Childhood and Youth Studies BA (Hons)

Course overview

Are you interested in working with children, families or young people? Would you like to learn about how childhood has changed and why? Perhaps you are interested in how schools and education can help, or possibly hinder, some children or the role of social and justice services in protecting children and young people?

The programme is delivered by staff with specialist knowledge and practice in formal and informal education, sociology, psychology and social research. In the final year of the programme your dissertation allows for further specialization as well as developing your research and analytical skills. You can study this programme with a range of career interests in mind, ranging from primary teaching to social work, education support work or youth and probation work and, after graduation with the right degree classification, you are ideally placed to further these career interests by moving into work or taking a professional qualification at postgraduate level.

Career opportunities

This programme develops your independent thinking and analytical and communication skills and will help you become a clear and confident writer – all crucial to modern jobs and particularly those based around working with children and young people in a holistic fashion. Completion of this degree will support potential careers in public services, such as educational support roles in schools and colleges, the police, probation and local authorities, youth support services and voluntary sector projects.

Some graduates pursue careers in primary schools and adult education sector training.

All programmes are designed to incorporate employability skills development alongside your degree course. Our staff utilize their extensive connections to provide many and varied opportunities to engage with potential employers through fairs, guest lecture sessions, live projects and site visits. In addition we offer a series of workshops and events in the first, second and third year that ensure all students are equipped with both degree level subject knowledge PLUS the practical skills that employers are looking for in new graduate recruits.

Our award winning careers service works with regional and national employers to advertise graduate positions, in addition to providing post-graduation support for all Teesside University alumni.