The MSci (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy course includes all the academic rigour of the Allied Health Professions accredited degree, including the opportunity to carry out research. Once you graduate from the MSci (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy programme, you can apply for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, which will then allow you to work as a speech and language therapist for a wide range of clinical populations with speech, language, communication, and swallowing conditions. Applicants for this course will be assessed for entry using an interview, in addition to the academic requirements. This interview is an opportunity for us to check that you have sufficient understanding of what the course entails, what the role of a Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) looks like, and whether you hold the personal and professional values required to train and work as a Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) in the NHS and beyond.
Applicant interview information
Before the day
Once we receive your application via UCAS it will be assessed. If your application is likely to, or already meets the academic requirements of the course, then the admissions team will get in touch via email to invite you to interview for a place on this programme. Please follow the instructions in this email to book a date for your interview. Once you have booked a date for your interview, you should receive an automatic interview-booking confirmation email.
You will be allocated a 20-minute interview slot within the time frame given on the booking system for the date you select. A member of staff from the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences will contact you via email, approximately one week before the date of your interview, to:
- Confirm the time slot for your online interview.
- Provide instructions on how to join your online interview using Microsoft Teams.
Please note, occasionally, our emails could arrive in your junk/spam folder. We therefore recommend that you check your junk/spam folder on a regular basis for emails relating to your interview.
Your online interview will take place via Microsoft Teams.
If you have not received an email containing a Microsoft Teams meeting invitation at least 48 hours before the date of your interview, or if you are from a country where Microsoft Teams does not function, please email r.parmar@reading.ac.uk. Please note that, occasionally, our emails could arrive in your junk/spam folders – please check your junk/spam folders carefully for the email containing the Microsoft Teams meeting invitation before contacting us.
Please contact us (r.parmar@reading.ac.uk) if you may require any specific adjustments to be made to accommodate a disability or other circumstances. We will consider all requests on a case-by-case basis.
On the day
Once you have logged into the session, the interviewers will introduce themselves and explain the interview process. At the start of the session, there will be a group talk by the Admissions Tutor about the MSci (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy course and what is offered at the University of Reading. Following this, there will be a 20-minute one-to-one online interview with the admissions tutor and/or a clinical educator/NHS clinician. There will be time for you to ask questions at the end as a part of this process.
At any time during the interview, you may request that your interviewers repeat or clarify a question. This does not affect the mark awarded for your performance and you will not be penalised for this. You may take notes during the interview.
The interview will comprise of five assessed questions. These are used to:
- Establish your motivation to study on the MSci (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy course and understand what steps you have taken to ensure this is a fully informed decision
- Explore what personal strengths you have which make you a good candidate for this programme of study
- Assess your understanding of the SLT role
- Assess the extent to which you understand the different types of clients you’ll be working with in your placement year
- Ensure you have the necessary personal attributes needed to work with clients in service as an SLT
Once you have answered the last of the assessed questions, you are then free to ask any questions you may have about the programme or life as a student at Reading (it can be helpful to write these down beforehand, so you don’t forget anything important).
Preparing for your interview
It is very important that you understand what the MSci (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy course entails (especially what the SLT role looks like), so please take the time to ensure you are sufficiently prepared to speak about this in your interview.
To find out more about the MSci in (Hons) Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Reading please visit:
To learn more about the SLT role, please visit:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/speech-and-language-therapist
https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/
Free Online Course to help with your interview
We’ve developed a free online course, Stress-Free University Interviews, for students who have received interview offers from the University for interviewing subjects. The course is designed to help you make the most of your skills, build confidence, and practice those all-important interview techniques.
University Interview Preparation Course - Online Course - FutureLearn
After the interview
The interviewers will provide a recommendation to the admissions team as to whether you have met the standard required in the interview to be eligible to receive an offer to study with us at Reading on the MSci (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy programme.
The University Admissions team will contact you to let you know the outcome. If the interviewers don’t feel that you are suitable for the MSci (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy, an offer is normally made to study with us on the BSc Psychology and Language Sciences programme instead (subject to receiving the required qualifications).