing Msc or degree apprenticeship in speech therapy. I'm also on a break this academic year and would like to take a bit of time to narrow down what i'd like to do later.
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
I have a few questions:
1. Is it possible to do msc degree apprenticeship since i'm doing a BA
2. I live in the north east of England, so the closest universities that do the course are Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds Beckett, and Manchester Met. If anyone has studied at these universities, could you tell me what it's like (workload, clinics, how far are the classes from each class - i feel exhausted when they're far apart😭😂)
3. On the course do you have to do a placement/clinic with adults (I want to only work with children / in paediatric settings)
4. How do speech therapists specialise? I'm kind of confused. Like how do you go into paediatrics, do you need further training?
5. Would it be possible to work part-time on non-clinic days or have a weekend job?
It's super exciting that you're looking into SLT! I think it's absolutely the right thing to take some time to think about what you want to do properly and ask all the questions you have now, as it's a big decision! As @normaw said, I'm currently in my final year of the integrated masters SLT course at Reading - so not one of the options you've listed, but I'm still more than happy to try and answer any questions you have about the overall degree where I can! And if you would consider going a bit further south and want to know anything about Reading at any point, please also ask away (but totally get that may be too far!).
I can't speak for workload of those universities, but as I understand it, Speech Therapy is one of the more heavy courses in terms of work load and 'contact' hours (e.g. placement, lectures, seminars, etc) across the board, so you should expect for it to be like a full-time job essentially and it likely will feel like a lot to adjust to initially but it is manageable when you get into a routine, honest!
You will need to do both adult and paediatric placements to qualify yes - I believe HCPC / RCSLT (can't remember which one) say you need a certain amount of clinical hours in both to achieve your competencies and get your certification. I also think this is the best way to gain well-rounded skills and figure out where you want to go, as often we don't even know what we will enjoy until we try it and we surprise ourselves! There's usually client groups / environments you wouldn't have even considered too, so definitely go in with an open mind!
In terms of specialising, most people will go into a band 5 paediatric or adult job when they qualify, which you will just need your HCPC registration and degree for, and so your skills will likely be developing in whatever area of work you decide to go into, e.g. adult acute stroke, or paediatric mainstream schools (so you'll be focusing on areas such as DLD or speech sound disorders etc). Then the likelihood is that as you progress, there will be more training opportunities for you as you move up in your profession where you'll be able to specialise in an area of interest if you like. For example, you will have to do extra training for to carry out dysphagia work (although I think this is about to change and you will gain your competencies for that on the degree, but for my cohort at least, we need extra training after we qualify). But you will be able to go into a general area e.g. paediatrics, or adults, without further training as a band 5, and if the job requires extra training for anything they will likely provide it. There are jobs out their that cover adults and paediatrics, but there are few, I've found.
It is possible to have a part-time job and I know lots of people who do, but I would allow yourself time to settle first and assess if that is something you can personally manage as it really differs for everyone and the course is intense, so I'd advise definitely trying to scout out your own timetable/energy levels for a couple of weeks first! I currently work for my university as an ambassador doing a lot of digital work such as answering questions on platforms like this, and doing webinars/talks online, and some in-person work such as college fairs, which I've found really useful as it's flexible hours and often I can choose when/how much I work depending on my weeks etc, so that may also be something to consider as an option. But I definitely think that is a personal decision.
Hope this helps! If you have any questions at all, please do ask!
Good luck!!
Skye 🙂
4th Year MSci Speech and Language Therapy Student
Original post by UniofReading
...
Skye 🙂
4th Year MSci Speech and Language Therapy Student
Skye 🙂
4th Year MSci Speech and Language Therapy Student
Fantastic post Skye - thanks for helping out.
Just seen the tag in this (cos I only really drift on here when I'm procrastinating writing reports these days).
I originally had a BA degree from years ago (I was a mature student) - did not cause me any difficulties applying for courses (I applied for a mix of BSc and Masters - ended up doing a BSc just for the fact it spread the content out over a longer time and the course was nearer me geographically). Not sure about the universities named - I know they're all well enough regarded - also I think Huddersfield and Lincoln have added SLT courses in the last year or so so worth a look.
We had to do a long placement in our second and third years - if you got paediatrics one year, you got adults the next year or vice versa. I'm glad they made us do both areas cos I'd started out wanting to work with kids - but I got the absolute bug to work with Adult Learning Disabilities after a placement there and I now work with the team that I had the placement with.
Specialism - you basically apply for any band 5 NQP posts that take your fancy - they tend to be quite broad in nature, and there's even some rotational schemes where you can do a few months in one area (say stroke) and then a few months in a different area (eg degenerative conditions) or whatever before you pick where you want to aim for. You tend to narrow the areas you work in as you move up the scale - so in our team the band 5s get to have a try at everything on offer in our area, then band 6 you take on a bit more responsibility and supervising student placements etc, and then band 7 is where we have people starting to take leadership roles of different pathways such as ASD within the service and AAC and similar. In a good team they'll try to find ways to support you to work in the areas you're strong in as well as learning about the ones you're weaker in - so I'm very interested in ASD and my last appraisal was all directed toward getting me more experience in that area within our service for example.
Other plus point - at the moment the vacancy rate is through the roof so employment prospects are very very very good - I was in a band 5 to 6 development post about 6 months after I graduated, which has now turned into a band 6 post after I met the criteria for that.
I originally had a BA degree from years ago (I was a mature student) - did not cause me any difficulties applying for courses (I applied for a mix of BSc and Masters - ended up doing a BSc just for the fact it spread the content out over a longer time and the course was nearer me geographically). Not sure about the universities named - I know they're all well enough regarded - also I think Huddersfield and Lincoln have added SLT courses in the last year or so so worth a look.
We had to do a long placement in our second and third years - if you got paediatrics one year, you got adults the next year or vice versa. I'm glad they made us do both areas cos I'd started out wanting to work with kids - but I got the absolute bug to work with Adult Learning Disabilities after a placement there and I now work with the team that I had the placement with.
Specialism - you basically apply for any band 5 NQP posts that take your fancy - they tend to be quite broad in nature, and there's even some rotational schemes where you can do a few months in one area (say stroke) and then a few months in a different area (eg degenerative conditions) or whatever before you pick where you want to aim for. You tend to narrow the areas you work in as you move up the scale - so in our team the band 5s get to have a try at everything on offer in our area, then band 6 you take on a bit more responsibility and supervising student placements etc, and then band 7 is where we have people starting to take leadership roles of different pathways such as ASD within the service and AAC and similar. In a good team they'll try to find ways to support you to work in the areas you're strong in as well as learning about the ones you're weaker in - so I'm very interested in ASD and my last appraisal was all directed toward getting me more experience in that area within our service for example.
Other plus point - at the moment the vacancy rate is through the roof so employment prospects are very very very good - I was in a band 5 to 6 development post about 6 months after I graduated, which has now turned into a band 6 post after I met the criteria for that.
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