Speech Therapy

This programme aims to produce graduates who are able to practice as Speech Therapists in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, with local and international professional recognition*.  As such, the curriculum is designed in a way that meets standards for local and international recognition.  Apart from aiming to equip students with the professional knowledge base, clinical and research skills, and attitudes required to function effectively as an entry-level speech therapist, graduates should be sensitive to individual, linguistic and cultural differences, function as skilled counsellors (within their professional boundaries), and have a holistic approach to client management.  The programme also aims to develop attributes of all-roundness.

This programme plans to use a hybrid approach in which traditional lectures are used for foundational courses taught in the first year of the programme and Problem Based Learning approach is used in the second year to enhance integration of learning across courses and across theory and practice.

A vital part of the training for Speech Therapists involves supervised clinical practice. A Speech Therapy Unit has already been established on PolyU campus and it creates a platform serving both in-house teaching and research purposes through a service interface.

Master of Speech Therapy is a full-time professional entry-level programme based on a structured credit-earning model.  The programme consists of a total of 90 credits to be covered in 5 semesters and 2 summer terms, spanning across 2 and a half years.  The credits are divided into 21 credits of foundation subjects, 42 credits of professional subjects and 27 credits of clinical education subjects. The programme comprises 6 main subject categories, reflecting its multi-disciplinary nature: Medical and Rehabilitation Sciences, Linguistics and Language Sciences, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Communication Disorders and Audiology, Research Project, and Clinical Education.

Media of Instruction:
English (supplemented by Cantonese and Mandarin for Cantonese-speaking and Mandarin-speaking clients in the clinical placements)

Core Areas of Study

Foundation Subjects

• ​Foundations in Biomedical Sciences I
• Foundations in Biomedical Sciences II
• Foundations in Behavioural and Social Sciences I
• Foundations in Behavioural and Social Sciences II
• Foundations in Linguistics and Language Sciences I
• Foundations in Linguistics and Language Sciences II
• Foundations in Linguistics and Language Sciences III
• Foundations in Linguistics and Language Sciences IV

Professional Subjects

• ​Introduction to Communication Disorders and Audiology
• Introduction to Speech Therapy and Audiology
• Paediatric Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment I
• Paediatric Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment II
• Adult Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment I
• Adult Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment II
• Other Communication Disorders: Assessment and Treatment I
• Other Communication Disorders and Swallowing Disorders: Assessment and Treatment II
• Research Project I
• Research Project II

Clinical Education Subjects

• ​Clinical Practicum I
• Clinical Practicum II
• Clinical Practicum III
• Clinical Practicum IV
• Clinical Practicum V
• Clinical Practicum VI
• Clinical Practicum VII
• Case Conference
• Professional Ethics and Issues

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from a recognised institution.
• Applicants should satisfy one of the following requirements in English proficiency:
  • The Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) English Language Grade D or above;
  • The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) Level 5 or above;
  • TOEFL (600 paper version, 100 Internet version, or above); or
  • IELTS 7.0 or above
• ​Applicants should possess Chinese language proficiency at a level equivalent to The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) Chinese Language Grade D or above; or the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) Level 4 or above.
• Applicants should be able to communicate verbally in both Cantonese and English effectively, and proficiency in Mandarin (Putonghua) is preferred.
• Those who have a Bachelor's degree in linguistics, psychology, speech and language sciences, or health-related disciplines are preferred.
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