Develop your understanding of children, childhood, and youth. Choose from three different pathways depending on your interests, previous experience, and career goals. Graduate capable of working in a wide range of sectors.
Overview
Are you passionate about working with children and young people? Are you ready to take your career with children and young people further? This ground-breaking and highly-flexible postgraduate course could be perfect for you.
The MA Childhood and Youth Studies course can be studied either full-time or part-time. Depending on the pathway you choose, you will graduate with one of three MA degree titles:
- MA Childhood and Youth Studies
- MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies)
- MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Youth Work, professionally validated and recognised by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC))
You will be taught by experienced and passionate lecturers with professional backgrounds in children and young people, early years, and youth work. You will study a range of modules and gain an understanding of the theoretical perspectives through which childhood and young people are currently understood and defined within interdisciplinary contexts. You will also critically reflect upon current legislation, policy, and practice relating to children and young people.
You will evaluate organisational structures and provision which regulates and promotes children’s and young people’s status, welfare, health and wellbeing, learning, and how multi-agency working impacts on childhood and youth contexts. You will interpret different political issues and events, past and present, that impact on children and young people. You will also develop your knowledge and skills in research which will enable you to undertake advanced research projects in the social sciences.
Please note, a member of the course team will advise you on the most suitable pathway, as the MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies) and the MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Youth Work, professionally validated and recognised by JNC) have entry requirements and placements which necessitate previous experience in the field.
Why us?
- Study for a masters degree unique in the North East of England
- Professionally validated and recognised by the JNC, this pathway is a professional qualification
- In September 2020, the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network announced Early Education and Childcare practitioners are now classified as Associate Professionals (Major Group 3 – Professional) instead of Teaching and Childcare Support Occupations (Major Group 6 – Non-Professional). Being Associate Professionals enhances graduates’ chances of gaining appropriate graduate/professional employment in the early childhood field.
- Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies are endorsed by the ECSDN
- We have a long history of offering Childhood and Youth Studies courses at undergraduate level
- We have been providing education and training for professionally qualified youth workers for over 40 years
- We allow for flexibility around work commitments and childcare
Course structure
During the MA Childhood and Youth Studies course, you will be taught through a mixture of on-campus workshops and seminars, as well as completing individual projects and research. Those undertaking the Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies pathway will have a minimum of 25 days placement – some will require 80 days placement depending on their experience. Those undertaking the professionally qualified Youth Work pathway will undertake 400 hours of learning through placement.
You will be assessed via essays, portfolios, poster presentations, research projects, presentations, and your 15,000 word dissertation.
Throughout the course you will have one-to-one support from academic staff to help you with your assignments. You will also be assigned a Personal Academic Tutor.
Facilities
You'll be based at the recently refurbished Wearside View, situated on the award-winning Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's. This stunning riverside location benefits from dedicated library services and has superb transport links with the city centre and City Campus.
Career ready
The MA Childhood and Youth Studies course has strong appeal for those aiming for a career within early years provision, youth work, education, social work, nursing, healthcare, youth justice, and the voluntary sector – including charities and NGOs.
You will graduate with the ability to advance academically and professionally, move into the profession or within the sector, or into a senior, managerial, or supervisory role. Those who graduate with a JNC qualification will be eligible for the higher levels of salary scales set by the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers.
Read more about what you can do with a Social Science degree.
Real-world learning
If you undertake the Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies pathway, you will have a minimum of 25 days placement – some will require 80 days placement depending on your experience. If you undertake the professionally qualified Youth Work pathway, you will undertake 400 hours of learning through placement.
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