At the heart of this course is a view of 21st Century children and young people as social actors: people with something to say, with resilience, with complex lives that are experienced amidst all the cultural, social, educational and political shifts that happen in the world around them. It can lead to a wide range of careers including teaching, social work, counselling and law where you’ll make a real difference to the lives of young people.

This dynamic, multidisciplinary degree offers you the opportunity to study a diverse range of topics that relate to the lived experiences of children and young people in contemporary society, supporting you in pursuing careers within a variety of areas including teaching, social work, counselling and law. Our teaching team have expertise and backgrounds in psychology, sociology, children’s rights, linguistics, education, forensics, health and welfare. This rich and diverse learning environment is a unique trait of our course, and gives you the opportunity to study childhood and youth from multiple perspectives.

The 3-year course is designed around three pathways, with modules relating to psychological, sociological and educational perspectives on issues relevant to childhood and youth in theory and in practice. The first year is designed to provide you with a strong foundation in all three strands. The second year continues to build upon these strands and to develop effective practice by working with employers in the fields in order to develop working knowledge and to make important connections with future employers and service providers. This leads up to year three, where you can study at least four topics selected from the range of modules that are currently available across the pathways. In this final year you will also complete a major research project which enables you to deepen your expertise and knowledge in your chosen area. This course also includes guest speakers as well as opportunities to study abroad and opportunities to present at conferences helping you develop both your academic and employability skills. Every year you’ll have the opportunity to undertake placements to develop your understanding of aspects of children’s needs and development and to carry out research into current issues and practice.

This Childhood and Youth Studies degree aims to address the present demand for well-qualified specialists able to work with children, young people and their families in a range of contexts, in the community and in institutions. The programme combines sound academic grounding with a practical and active dimension that will produce professionals well able to address the challenges of a contemporary, active society in a bilingual country.

This is a Welsh-medium course. The English-medium course has a different UCAS code.

Why choose Bangor for this course?

• 100% Student Satisfaction (Childhood & Youth Studies - NSS 2020).
• 5th for Careers Prospects (Guardian Good University Guide 2021).
• Work placements to develop your understanding of children’s needs and development.
• Professional and academic expertise across a diverse range of areas such as children’s rights, family law, bilingualism, education, social care, mental health, literacy, additional learning needs and inclusion.
• Study all or part of your course through the medium of Welsh.

You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, seminars, use of digital resources and practical workshops. Lectures and seminars make creative use of a variety of different digital resources and media in order to help you plan, record and to support your progress. An integral element of the programme is the range of guest speakers and educational visits that enrich and reinforce your learning.

You can study 100% of your modules through the medium of Welsh, and choose to have a Welsh speaking personal Tutor and complete assignments through the medium of Welsh or English. As a bilingual speaker, you might feel more confident in writing in Welsh or in writing in English. On this course, you can follow modules through the medium of Welsh and submit work in English and vice versa. Whatever you decide, we will support you so that you develop your bilingual skills.

The assessments vary from module to module and range from essays, presentations and film making to MCQ tests and exams.

In your third year, you’ll carry out a major research project within an area of your choice. Depending on your research field, you might be involved in school-based projects, nursery-based projects or projects with practitioners within the childhood and youth industry. Your project will be individually supervised by one of our experts, giving you the opportunity to further your knowledge and skills and develop an in-depth understanding of the area

What will you study on this course?

The first year provides a foundation in key areas such as academic and professional skills, socio-cultural, historical and psychological perspectives on childhood, and explores topics such as play, rights and diversity. The second year provides further grounding in research methodology, theoretical perspectives across areas such as mental health, literacy, global childhoods and inclusion. In your final year you are supported to consolidate and refine your knowledge via a research dissertation, alongside specialist modules spanning topics such as children and crime, gender and race, families and substance abuse, children and communication issues, and multilingualism. You’ll also work alongside employers and service providers in the field of childhood and youth services in building experience of working practices and making important connections.

All modules in the 1st year are compulsory; in Years 2, and 3, depending on availability, you will have a choice of modules in addition to core Research modules. Each year you will study a total of 120 credits, giving you breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding by the time you graduate.

Your Research

Research is an important aspect of this course. As part of your Research Methods modules, you’ll be taking part in practical sessions where you’ll learn how to design studies, run your own experiments, gather and analyse data and report your findings. These skills will give you a firm foundation ready for year 3 when you’ll conduct your own research.

• Workshops on issues as diverse as children’s literacy, children and technology and children’s rights supported by specialists in the fields.
• Use of digital media and resources to teach, to support research, to help record progress and to share work.
• Involvement with meetings and conferences on a range of issues relating to the course, including children’s voices and the role of childhood and youth within decision-making processes.
• Regular guest presentations by specialists in the field in areas related to the different Childhood and Youth pathways.
• Educational visits to the local area, to places of national significance and, in some cases, to international locations.
• Opportunities to work alongside employers and service providers in fields relating to childhood and youth, including education, care services and agencies that support provision for young people.
• Regular contact and support with institutions which are important to the field, including schools, social care organisations, children’s rights organisations. Maintenance of contact with these institutions to help develop ideas and pathways linked to individuals’ career aspirations.

The multi-disciplinary approach of the degree prepares students for a broad range of career choices in education, psychology and sociology and allied professions in the public and private sector, including health, social care, youth and community work. Alternately, some students continue their studies on a masters programme or apply for a place on a PGCE Primary course. Should you decide to apply for the PGCE Primary course at Bangor, you will be offered an interview, if you meet the entry requirements.

This BA Childhood and Youth Studies is suitable for students who want to follow a career relating to any of the three main pathways that underpin the course: Education, Psychology and Social Science. As this course includes perspectives from all three strands, it allows the students the opportunity to discover their main area of interest, which then leads on to various professions within that field. The depth of knowledge gained on our course provides a very strong foundation from which to go on to specialise in various fields. These include, for example, careers in children’s services, management, teaching, social work, counselling, therapies and the law.

Employability is a key theme within the Childhood and Youth programme and we have embedded a large number of opportunities within our degree to ensure our graduates have a strong CV. For example, students are given the opportunity to enrol on a Makaton course, become ambassadors for various charities and partake in voluntary work. In fact, many of our students have been so impressive on placements they have been offered work once they have finished their degrees.

Our degree in Childhood and Youth Studies allows you to engage with issues relevant to 21st century childhood and youth. Our rich learning environment is a unique trait of the course, and gives you the opportunity to study childhood and youth from multiple perspectives.