PgCert Dysphagia

On this course, you’ll consider the evidence behind the assessment and management of dysphagia (difficulties eating, drinking and swallowing).

It’s designed for professionals working across the health, social care and education sectors.

You might be a speech and language therapist, a nurse, or a physiotherapist. You might work with clients who have acquired difficulties as a result of a stroke or Parkinson’s disease, for example. Or, you may work with children with swallowing difficulties. 

Whichever sector you work in, through our postgraduate certificate (PgCert) in Dysphagia, you’ll reflect on assessment and management practices for dysphagia across adults and children.

You’ll explore topics including the neurochanges in swallowing through life, the psycho-social impact on clients, and current management and intervention approaches.

You’ll complete an independent study project, too. This allows you to apply your new knowledge to a work-based project that’s unique to your interests, experience and workplace.

At Manchester Met, our academic team has clinical and research experience in the field of dysphagia. This means you’ll be taught by experts who understand the theoretical and practical sides of your day-to-day role, and the challenges within dysphagia. In 2015, they completed a study for Health Education North West on developing dysphagia competencies in the speech and language therapy profession.

This course builds upon the findings of that project and offers support to increase evidence-based knowledge of working with children and adults with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties.

Our postgraduate certificate (PgCert) in Dysphagia course is made up of three individual continuing professional development units. The course has a flexible timeframe, and you can study full-time or part-time. If you choose to study part-time, you’ll usually complete at least one unit (20 credits) each year.

On this course, you’ll typically explore topics including normal swallow through the lifespan, screening and clinical evaluation of swallowing, and ethical considerations. You’ll consider nutrition and hydration, oral hygiene, and how to understand chest X-rays.

We teach you through a variety of methods, usually including online weekly workbooks and group forums. In the group forums, you might critique an article, discuss a topic from the workbook with fellow students or reflect on the practice in your workplace.

Your final assessment on our PgCert Dysphagia course is usually a case study (usually 4,500 words).

We suggest that you complete the assessment and intervention-based units before the independent study module but this isn’t essential. Depending on the order in which you choose to complete the units, you're able to start the course in September or January.