Sept 2024 Entry
2.5 years
90
This is a full-time programme. Only the full-time option will be offered.
Applications can be made to our postgraduate programmes without the help of agencies. Applicants are required to apply online via the Study@PolyU website.
Please note that all fields in the application forms should be completed. We will not consider applications that do not provide details of academic qualifications.
We will not process applications unless all supporting documents are provided.
We have a quota for admissions and admissions operate on a rolling basis. Early applications are strongly encouraged. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interviews during the application period.
An incomplete application cannot be processed promptly and may reduce your chance of admission. Please complete all relevant fields on the application form and upload all necessary documents.
Programme Aims
The Master of Speech Therapy (MST) programme cultivates graduates who will be able to practise as speech therapists in Hong Kong and serve as speech therapy advocates in mainland China and the Macau SAR. The programme is designed to equip students with the professional and academic knowledge base, clinical and research skills, and attitudes and ethics required to function effectively as entry-level speech therapists. The curriculum offers a unique approach to education and training in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, addressing speech therapy in both Chinese and bilingual contexts. Speech therapy Master’s level programmes are widely adopted as entry-level degrees in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, the MST programme provides an pathway for Bachelor’s degree holders to enter the speech therapy profession.
Characteristics
The MST teaching team is composed of academic and teaching staff with considerable teaching experience, proven research track records and extensive clinical expertise. We adopt a hybrid teaching and learning approach: traditional lectures are conducted in the first year, and the problem based learning (PBL) approach is adopted in the second year. This enhances the integration of learning across courses and enables students to put their theoretical knowledge into practice.
A vital part of the training for speech therapists involves supervised clinical practice. A Speech Therapy Unit (STU) has been established on the PolyU campus. The STU offers a platform for both in-house teaching and research through a service interface. For more details, please visit the STU’s website here.
The clinical placements in the MST programme are scheduled to occur throughout the 2.5 years of the whole programme. They will cover the assessment and treatment of speech, language, literacy, voice, fluency and swallowing disorders of clinical populations, varying in age from infancy to old age. To prepare students to work in different speech therapy service settings upon graduation, clinical placements are arranged not only at STU, but also with clinical education partners such as the Hospital Authority, non-governmental organisations, special and mainstream schools and other service providers in the community.
The MST programme is the first speech therapy training programme in Hong Kong being awarded the status of ‘Full Endorsement’ by the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists (HKIST) since the institution-based assessment scheme began in 2018. With the HKIST’s endorsement, MST graduates (including those who graduated before 2018), are eligible to apply to become ‘Members of the Register of Speech Therapists accredited by the Department of Health’.
Speech therapists provide assessment, treatment and consultation for individuals of different age groups with communication or swallowing disorders. To address the demand for speech therapy services across all ages, the government has committed to creating hundreds of new speech therapist posts in both child and adult service settings over the past few years. The demand for speech therapists is anticipated to grow further with the ageing of Hong Kong’s population.
Programme Structure
The 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 2.5 years. Students must complete 21 credits of foundation subjects, 42 credits of professional subjects and 27 credits of clinical education subjects. The programme comprises six main subject categories, reflecting its multi-disciplinary nature: Linguistics and Language Sciences, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Communication Disorders and Audiology, Clinical Education and a research project.
Medium of Instruction:
English (supplemented by Cantonese and Mandarin for Cantonese-speaking and Mandarin-speaking clients in 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
Information on the subjects offered can be obtained at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/cbs/study/taught-postgraduate-programmes/master-of-speech-therapy.
(The above subject list is subject to revision.)
90
Dr Ng Ho Yee Janet
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A Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from a recognised institution.
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Applicants should satisfy one of the following requirements for English proficiency:
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Level 5 or above in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) English Language;
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Grade D or above in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) Use of English;
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An overall Band Score of 7.0 or above in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS);
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A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 100 or above for the Internet-based test or 600 or above for the paper-based test;
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Grade 5 or above in English A at International Baccalaureate (IB); or
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the equivalent.
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Applicants should satisfy one of the following requirements for Chinese proficiency:
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Level 4 or above in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) Chinese Language;
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Grade D or above in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) Chinese Language;
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Grade 5 or above in Chinese Language A Standard & Higher Level at International Baccalaureate (IB);
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Grade 6 or above in Chinese Language B Higher Level at International Baccalaureate (IB);
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Level 2 or above in the Shumian Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi 書面漢語水平考試 (SHSK);
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Total score of 240 or above in the Chinese Proficiency Test 汉语水平考试 (HSK level VI 六级); or
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the equivalent.
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Applicants should be able to communicate verbally in both Cantonese and English effectively; proficiency in Mandarin (Putonghua) is preferred.
For further information on academic matters, please contact:
Programme Leader, Dr Ng Ho Yee Janet (tel: (852) 2766 7432; email: janet-hy.ng@polyu.edu.hk).
For general information, please contact:
Ms Mabel Tong (tel: (852) 2766 4869; email: mabel.tong@polyu.edu.hk).
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Admission preference will be given to those with a first degree in linguistics, psychology, speech and language sciences, or a medical or health-related discipline.
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All applicants are required to submit a personal statement in English. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview.
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Please click here to download.
HK$5,900 per credit for local and non-local students
Earning a Master of Speech Therapy degree from PolyU afforded me a variety of clinical experiences. Apart from on-campus clinical opportunities and external clinical placements, the programme has strong partnerships with mainland hospitals and clinical sites, which offered me comprehensive clinical exposure and experience spanning the entire scope of speech therapy practice. Another component of the degree that I valued highly was the problem-based learning (PBL) approach, in which students were encouraged to solve an open-ended clinical problem using their knowledge and experience, with support from the professors and clinical supervisors. This empowered me to develop my problem-solving skills and to become a “real” clinician, asking crucial questions by using critical thinking and my knowledge of the most recent evidence. The Master of Speech Therapy engendered an excellent sense of community within my cohort. I have developed strong lifelong friendships and an extensive professional network. Today, we still reach out to one another now for professional and socioemotional support, which indicates the value of these connections facilitated by the degree.
The MST programme not only equipped me with theoretical knowledge and practical clinical skills, but also developed my problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. My cohort and I were fortunate to gain a broad range of clinical experiences across various settings and specialty clinics, from paediatrics to geriatrics, rehabilitation facilities in China to public hospitals in Hong Kong, and patients ranging from people with voice problems to stuttering problems. The programme encouraged me to learn through problem-based discussions, and motivated me to take the initiative and responsibility for my learning. Thus, I learned to remain astute and versatile even after graduation and to value lifelong learning. I am extremely grateful for the constant guidance and support from the Department and my teachers – they have been instrumental in making me, and my classmates competent, compassionate and skilled speech therapists.
Over the last two years, I have gained more knowledge and experience than I expected from studying the Masters of Speech Therapy. I have acquired knowledge of linguistics, medical science and psychology from attending lectures, and developed evidenced-based decision-making skills through the problem-based learning and clinical placements in different settings. I have made valuable friendships with fellow classmates and members of the MST teaching team. The teachers are always welcoming and supportive when I or my classmates need help, and they serve as good role models of professional attitude and compassionate care, as they have continued to prioritise clients’ and students’ benefits and safety even during the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. I have no doubt that the MST program will prepare me to become a better health care professional with deeper insights into communication sciences and disorders.
A personal Statement in English (800 to 1,000 words) is required.
Optional
Required
Proof of English proficiency.
Proof of Chinese proficiency.
Optional
