Course description

This course is designed to give you specialist knowledge of language development and communication difficulties, and enable you to support the children you work with, whether it’s in a classroom or a clinic. It is taught mostly online, by distance learning, although you will also learn in person during lectures, delivered in one and two day study blocks.

You will study how children’s language develops, the links between speaking and writing, and the relationship between language and learning. There is also training on how to use evidence to inform your practice. PGDip and MSc students can explore methods of assessing, investigating and managing speech and language difficulties, and focus on specialist topics such as autism spectrum disorders or communication in adolescence.

The course is aimed at teachers, speech and language therapists and other professionals working with children and their speech, language and communication. We offer a range of part-time options so you can fit your studies around your other commitments.

Students on the PGDip and MSc programmes study a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, so they can keep up-to-date with the latest findings and use this to inform their practice. MSc students apply these skills to their own research project, which may include designing experiments, analysing data and reporting results.