MSc Speech and Language Therapy - how intensive is intensive?

[starshideyourfires]

Hello.
I've been looking into options for re training. One of the possibilities is becoming a speech and language therapist. I've identified the course I would like to take if I choose that option. It's a 2 year full time masters. I'm a couple of years off 50, my kids are 16 and 13 and I'm just wondering if it's something I could cope with for 2 years.
I'm no stranger to studying, but have always done arts based degrees which have little contact hours and lots of independent reading.

Has anyone got any experience of this in particular or if not, a science masters as a mum (with a husband who is also not very hands on and works!)
Thoughts welcome - thank you

I’m not an SLT but I am a fellow AHP so here’s my grain of salt:
Healthcare courses are a full time job and not for the faint hearted. When not in lectures (usually more or less 9-5!) you’ll be out on placement, often a long commute from home. It’s not uncommon for students to be sent 1hr+ away.

If your DH is willing to step up (not that I’d leave it to him as a choice!) then with relatively independent teen DC I do think that it’s possible. It won’t be easy but if you’re determined then you’ll get through it.

Have you considered the job market at the moment? Not sure about SLT but I’m a physio and our new graduates are really struggling to find employment due to mass NHS recruitment freezes. There are 100s of graduates going for each position so competition is fierce, especially if you need to stay in a specific location.

My daughter is an SLT (she completed the undergrad route) but just to concur that there are no vacancies locally.

I did the two year MSc at Newcastle University, and it was very intense. The subject matter is wide - neurology, physiology, anatomy, phonetics, syntax, typical development, research analysis etc, and then SLT related problem based learning. It's a lot of contact hours, a lot independent study, and placements as well. It was great, but intense is a very apt word for it. It's very doable, though, especially as an older, wiser person used to academic study and working life.

I know a couple of teachers that retrained as SaLTs but then couldn't get a job.

For those of you saying there’s no jobs, there is some it just depends how flexible you are. If you can drive, are happy to work in adults or peads, don’t live in a rural area and are fleixible re nhs or private there should be jobs. Worth looking up jobs in your local area to check this though. Look on a mix of nhs jobs, indeed, speech therapy Facebook groups and at local school based jobs.

I’d also say the nhs is cyclic and the job situation can change quite quickly. There’s few jobs available now but a couple of years ago there were lots of issues with unfilled posts with no suitable applicants in various parts of the country. This could change around again quite quickly.

I would say intensive means quite intensive. When they condense the content into 2 year MSc it sometimes means that placements run through the summer in order to fit in all the teaching. Placement could be 4 days per week with a study day. There is a broad range of modules in SLT so quite a lot of teaching hours and a high assignment volume including lots of group work which may require f2f meetings (can't just cram it last minute like you might with an invidual project). There's a lot of mandatory requirements to ensure students are qualified to minimum HCPC standards so hence not as many optional tutorials/electives as in some other courses. It's worthwhile but definitely would be a demanding 2 years without much free time. Good luck.

Concur with others. I teach on this course and am a SLT. The MSc is often 9-5 Mon to Fri and you'd have work outside this to do at home. Placements and lectures run over half terms and into summer hols. It is intense! However, it's an amazing career and our graduates are in high demand and get jobs quickly. Coming to the course as a mature student can bring advantages in experience and professional skills. Good luck!

Thank you for those very helpful and honest replies