BA (Honours) in Childhood and Youth Studies

Knowledge and understanding

When you complete your studies you will have knowledge and understanding of:

• Different theoretical perspectives that contribute to the study of childhood and youth, including biological, anthropological, psychological, sociological, legal, cultural and historical accounts, and how these inform effective communication with children and young people

• The way ethnicity, religion, caste/class, gender, sexuality and disability shape childhood and youth; the impact of differentiation, inequality and exclusion; strategies designed to tackle these issues including safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

• Policies and provisions relating to regulation/promotion of children and young people's status, welfare, health and learning, including how these impact on home, school, work and other contexts, and an appreciation of the importance of multi-agency working

• The principles underlying a rights approach to childhood and youth issues and how these may be applied to a variety of situations within international and national contexts including how these can support transitions

• A range of approaches and methods used in research with children and young people.

Cognitive skills

When you have completed this degree you will be able to:

• Analyse critically and systematically concepts, theories, policies and practices concerning children and young people

• Understand and comment critically on the contributions of different approaches to the study of childhood and youth

• Critically understand the significance and limitations of theory and research

• Formulate questions that can be answered through research, identify appropriate methods, analyse evidence and assess its significance

• Identify and critically reflect on connections and discontinuities between knowledge and its application in practical contexts, and how this might impact on effective communication and welfare promotion with and for children and young people.

Practical and/or professional skills

A degree in Childhood and Youth Studies will give you knowledge and analytical skills relevant to many careers in childcare, health and education; working with families; playwork, or working with young people. However, most graduates will likely be required to undertake postgraduate training in specialist areas before progressing to employment in specialist fields. You should always check the relevance of your degree if you are considering teaching as this degree is not a qualifying programme for teaching.

When you have completed this degree you will be able to:

• Learn from personal experience and apply theory to practice issues and dilemmas and learn from feedback to improve performance

• Analyse features of contemporary childhood (and the cultural representation of childhood in different economic and socio-cultural contexts) in a historical and/or international framework including multi-agency working

• Identify and reflect on your values and position and those of others and assess their relationships to policy and practice

• Carry out project-based work on aspects of childhood studies, critically evaluating approaches to enquiry, drawing on appropriate methodologies and disciplinary perspectives and paying due regard to the importance of information sharing

• Accommodate new principles, understandings and evidence and formulate and justify proposals for action in the light of these.

Key skills

When you have completed this degree you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

• Organise and articulate opinions and arguments, taking account of appropriate conventions of academic writing

• Communicate accurately and clearly in styles adapted to the purpose and context including interpretation of numerical and graphical data when appropriate

• Read purposefully and critically, identifying and recording what is relevant from a range of resource material, and responding sensitively and critically to diverse viewpoints

• Analyse tasks, plan and manage time

• Learn from a variety of different media and different teaching methods.

This degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

• Each stage includes a compulsory 60-credit module.
• You’ll also choose an optional 60-credit module at each stage.

Stage 1 (120 credits)

You’ll also choose a complementary module that fits your needs and interests.

• Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (E104)

You'll choose one from:

• Encountering psychology in context (D120)
• Exploring perspectives on young children's lives and learning (E109)
• Learning and teaching in the primary years (E103)

Stage 2 (120 credits)

You'll study the following:

• Exploring childhood and youth (E232)

You’ll choose one from:

• Making a difference: working with children and young people (KE206)
• Psychology of childhood and youth (E219)

Stage 3 (120 credits)

You'll choose one from:

• Language, literature and childhood (L301)
• Young lives, parenting and families (KE322)

You'll study the following:

• Contemporary research with children and young people (E320)

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

• Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

• You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.

• They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.

• Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

• The final, marked piece of work on most modules.

• Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

• Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.

• You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.

• Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or at an alternative location.

• If a module requires you to take a face-to-face exam, this will be made clear in the module description, and you will be required to take your exam in person at one of our exam centres.

Skills for career development

This degree provides an effective foundation for a wide choice of career paths. It emphasises independent thinking, develops analytical and communication skills and will help you become a clear and confident writer – all attributes that are highly valued by employers. Specific skills you’ll develop include:

• Analysing, critically evaluating and effectively communicating information to others

• Competence in team and project work, supporting and/or supervising others

• Organising, synthesising and questioning opinions and arguments

• Evaluating the appropriateness of different approaches to problem-solving

• Managing and organising time, resources and information to support decision-making

• Reflecting on your own learning and performance and taking steps to improve it

• Using ICT effectively and being able to interpret data.

Career relevance

A degree in childhood and youth studies gives you skills and knowledge relevant to many careers in childcare, health, education, working with families, play-work, or working with young people. It will develop your understanding of practices and policies that affect children and young people and introduce you to many new aspects of the subject – helping you make informed choices about future career paths. This degree is not a professional qualification, so many of our graduates choose to undertake postgraduate training before progressing to employment in specialist fields such as:

• Teaching

• Counselling

• Early years work, including play therapy and hospital play

• Speech therapy

• Voluntary sector work

• Youth work

• Education support and welfare

• Social work

• Probation work

• Personal and career guidance

• Sport and fitness

• Learning Mentor

• Research and policy

• Psychologist

• Youth justice

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

• A week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies

• Course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities

• Module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students

• Details of each assignment and their due dates

• A tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details

• Online versions of some printed module materials and resources.