Overview
Have you got the enthusiasm for a career working with children, making a positive impact in the lives of young people and developing your knowledge in this vital field?
On this BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies degree, you’ll unpack the issues affecting young people across society, and learn how to work with young people and their families – and the services that support them – in different capacities.
After you cover core models and theories in year 1, years 2 and 3 give you the chance to tailor your degree to your passions and interests. For example, in areas such as play, digital technology for children, behaviour, and the care system.
When you graduate, your expert knowledge and skills will allow you to take on a rewarding career in areas such as youth work, health promotion, probation, nurseries and social welfare.
Endorsed by:
On this course, you can choose modules lead to the exit award BA Childhood and Youth Studies with Social Pedagogy. This pathway is endorsed by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association (SPPA), which means you can graduate as a "Social Pedagogy Practitioner".
This demonstrates that you meet the SPPA's Standards of Proficiency, which are central to developing relationship-centred, dialogic practice that supports children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged.
What you'll experience
On this Childhood and Youth Studies degree course, you'll:
- Be taught by experts who bring together years of academic knowledge, research and practice with children and young people
- Develop expert knowledge of the important issues affecting young people today while drawing on classic child development theories
- Contribute to the way society will influence the next generation of young people
- Cover topics including child and youth development, diversity and inclusion, culture, education and globalisation, and consider how they shape childhood and youth experiences across the world
- Get practical experience through work-based placements and internships, connecting theory to practice and exploring the professional skills you’ll need to work with children and young people
- Develop relationships with future employers through a programme of events and talks from guest speakers
- Choose whether to do a dissertation or a practical research project in your final year
- Develop transferable skills such as team working and communications that will impress employers
- Have the opportunity to spend time studying abroad – we have close links with institutions in countries such as Italy, Panama, Spain, China, Australia, Sweden and the Czech Republic
Teaching
Teaching methods on this course include:
- Group-based activities
- Seminars
- Tutorials
- Individual and group presentations
- Projects
- E-learning
- Interactive lectures
You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a Web connection.
For more about the teaching activities for specific modules, see the module list above.
For any queries or questions outside scheduled teaching, you can reach teaching staff by email and get a timely response. Most also allow you to drop by their office at set times of the week or by arrangement.
You'll be assessed through independent and group work, including:
- Essays
- Presentations and projects
- Examinations
- A dissertation or major project
We review assessment methods regularly to make sure the way you’re assessed aligns with the latest educational policies and initiatives.
We also put emphasis on allowing you to develop transferable and creative skills through assessment, which you can use in your career – for example by developing your own website or producing a video.
You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 8% by written exams, 7% by practical exams and 85% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 5% by practical exams and 95% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 100% by coursework
Careers and opportunities
After the course, you can take your expert skills and knowledge into a rewarding career working with young people and children in the community.
Areas you can work in include:
- Youth work
- Social care
- Educational welfare
- Health promotion
- Teaching (with further study)
- The police
- The voluntary sector
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- Training assessor
- Teacher
- Employability coordinator
- Careers advisor
- Schools liaison officer
Work experience and career planning
To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service will help you find relevant work experience during your course.
We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and other opportunities that will complement your studies.
Placement year
Between your 2nd and 3rd year, you can do a 1-year work placement. You'll get extensive support in identifying and applying for placements. We have strong links with a wide variety of placement providers including educational institutions and charities in the UK and abroad.
You can also use your placement year to extend your studies abroad, through one of the partnerships we have with Universities in Europe.
We keep in touch with you during your placement year and look forward to welcoming you back to complete your studies in year 3.
