Speech and Language Therapy (BSc (Hons)) at University College Cork

The BSc Speech and Language Therapy provides the knowledge, skills and confidence for a career that will improve the lives of children and adults with communication disorders or swallowing difficulties. Over the four years of the course, you will gain specialist knowledge  for a rewarding career, as well as general skills in communication, problem-solving and teamwork.

The course is broad and varied, and students study Behavioural Science, Anatomy, Physiology, Linguistics and Speech Science as well as Speech and Language Therapy theory, assessment and treatment approaches. A strong emphasis is placed on using the most recent scientific evidence to underpin your clinical practice.

Most learning within the university takes place in small-group tutorials, and much of your work is self-directed. You will have plenty of opportunities for clinical work experience (practice education) in UCC’s Brookfield Clinic and further afield in hospitals, schools, community care, and disability services.

The BSc Speech and Language Therapy course is designed to ensure graduates have the knowledge, skills and values to meet the demands and challenges of working within the healthcare profession.

10 great reasons to study Speech and Language Therapy at UCC:

1. State-of-the-art building and facilities, including simulation and the new anatomy FLAME laboratory
2. A strong focus on practical education, including opportunities to qualify with dysphagia competence
3. Problem-based learning, helping students through small-group work, individual tutorials and continuous assessment
4. Vibrant in-house Brookfield Speech and Language Therapy Clinic runs throughout the year
5. Opportunities to learn alongside other health-professional students
6. High level of support for student learning and development
7. Unique opportunity to learn clinical skills through visual thinking strategies
8. Highly qualified and friendly staff who have won prizes for their teaching and research excellence
9. Study in a department that includes a nationally funded research programme
10. Opportunities for students to attend conferences and to progress to study at postgraduate level

Placement or Study Abroad Information

You will accrue a minimum of 450 hours of placement in a range of settings across the four years. These placements will be arranged for you by the department. Practice settings for UCC are normally within the Health Service Executive Southern Area, which comprises Kerry, Waterford, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Wexford, Carlow and Cork.

Skills and Careers Information

If you are a person who likes to help others, and you are interested in a career in understanding how difficulties with speech, language and swallowing impact on people’s lives, then the course in Speech and Language Therapy will interest you.

The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences will educate you into a health profession in which you will use linguistic, social, behavioural, medical and other scientific knowledge to provide assessment and treatment for both children and adults who have developmental or acquired disorders of speech, language and swallowing.

While an interest in science and language is important for this career, the ability to interact socially with all age groups (including very young people and older adults), and the ability to empathise with people, are also essential qualities of speech and language therapists.

The course in SLT was established as part of a national response to a shortage of SLTs in Ireland. It aims to educate students to provide the highest level of service to individuals with communication and swallowing disorders, as part of a healthcare team.

The course involves extensive and varied work experiences (practice education) in Years 2, 3 and 4. This work experience involves taking on clients, under supervision, both inside and outside of Cork city.

As successful communication abilities are so vital to normal human development and social interaction, interventions by SLTs can have profound and far-reaching effects on quality of life and well-being.