Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies
Online, United Kingdom
Certificate
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 7,272 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* total cost; part-time at a rate of 60 credits is £3,636 per year
Key Summary
About: The Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies at The Open University explores childhood and youth 0–18. It covers child development, psychology, international childhoods and policy. The course uses online materials, tutorials, group work, assessments, feedback, accessibility support. Study modes: full-time 1 year, part-time 2 years; maximum 7 years.
Career Outcomes: The certificate builds analytical, communication, research, ICT, teamwork and time-management skills. It can lead to roles in childcare, early years, teaching support, youth work, health or social care, or education and policy research. This is not a professional qualification; many students take further training before practice.
Interested in how social, cultural, and psychological influences impact the lives of children and young people? This engaging and wide-ranging interdisciplinary Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies is for anyone working with children and young people or with a general interest in the field. You’ll investigate policies, practices and issues affecting the lives of children and young people across a range of settings – developing your knowledge, your analytical skills and improving your practice.
Key features
- Spans the entire childhood age range from 0–18.
- Topics include child development and child psychology, international childhoods, learning and development.
- Explores children and young people’s lives from different perspectives alongside students studying and working in different settings.
- Relevant to a wide range of careers in childcare, education, health, and social care.
Accessibility
Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our Certificate of Higher Education in Computing and Engineering uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:
- Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
- Online tutorials
- Group-work
- Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
- Practical work
- Finding external/third-party material online
- Accessing online catalogues and databases
- Assessment in the form of short-answer questions, essays, and examinations
- Feedback – continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
- Pre-determined schedules – we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills
How long it takes
- Part-time study - 2 years
- Full-time study - 1 year
- Time limit - 7 years
This qualification has one stage, comprising 120 credits.
- It includes a compulsory 60-credit module.
- You’ll also choose an optional 60-credit module.
Stage 1 (120 credits)
You'll study the following:
- 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)
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.
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this certificate, you will have knowledge and understanding of:
- A broad general knowledge of the main theories, concepts and principles of childhood studies and developmental psychology
- The various ways of caring for children and supporting their welfare, including their health and social care
- The principles, theories and research that underpin and inform policy and practice
- How ethnicity, religion, caste/class, gender, sexuality and disability impact on children and their development, and the implications of this differentiation for policy and practice
- The emotional, physical, intellectual, social and cultural aspects of children’s lives from birth to eighteen in a variety of local and cross-cultural contexts.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this certificate, you will be able to:
- Construct a simple social science argument using appropriate concepts, theories and evidence
- Use examples, illustrations and case studies in presenting an argument
- Select and use different forms of evidence
- Compare and criticise different theoretical positions or arguments
- Identify the links between theoretical knowledge and its application in practical contexts.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this certificate, you will be able to:
- Plan your study, manage time effectively and meet deadlines
- Learn from feedback and reflect on your own learning processes
- Accommodate new principles, understandings and evidence and formulate and justify proposals for action in the light of these
- Identify and reflect on your own values and position and those of others and assess their relationships to policy and practice
- Use ICT appropriately and have developed numeracy skills.
Key skills
On completion of this certificate, 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
- 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.
Skills for career development
This certificate 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 certificate in childhood and youth studies gives you skills and knowledge relevant to many careers in childcare, health, education, working with families, playwork, or working with young people. It will develop your understanding of research, practices and policies that affect children, and introduce you to many new aspects of the subject – helping you make informed choices about future career paths.
This certificate is not a professional qualification, so many of our graduates choose to undertake further/additional training before progressing to employment in specialist fields.
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.