Help give children the best start in life. Qualify for a lifelong career in a fulfilling field. Discover new abilities and capacities you didn't know you had.
Overview
If you're interested in a career engaging with families, children and their communities, the BA (Hons) Childhood Studies degree will provide you with skills, knowledge and understanding in a range of subject areas that combine to form childhood studies. You will learn about child development, children's needs, and the historical, social, and cultural issues that impact their lives. You will also develop your knowledge and understanding of the child as an individual and the position of the child in society and family.
You will have the opportunity to register on an exciting pathway during your first semester, Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. This will allow you to become a practitioner and assures employers that you have completed relevant practice experience. If you choose to take this pathway, you will graduate with the degree title BA (Hons) Childhood Studies with Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies.
Why us?
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are 8th in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2024)
- We are one of eight Higher Education institutions in the UK providing Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies, an optional pathway for students who meet the requirements
- Teaching staff are research-active in a variety of childhood related subjects including children's development, early years practice, inclusive education, Special Educational Needs and Disability, education for sustainable development, and childhood identity and social media
- 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.
- The Childhood Studies team have a wealth of experience in working with children who have experienced loss and trauma and have hosted many national conferences on the subject
- We are a university that is nationally recognised for supporting learners from non-traditional backgrounds and many students come to us with no formal qualifications, but with valuable work experience
Course structure
A typical week on the BA (Hons) Childhood Studies course will include lectures, seminars, workshops, group work, and computer-based learning.
Your progress during the degree will be assessed with essays, reports, group work, seminar presentations, and self-evaluation. Throughout your degree you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff.
Throughout the course, you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff to help you get the best out of your assignments.
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
BA (Hons) Childhood Studies leads to a range of careers in children's services. Many of our graduates go on to work in health, social care, education, childcare, charities, and voluntary organisations, while many go on to study postgraduate courses such as PGCE Primary Education, MA Social Work, MA Childhood and Youth Studies, and MSc Inequality and Society. Some of our graduates also choose to qualify as teachers.
Read more about what you can do with a Social Science degree.
Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies
Do you want to gain additional experience of working with children from the ages of 0-8? Do you want to develop your practical skills in a range of settings and enrich the lives of young children?
If this sounds like you, then you can choose to follow the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (ECGPC) route alongside your BA (Hons) Childhood Studies degree. You will be able to choose this option from your first semester and follow it for the duration of your course. You will also develop a portfolio of evidence and a range of practical and transferable professional skills whilst attending placements, which will enable you to work with children, other professionals, and parents and carers.
Your portfolio of evidence, along with your end of year assessments, will be based on nine different competencies, including advocating for children’s rights, observing children, planning activities for children, and developing your professional skills. Developing these pieces of evidence and your practical skills are excellent for your progression after you complete your degree.
Your next steps may include furthering your studies or entering into your chosen career, and by completing the ECGPC route, you will be adding credence to your applications. You will be a recognised Early Years practitioner (at level 6) and employers and education establishments will know that you have completed relevant practice experience. Also, 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). This enhances your degree but also increases your chances of having appropriate graduate/professional employment in the early childhood field.
If you choose to take this pathway, you will graduate with the degree title BA (Hons) Childhood Studies with Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. We are the only university in the North East to offer this, so it's a truly unique opportunity. Hear more about the ECGPC pathway from one of our graduates.
Centre for Applied Social Sciences
The University of Sunderland’s Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) regularly hosts visiting speakers and it can be an excellent way to learn from the experiences of people who already have a strong track record in social policy.
CASS is the centre for applied social science research at the University and you may find opportunities to collaborate with the academic team – particularly on areas relating to children, young people, and families.
Research-active staff
The Childhood Studies team come from a diverse range of professional and academic backgrounds. They are research-active in a variety of childhood-related subjects including children's development, early years practice, inclusive education, special educational needs and disabilities, education for sustainable development, childhood identity and social media, children's literature, and childhood transitions. Their expertise in these areas is used to inform modules on the course. Members of the team are also involved with external activities such as working with children's charities, local schools, and early years settings. Actively engaging with our employer networks in this way supports our emphasis on developing your employability.
Read our Childhood Studies blog
Discover even more about what it's like to join our Childhood Studies community by reading our blog, which is full of fantastic staff and student-led content.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.