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Studies & Degrees in Speech-Language Pathology

Speech-language pathology is the health profession that deals with disorders of communication and swallowing. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), speech-language pathologists work to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. The profession has different names: speech and language therapy in the United Kingdom, speech pathology in Australia, logopedia in Spain and fonoaudiología in much of Latin America.

Students learn the anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, linguistics and phonetics, child language development, psychology and neurology. They then study the disorders themselves and how to treat them: delayed speech and language in children, stuttering, voice problems, hearing loss, and the language and swallowing difficulties that can follow a stroke, a brain injury or dementia. Supervised clinical placements are part of every programme.

Qualifications and levels

The level of the qualifying degree depends on the country, and so does the right to practise.

  • Spain: bachelor's degree (grado). Logopeda is a regulated health profession that requires the official Grado en Logopedia. The degree takes 4 years and 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad de Murcia it is taught on campus in Spanish, with 100 places for new students. At the Universidad de Granada, 48 of the 240 credits are optional subjects.
  • United States: master's degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that speech-language pathologists typically need at least a master's degree, which usually takes 2 years after a bachelor's degree and includes supervised clinical experience. All states require a licence. ASHA awards the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), which requires a graduate degree, a pass in the Praxis exam and a Clinical Fellowship of at least 1,260 hours.
  • United Kingdom: degree or postgraduate. The NHS states that speech and language therapists train at degree or postgraduate level. Graduates of a relevant first degree can take an accelerated postgraduate programme that usually lasts two years.
  • Doctorate. Research careers lead to a PhD. San Diego State University, for example, offers a bachelor's degree, a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in its School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, next to a Doctor of Audiology.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 31 active schools for this subject. The United States has 13 and Spain 8. Australia has 2, and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Russia, the Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Chile have one each.

In Spain the grado is offered by public universities such as the Universidad de Murcia, Universidad de Granada, Universidad de Oviedo, Universidad de A Coruña, Universidad de La Laguna and Universidad de Valladolid. Teaching is in Spanish, which matters in this field: therapy is carried out in the patient's language, so a very high level of Spanish is needed for the clinical placements.

US schools in the list include San Diego State University, Vanderbilt University, Northeastern University, Illinois State University, Wayne State University, Miami University in Ohio and SUNY Cortland. The University of Manchester is the UK entry. In Latin America the list includes the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, the Universidad Autónoma de Chile and the Universidade de São Paulo; Massey University and Central Queensland University teach in English in New Zealand and Australia.

Because the profession is regulated, a qualification from one country is not automatically valid in another. Check with the regulator of the country where you want to work before you choose a programme.

Careers

Speech-language pathologists work in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation and early-intervention centres, care homes for older people and private practice, usually in teams with teachers, doctors, psychologists and audiologists. Some specialise in children, others in neurological rehabilitation, voice or swallowing.

In the United States the occupation had about 193,400 jobs in 2025, and 39% of them were in educational services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 17 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 12,500 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

Is speech-language pathology the same as speech therapy or logopedia?

Yes. Speech-language pathology is the term used in the United States; the same profession is called speech and language therapy in the United Kingdom and logopedia in Spain.

What degree do I need to become a speech-language pathologist?

In the United States, typically a master's degree, plus a state licence. In Spain, the official 4-year Grado en Logopedia. In the United Kingdom, a degree or a two-year postgraduate programme.

How long does it take to study logopedia in Spain?

The Grado en Logopedia takes 4 years and has 240 ECTS credits.

Can I study it in Spain if Spanish is not my first language?

The degrees are taught in Spanish, and clinical work is done with Spanish-speaking patients, so a very high level of Spanish is needed. Check the language requirement with the university.