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Email academic.registry@tcd.ieThe aims of the course are to provide qualified Speech and Language Therapists with opportunities to advance their academic knowledge and professional practice skills within specific clinical specialisms: Dysphagia, Voice, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Graduates will demonstrate excellence in clinical practice through extending and enhancing their existing theoretical knowledge base with a critical awareness of new insights and developments within their chosen clinical specialist area. Students will also be able to design and implement, with a degree of autonomy, and with due regard to ethical considerations, small-scale research studies in their chosen area.
The course provides additional specialist qualifications to already qualified Speech and Language Therapists and does not serve as initial qualification to practice as a Speech and Language Therapist. Those without an existing qualification in Speech and Language Therapy/Speech-Language Pathology should therefore not apply.
Graduates have gone on to become expert clinicians in their field and to administer clinical practices. Other graduates have also continued to run research studies in their chosen clinical specialist area and pursued further education and academic research, such as a Ph.D.
Applicants wishing to pursue Dysphagia or Voice may do so on full-time basis, with core modules and a dissertation completed in one year.
Modules take place over 12 weeks within the academic year. Each week consists of five full days of teaching. Students must attend Trinity College Dublin for these teaching weeks. Additional assignment work, self-directed learning, and clinical work must be conducted outside of these weeks.
Students will take the following modules: Advanced Clinical Skills (AAC, Dysphagia or Voice); Dissertation; Evidence Based Practice; Research Methods 1 (quantitative focus); Research Methods 2 (qualitative focus); Research Methods 3 (research design and research ethics focus).
The Dissertation module is associated with the research project that must be completed by the student. This module is taken in first year by full-time students and second year by part-time students. All other modules are in first year.
During the programme, students must also complete a minimum of 80 hours clinical work in their chosen specialist area. Students who take the Dysphagia specialism and who have not completed a qualifying course in dysphagia will have to complete additional preparatory work. These students must have at least 40 of the required 80 clinical hours supervised by Speech and Language Therapists recognised by the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity.
Click here for further information on modules/subject.
This video outlines the programme details for the programmes in Clinical Speech and Language Studies and in Dysphagia at Trinity College Dublin.
September 2025
Dr. Ciarán Kenny
30th April 2025
Applicants should hold at least 2.1 Honours degree in Clinical Speech and Language Studies or an equivalent qualification in Speech and Language Therapy. Those without a qualification in Speech and Language Therapy/Speech-Language Pathology should not apply.
Students will be required to undergo Garda Vetting, you can learn more at: www.tcd.ie/students/orientation/postgraduates/garda-vetting.php
All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements. For more details of qualifications that meet Band B, see the English Language Requirements page here.
Click here for a full list of postgraduate fees.
To apply, click on the relevant Apply Link below
+353 (0)1 8961496
www.tcd.ie/slscs/postgraduate/taught-courses/clinical-speech-language
Register your interest in studying at Ireland’s leading university, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin.
I have always been fascinated by voice disorders and I wanted to expand my knowledge in this area. I chose to enrol in the M.Sc. at the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies at Trinity, as it gave me the opportunity to specialise in the area of my interest; something that I couldn’t find anywhere else in Europe. Through this course, I had the opportunity to gain theoretical knowledge and acquire practical and clinical experience on the assessment, diagnosis and rehabilitation of voice disorders. During the course, I had also the opportunity to learn more about research and research methods. Both my clinical and research skills were developed through lectures, workshops, clinics and projects. A student taking this M.Sc. programme can obtain the solid foundation needed to start a clinical or research career. I would strongly recommend this course for prospective students, especially those who seek to develop their skills in a specific clinical area. During the course, students get to meet experts in their area of interest, collaborate with other clinicians and researchers, and learn from world-renowned experts. As a Trinity student, you get to be a part of a multicultural community and meet people that share the same hobbies and interests. Trinity students can join clubs and societies and be a part of extracurricular activities around campus. Life at Trinity is a positive experience and students graduate with all the necessary skills to start a new career.
Graduate
I have just finished my first year of the two year part-time program in the specialist strand of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). I applied for this course after working for five years as a Speech and Language Therapist, because I wanted to develop my research skills and further develop my clinical knowledge and skills in my specialist area of interest, in which I hope to work upon graduating from the Master's course. While studying part-time, I have been able to continue working while also improving my own clinical skills and further develop these through specialised clinical placements. The course also provides the opportunity to attend classes with lecturers who are experts in the field of Speech and Language Therapy and AAC. This year, the course has been delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online learning, and it contained a good balance of research skills and clinical skills. The quality of the teaching has been exceptional, and the classes have been interesting and engaging. The classes in the first year provided an excellent knowledge base for carrying out different types of research. I also received regular one-to-one guidance from my research supervisor which helped me to gain the confidence and skills to plan and conduct my research project. Throughout the course, I had the opportunity to meet and network with other Speech and Language Therapists from Ireland and other countries in Europe and Asia, which gave me a broader insight into clinical practice from an international perspective. I had the opportunity to work with students from the other specialisation areas on group projects, which was a great learning experience. I would highly recommend this course to Speech and Language Therapists at any stage of their career who are interested in conducting research, as well as expanding their clinical skills and knowledge.
Graduate
What I enjoy most is the variety of modules, with a mixture of theory and practical classes. I also love interacting with people and putting my new knowledge and skills to use. I think my course at Trinity will benefit my career as it will provide me with the necessary qualifications, skills, knowledge and training to pursue a successful career as a speech and language therapist.
Student
