Program Details

The BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care is a degree which is designed with Early Childhood professionals, and the children they will engage with, in mind. The programme has three exit awards – Higher Certificate in ECEC (level 6), BA Ord in ECEC (level 7), and BA Hons. In ECEC (level 8). At each exit award stage, the programme aims to equip future ECEC professionals with the tools to navigate the ever changing landscape of early childhood education and care in Ireland and internationally, provide learners with the tools and dispositions to provide the best practice and care for the children they engage with, and to enable learners to think critically about their roles as professionals, both locally and globally.

A key aspect of this four year (240 credit) award is work based experiential learning, which permits the learner to consolidate theoretical and practical knowledge. On successful completion of this programme, learners will achieve a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care at Level 8 on the NFQ.

The exit award options are suitable for learners who unexpectedly are unable to continue to the final stage of the principle programme and wish to exit with a recognised award/qualification.

Aim and Objectives

The BA (Hons) Degree programme at Level 8 is designed to meet the needs of learners wishing to enter the early years workforce, or for those, already working in the sector, to upskill to an Early Childhood Education & Care degree qualification. The programme will cater to a variety of adult learners, ranging from school leavers with no previous experience in the Early Years sector to more mature adults with relevant life and/or work experience.

The programme offers the learner the opportunity to gain the necessary skills and theoretical framework from which to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of the role and work of an Early Childhood professional. The programme design combines a core of foundational, educational and personal development modules as well as the opportunity to engage in specific areas of specialism. Each module in its own right examines and explores the unique characteristics of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) sector. The programme aims to produce reflective practitioners who place children’s concerns at the core of their practice. They assume a facilitative role with their adopted theories and specialist knowledge. The overarching objective of this programme is the development of the professional educators of the future.

Smart Assessment:

This degree is designed in such a way as to maximise critical thinking and create an understanding of the interrelatedness of theory, practice, and information that informs early childhood professionals in their day-to-day practice.

It is also designed to allow the learner access to as much information as possible but without overloading them with coursework. The smart assessment model allows for one piece of submitted work to be assessed twice for two different modules.

Areas of chosen specialism are offered in tandem with practice and research in stage three to encourage a continuation of research in this area during the learner’s future career. It is envisaged that this programme would produce professionals that are responsible for separate specialist areas in a service who can advise their team of colleagues or the communities of practice as and when needed, similar to the Ateliarista in Reggio Emilia. The specialist areas are focused in placement and the research project enabling the learner to master a specific area within their specialism which they have a particular interest.

Work Placement

The curriculum of the BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care is one which is heavily focused on practice placement
This module is the spine or central module in the degree programme.

All other modules will incorporate exercises, assessments, and reflections from their module into the placement module. Likewise, the placement module will incorporate all the learning from other modules into an ethical, rights-based practice.

Before entering their placement, learners will be required to take the Children First e-learning module developed and designed by Tusla the Child and Family Agency will be taken as part of the course in self-directed learning hours while they wait for their Garda Vetting to process.

300 hours in total over one Academic year will be spent in two early childhood education and care settings, divided as follows:
One setting will be used as an anchor setting where the learner will spend 260 hours.
The second setting should be a setting which is distinctly different from the first (to be agreed by the placement supervisor) and 40 hours must be spent there by the student.

Please Note that previous experience in a relevant field obtained prior to commencement of the programme/academic year cannot be counted towards the 300 hour requirement.