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    Supporting Speech, Language and Literacy in Children and Young People

    School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health

    Study speech, language and literacy development and difficulties to help you support the children and young people you work with. This master’s course allows you to create a unique pathway of study, enabling you to build an evidence-based practice, whether in a classroom or a clinic.
    A woman helping a young boy with his homework

    Course description

    This course is pending approval. Once the programme is open to applicants, you'll be able to apply via the Postgraduate Online Application Form.

    This course focuses on speech, language and literacy development and difficulties that affect children and young people. 

    It is a continuing professional development programme aimed at speech and language therapists, teachers, SENCOs, SEN teaching assistants, psychologists, and other professionals. It’s the ideal course for people who want to support the children and young people they work with - whether in a clinical or educational context - and promote successful collaborative practice. 

    Build a unique programme of study

    We’ve designed the course with flexibility in mind; the majority of our modules are optional, which means you can create your own unique pathway of specialisation in the areas of speech, language and literacy. There are opportunities to deepen your understanding of speech, language and communication across the lifespan, or acquire new knowledge and skills to work effectively with children with special educational needs. Some of the areas you can choose to study include:

    • Speech sound disorders (identification and management) and their impact on children
    • Children’s learning and links to language
    • Language and communication development, difficulties, and intervention
    • The relationship between speech, language, and literacy development and implications for practice
    • Topics such as autism, language and communication in adolescence, in multilingual contexts, and links between language and social, emotional and mental health needs

    The University is a world-leading centre of research, with an excellent reputation in the area of speech, language, and literacy difficulties. Our subject specialists will incorporate the latest research into your teaching to enable you to make evidence-based decisions in future practice.  You will also gain the knowledge and skills required to carry out research in preparation for your final dissertation (MSc route).

    Flexible study options

    You can choose to complete your studies at a PGCert, PGDip or MSc level. We offer both a full-time PGDip or MSc route, as well as part-time, distance learning routes at all levels, so you can fit your studies around your work and life commitments. You’ll be able to supplement this online learning with face-to-face study blocks. These on-campus study days will give you the chance to network with your fellow students, who can offer specialist knowledge in speech, language,  communication, and literacy.

    This programme does not lead to a professionally accredited qualification in either teaching or speech and language therapy, but it does provide continuing professional development, an opportunity to specialise, research training, and an excellent basis for an MPhil/PhD

    Modules

    This is a new course. We’re in the process of confirming the modules. The information on this page gives you an idea of the areas we expect the course to cover. There may be changes before you start. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.

    CPD modules

    If you are not ready to apply for the full PGCert, PGDip or MSc programme, most of the modules on this programme can be taken as a standalone CPD module.

    Find out more on our continuing professional development page.

    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.

    Open days

    An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
    Open days and campus tours

    Duration

    • MSc: 1 year full-time or 2/3 years part-time by distance learning
    • Postgraduate Diploma: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time by distance learning
    • Postgraduate Certificate: 1 year part-time by distance learning

    Teaching

    This course is mostly taught online. Study blocks for each module take place on campus at regular intervals throughout the academic year. They include lectures, tutorials and practical workshops held over one to three days.

    Attendance at study blocks is normally compulsory for full-time students and highly recommended for part-time distance learning students. Full-time students can also attend other lectures, seminars and practical workshops offered by the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery.

    Assessment

    You will be assessed in a variety of ways, depending on the modules you choose to study. Assessments may include essays, data interpretation assignments, or infographics. MSc students are also assessed through a 12,000-word dissertation.

    Your career

    This is an advanced professional development programme, which will equip you with the specialist knowledge and skills needed to develop best practices for inclusive and special education.

    Successful graduates will be able to work collaboratively with other professionals working with children who have speech, language and literacy difficulties, in both clinical and educational settings.

    The course provides graduates with a solid foundation for career development in education, the NHS, or the private sector. It’s also great preparation for PhD research or other kinds of postgraduate training.

    This course does not lead to a professional qualification that would allow you to practise as a teacher or speech and language therapist.

    Student profiles

    This course combines teaching from two courses previously run by the University. Profiles from students in these two master’s courses can be found below.

    A woman sits at a window against a city backdrop

    I was able to reawaken a long slumbering dream of graduating from a UK university

    Kathrin Hohl MSc Speech Difficulties

    Kathrin has been a practising Speech and Language Therapist in Switzerland since 2017, and currently works at a private practice supporting pre-school children with their early language acquisition. She explains what brought her to our Speech Difficulties course, and how distance learning allowed her to combine her work and studies.

    John Lavender wears a grey sweatshirt. He is stood outside an old stone building with a tree on the left.

    Every module I studied has had a significant impact not only on my own working practice but also that of my pupils

    John Lavender MSc Language and Communication Impairment in Children

    John has had an incredibly varied career. He explains his current role in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Wales, what led him to the university, and how our Language and Communication Impairment in Children course has impacted the lives of his students.

    Meryem sat by a computer inside the Health Communication Sciences building

    The university is welcoming, with a rich cultural scene and strong sense of community

    Meryem Sumeyye Ustun MSc Speech Difficulties

    Meryem came to the University of Sheffield from Turkey on a speech and language scholarship, to gain a better understanding of the field. She explains what she enjoyed most about the course and her ‘top tips’ for people interested in studying a Speech Difficulties degree.

    Entry requirements

    Entry requirements for this course will be published when confirmed.

    If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.

    Apply

    This course is pending approval. Once the programme is open to applicants, you'll be able to apply via the Postgraduate Online Application Form.

    Contact

    ahpnm-enquiries@sheffield.ac.uk

    +44 114 222 2405