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How to become a Speech-Language Therapist

Helps people with speech, language and swallowing difficulties.

Apply early

Selection programmes like this often close months before the standard application deadline, and marks alone don’t guarantee a place. See the Dates page for the exact closing dates.

What does a Speech-Language Therapist actually do?

More about this career

Helps people with speech, language, communication and swallowing difficulties – from children with developmental delays to stroke survivors relearning to speak. Works in hospitals, schools, private practice and early childhood development settings.

Where this degree can take you

  • Paediatric Speech Therapist
  • Augmentative Communication Specialist
  • Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist
  • Voice Therapist

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics
  • Life Sciences

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the programmes we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 7 of 7 programmes
  • Life Sciences – asked for by 5 of 7 programmes
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 4 of 7 programmes
  • Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 2 of 7 programmes

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each programme links to the page it came from.

Programmes that lead here

7 programmes at 7 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

Bachelor of Speech-Language Pathology

School of Health Care Sciences

SMU APS 25

  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Another language – Another language (Home or First Additional) at level 4.
  • Life Orientation: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Two further subjects at level 3 or better.

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against SMU’s own admission-requirements page for this school (points and subject minimums match). Closes 31 July 2026 for undergraduate programmes (applications open 1 April 2026) - notably earlier than most universities in this batch.

Source: View the official page (smu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

B Speech-Language & Hearing Therapy

Medicine & Health Sciences · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 60 %

  • Mathematics: 50%
  • Physical Sciences: 50% OR Life Sciences: 60%
  • Two languages – Two languages at 60% are required.

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 30 students are selected.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Cape Town

Selection programme

BSc Speech-Language Pathology

Health Sciences · 4 years

UCT Faculty Points Score 340 out of 600

  • Mathematics: 60% OR Mathematical Literacy: 70%
  • Physical Sciences: 65% OR Life Sciences: 65%
  • English: 65% if it is your Home Language, 65% if it is your First Additional Language
  • Next 3 subjects: 60%
  • NBT – NBTs are compulsory and must be at Intermediate level or above.

The 340 shown is the APS sub-minimum (out of 600). Selection: Band A FPS 715, Band B WPS 670, Band C 510 / 515 / 600. About 40 places.

Source: View the official page (uct.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Fort Hare

Selection programme

Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Health Sciences

UFH APS 28

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Two other subjects – Any other two subjects at level 4 or better.
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

New row, from the user-supplied Faculty of Health Sciences 2026 Prospectus. APS 28 on the Mathematics route, 29 with Mathematical Literacy.

Source: View the official page (ufh.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

Bachelor of Speech-Language Therapy

Health Sciences · 4 years

UKZN APS 30 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 3 (40% or more) OR Physical Sciences: level 3 (40% or more)

Read 2026-10-04 from the table in the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure (CAO code KN-W-BPB); published APS range 48-30. First to third choice only. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Pretoria

BA Speech-Language Pathology

Humanities · 4 years

UP APS 32 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)

Confirmed against the user-supplied Humanities 2027 Faculty Yearbook, including duration (previously null). Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology share an identical first year. Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Witwatersrand

BA Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology: Speech-Language Pathology

Humanities · 4 years

Wits APS 34 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • NBT – The NBT must be written by 17 August.

An APS of 30-33 may be wait-listed.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every programme above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?