Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons), University of Portsmouth

the United Kingdom

Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
BA (Hons)	Full-time, Sandwich	3 - 4 years	September	GBP 0 per year	GBP 0 per year

About Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Overview

If you want to help children have the best start in life, there are questions you need to explore. For example: how is their wellbeing affected by factors like digital technologies, race, culture and globalisation? On this course, you'll look for answers across a child's crucial first 8 years.

On your BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree, you’ll discover how a child develops physically, emotionally and mentally. And with plenty of opportunities to work with children, you’ll practice how to make a positive difference for them. You can customise your degree and develop specialist skills that are valued in a variety of professions, such as therapeutic play.

Course highlights

Learn different ways to measure children’s development from birth to age eight, which you can apply in all kinds of careers
Choose to do a different work placement in every year of study – from local schools, early childcare settings or health and social care environments that put young children first
Have the opportunity to do an additional work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree - we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
Develop new skills in support of children's social, emotional and mental health by working with them in our Teacher Education Centre, and in outdoor environments such as forests and beaches
Look at how children are affected by society and politics, and discover what psychology and philosophy teach us about early years
Have the option to work towards achieving Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC) alongside your degree
Be taught by experts and hear from guest speakers, with unique insights into childhood and education based on their lived experience
Help tackle inequality by taking part in local initiatives that make a difference to children and families
Gain transferable skills in psychology, sociology, teaching and learning, leadership and management, and creative thinking
Take advantage of our Institution-Wide Language Programme and learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, choosing from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish.

Careers and opportunities

You’ll graduate with rewarding career options, including working with children, families and communities in a variety of professional roles.

This BA Early Childhood Studies degree offers a broad range of skills in professional practice in education, enterprise and leadership, supporting children's development, working with families, fostering wellbeing, therapeutic practice, and more.

You could also take your studies further on a postgraduate course, such as MA Education Studies or MSc Educational Leadership and Management.

What jobs can you do with an early childhood studies degree?

Our graduates work in a range of educational roles and settings:

early years teaching – with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)
primary teaching – with a PGCE or SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) leading to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)
pedagogical leadership in early childhood
early years provision and setting management
forest school leadership and training
freelance education and private tutoring
special educational and disability needs

Our graduates also pursue a variety of careers related to health and wellbeing:

therapeutic play – further training may be required
health and wellbeing promotion
family support
professional nannying
play work

Our graduates also become consultants and researchers into early years issues.

Placement year (optional)

After your second or third year of study, you can choose to do a paid placement year. This lets you put your new skills to work while developing valuable links with employers.

It’s fantastic for your CV and will really help you stand out when applying for jobs.

With mentoring and support throughout your placement, you’ll have our support to get the most from the experience.

Previous placement destinations have included:

family support hubs and children's centres
remote learning support for children and families
outdoor-based early years settings, such as forest schools

You could also choose to set up your own business, or take a voluntary placement.

Notes about fees for this course

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance

Entry requirements

104-112 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent. Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting their professional placement working with children and young people.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

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Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons), University of Portsmouth

Study options for this course

About Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Notes about fees for this course

Entry requirements

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