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Language and Communication Impairment in Children
Division of Human Communication Sciences, Health Sciences School,
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health
Course description
This specialist programme is for teachers, speech and language therapists, and other professionals with an interest in supporting children with speech, language and communication needs. It is designed to enhance your
knowledge and understanding of children’s language and communication, and the role of evidence-based practice in addressing their needs.
The course is taught online via distance learning, part-time, with support from University of Sheffield tutors and occasional study days. Applicants should be currently working with children and have two or more years experience of supporting them to reflect on.
Develop yourself and your practice
You’ll learn about children’s oral language development; the links between spoken and written language; best practices for inclusive and special education; and inter-professional collaboration. You can develop your research skills with the Diploma or MSc. You’ll reflect on your own practice all the way through, making links between what you’re learning and how to best support children with language and communication needs.
Supportive learning
Your tutors have backgrounds in education/speech and language therapy, and experience of working with mature, part-time learners. Studying alongside and sharing with others who work in similar roles will build your confidence and professional networks, as well as your ideas for practice.
Modules
Core modules
PGCert, PGDip and MSc
- Children’s Learning
- Language and Communication
- Spoken and Written Language
- Developing an Evidence Base for Practice
PGDip and MSc
- Research Methods A
- Research Methods B (optional for PGDip)
Optional modules
Optional modules for PGDip and MSc levels only may include:
- Communication Diversity and Difficulties
- Literacy: Difficulties and Intervention
- Case Study
- Research Methods B
- Speech Difficulties
For Communication Diversity and Difficulties, you can choose up to two specialist topics for assessment, such as:
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Developmental Language Disorder
- Language and Behaviour
- Language and Environment
- Literacy Difficulties
- Early Years
- Adolescence
- Multilingual Contexts
MSc students also complete a dissertation.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses. You'll find out what makes us special.
Duration
MSc: 2 or 3 years part-time by distance learning
Postgraduate Diploma: 2 years part-time by distance learning
Postgraduate Certificate: 1 year part-time by distance learning
Teaching
This course is mostly taught online, but study blocks that last one to three days per module take place at regular intervals throughout the academic year and attendance is normally compulsory. During study blocks, you'll take part in lectures, tutorials and practical workshops.
For part-time, distance learning students not based in the UK, attendance at study blocks is recommended but optional.
My research investigates how children’s language and literacy develops and what happens when that process goes wrong. A particular interest is the impact of digital technology on development. My research and teaching constantly enrich each other.
Dr Jenny Thomson
Teaches on: PG Cert/Diploma/MSc Speech Difficulties; PG Cert/Diploma/MSc Language and Communication in Children
Assessment
Modules are normally assessed by written assignments.
MSc students are also assessed on their research dissertation.
Your career
The course gives you a qualification from a leading UK university and an in-depth understanding of SLC and related needs that is relevant to your work role. These may help open doors for a promotion or a sideways step to a new type of role supporting children. Students initially registered on the Certificate option can apply to continue to Diploma, and then to the MSc level. The course may also help you gain a place in other training programmes, at masters or PhD level.
Please note that this course does not lead to a professional qualification to practise as a speech and language therapist.
Entry requirements
For the PGCert/PGDip: an undergraduate degree or a degree-level professional qualification, plus at least two years of experience of working with children.
For the MSc: minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree and two years of relevant work experience with children.
Overall IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Two-year course
For the two-year version of MSc Language and Communication Impairment in Children please use our course fee lookup tool.
Three-year course
The fee below applies to the three-year version of MSc Language and Communication Impairment in Children.
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
hcs-admissions@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2405
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.