MSc Speech and Hearing Sciences

Study for a Master's degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences at UCL with this one year taught programme. The information on this page should be read in conjunction with the Departmental Graduate prospectus (see link on right).

The MSc in Speech and Hearing Sciences is a taught graduate programme that provides research training in the science of normal human spoken communication. The degree programme consists of 12 months of full-time study beginning in September each year.

The programme is the only one of its kind in the UK offering graduate students research training in the combined specialities of speech and hearing. It is designed to provide a thorough introduction to modern knowledge and current research in the multidisciplinary field of human spoken communication. It aims to prepare students from different backgrounds for graduate research and employment in the rapidly developing sciences of speech and hearing, and in their technological applications.

The programme enables students, for example, to engage in investigations of the relations between computational, auditory and cognitive processing of speech; to contribute to the development and applications of speech synthesis and recognition; to contribute to technological advances in speech pathology - particularly to analysis, assessment and to training aids; and to contribute to audiology, particularly with electro-cochlear and speech-processing hearing aids as well as receptive evaluation. The programme has an excellent record for placing its graduates into research positions.

The programme is run within the new UCL Centre for Human Communication, with the Department of Phonetics and Linguistics as the admitting department. The other members of the centre cooperate in the design and teaching of the programme: these include the Department of Human Communication Science, the Department of Psychology, the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, the Institute of Laryngology and Otology, and the Department of Audiology at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital. The combination of expertise in speech and hearing within the centre is probably unmatched in the UK. The members of the centre are at the forefront of research in hearing, audiology, auditory rehabilitation, speech pathology, phonetics and linguistics, speech technology, speech perception and cognitive processing.

Content of Programme

The MSc in Speech and Hearing Sciences at UCL will prepare you to do research work in the field. It will provide you with a broad introduction to the basic principles of spoken language communication and introduce you to contemporary research issues. It will also train you in experimental methods and expose you to laboratory work with speech signals.

The programme has five main components as shown below:

These main components are taught through a mixture of lectures, laboratory classes, tutorials and seminars. There are many opportunities to learn about active research within the department and the field and to make use of the excellent research facilities.

You will learn about:

• Structural analysis of language, its syntax and phonology.
• Cognitive processing of language in production, perception and acquisition.
• Analysis of signals and systems
• Articulation and sound pattern of speech
• Psychoacoustics of hearing
• Instrumental and computational techniques.
• Statistics and experimental design

You will gain skills in:

• the design of experiments
• conducting a research project
• using computers for analysis
• scientific writing

Previous research projects undertaken by MSc students include:

• A spreading activation model of word selection
• Speech synthesis by word concatenation
• Testing central auditory processing disorders in children
• Auditory training of English contrasts for Cantonese speakers
• Speech and non-speech auditory processing in children with dyslexia
• Laryngographic assessment of voice changes with hydration status
• Types of dysfluencies exhibited by stutterers
• Judgements of rhyme in lip reading
• Speechreading in simulations of hearing loss
• Subjective and objective assessment of speech of deafened adults

You can read the abstracts of a selection of projects.

Teaching & Learning

Tutorials and Seminars
As well as lectures, tutorials and laboratory work that takes place within each component, the MSc provides additional tutorial time at which integrational issues are discussed. The aim is to form links between the different disciplines, which are inevitably taught separately, and to lead the students to a broader understanding of the influence of a linguistic model of communication throughout speech and hearing research.

Seminar series with visiting speakers covering many different scientific research areas are run within the contributing departments of the Centre for Human Communication. These provide an opportunity for MSc students to learn about current research, technology and debates in the field.

Transferable Skills
In addition to the knowledge and skills you will acquire in speech and hearing, you will also gain skills in:

• The design of experiments
• Conducting a research project
• Using computers for analysis
• Scientific writing
• Group work

Evaluation
Assessment is by coursework, three written examinations and the dissertation. To obtain a degree it is necessary to obtain a pass mark of 50% in each of the five main components. To obtain a distinction it is necessary to obtain a weighted average of 70%.

