United Kingdom

Speech and Language Therapist (SLT)

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) is the official professional organization representing the United Kingdom. To become certified as a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT), students must obtain their degree from an RCSLT accredited program and then register with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) following completion of the course. Follow this link to learn more about some of the university programs (please note, further independent research is required to determine if a program listed will meet personal requirements for licensure in your home country).

General Application Requirements for the UK

There are different degrees that will qualify a student to become an SLT in the UK:

1. Bachelor’s Degree (BSc): As an undergraduate, students can obtain their BSc in Speech and Language Therapy within 3-4 years which will qualify them to work in the UK.
2. Postgraduate Degree (PgDip): An accelerated 2-year program is offered to students who have obtained their Bachelor’s degree in a field outside SLT. This program provides the same theoretical knowledge and clinical practice as undergraduate programs but the 3-4 year programs are compacted into a fast-paced 2 years.
3. Master’s Degree (MSc): Some programs offer both PgDip and MSc programs for the student to choose between while some programs offer only a Master’s program in SLT for those students who already hold a Bachelor’s degree but in a field outside of SLT.

**Both PgDip and MSc will qualify the student to work as an SLT in the UK. The primary difference between the two is that an MSc requires a research dissertation whereas a PgDip does not.

Requirements vary by university but here is some general info for PgDip and MSc programs:

• An undergraduate degree: Awarded an upper second class honors (2.1) or higher.  The international equivalent is around a 3.3 GPA or higher).
• Letters of recommendation- approx. 2-3
• Essay

**A BSc and PgDip obtained in the UK will qualify the student for work in the UK but will NOT qualify the student for work in the USA or Canada. Though ASHA MAY recognize degree equivalency  and award the clinician with their CCC, not all States will accept the BSc or PgDip for licensing. Therefore, a Master’s degree should be obtained through completion of a research dissertation for those wishing to work in the USA and Canada.