Reading Suggestions
An elementary introduction to the subject area can be found in the excellent book: Denes and Pinson, 1993, The Speech Chain. For an introductory textbook in signals, look at: Rosen and Howell, 1991, Signals and Systems for Speech and Hearing. Further introductory information can be found on the web at www.speechandhearing.net.

Facilities and Opportunities
The extensive computer and laboratory facilities of the department are available for student use. Students may choose to do their research project at one of the 22 European universities which are part of the SOCRATES programme for Phonetics and Speech Communication.

Opportunities for Employment
The programme has been very successful in placing graduates into research positions. The majority of graduates go on to do research in the field, either as graduate research students studying for a PhD or as research assistants in universities or research institutes.

Professional Qualifications
This is a non-clinical programme and cannot be used towards a professional qualification as a speech therapist or as an audiological scientist.

Staff

University College London is one of the world's leading research universities. The Department of Phonetics and Linguistics has received very high national ratings for both its teaching and research.

The teaching staff (faculty) for the programme include:

• Dr. Mark Huckvale (Programme Director)
• Dr. Andrew Faulkner
• Dr. Valerie Hazan
• Dr. Paul Iverson
• Prof. Stuart Rosen
• Members of the Phonetics and Linguistics sections of the Department.
• Members of the Department of Human Communication Science

The Department has exceptional resources to support teaching, including a teaching laboratory, library, listening centre, anechoic room, and specialised computing facilities.

Dates, timetable

The MSc programme can only be undertaken on a full-time basis, starting in September each year. Applications can be made at any time, but there is a maximum of 10 students that can be accepted in any one year.

The teaching timetable is concentrated between October and March. You can expect about 15 hours of contact time per week. Examinations are held in May and project work is scheduled to run from June to August. Project dissertations must be submitted by September 15th.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is this a course in Speech Therapy?

   No, this course is focussed on scientific research in normal speech and hearing. If you are interested in becoming a speech therapist you may like to look at courses in the Department of Human Communication Science at UCL.

2. Can I pursue the course part-time?

   No, but there is a similar research training MSc in the field of language disorder in the Department of Human Communication Science at UCL that may be pursued part time.

3. How much does the course cost?

   In the year 2003/4 the fee for UK & EU students was £2,940; otherwise it was £13,910. You will also need to consider the cost of living in London. More information on tuition fees and living costs.

4. Are there scholarships to support students taking the programme?

   There are a number of scholarships available to all applicants to masters courses at UCL. These are awarded in a competition each May. Visit the UCL graduate admissions web pages for details.
   
   

   The Department also provides bursaries to cover part of the tuition fees. You can find details on the UCL web site.

5. What are the entrance requirements?

   We require the equivalent of a second-class degree at a UK University in a relevant subject. Relevant subjects include: physical and mathematical sciences, life sciences, or linguistics. We may accept students from other first degree courses if they can show on their application form how this particular course will benefit them.

6. What are the English Language requirements?

   Students are expected to have a Good level of spoken and written English. Full English proficiency requirements. UCL also runs an intensive preparatory English course for international applicants to graduate programmes.

7. Can I just take some individual course components?

   UCL has an extensive graduate affiliate students programme whereby students (including research students) can attend courses at UCL for a modest fee.

An application form can be downloaded from the UCL Admissions Procedure web pages. Applications can be made at any time up to the start of the programme in September each year.

For a printed copy of the departmental graduate prospectus (download the PDF) and an application form, write to:

Graduate Secretary
Department of Phonetics and Linguistics, UCL
Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT

or e-mail

For other enquiries about the content of the course please write to the Programme Director ().

For general information about graduate study at UCL look at the Graduate admissions web pages.

Other Links

MSc Programme Specification (PDF)
Information for current MSc students