Childhood Studies degree
Childhood Studies degree BA (Hons) - 3 years (part-time available)
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Childhood Studies degree
This Childhood Studies degree builds on Aberystwyth University's long experience in training students for early years education. The childhood years are crucial to later learning. The Aberystwyth Childhood Studies degree will give you the opportunity to explore the factors which influence childhood and how these can affect later development. The course draws upon a variety of disciplines including sociology, psychology and educational studies in order to help us to understand the childhood years. You will be given the opportunity to combine both theoretical topics with hands-on, practical experience, thus enabling you to develop both the academic and the professional skills that are needed to work with children. The UK's children report themselves some of the least happy in the developed world (UNICEF): your Aberystwyth Childhood Studies degree will equip you to make a real difference to child welfare.
Childhood Studies Degree Structure
The Childhood studies degree is quite flexible as it offers its students an option between the full time duration of the course, which is 3 years, or to study on part-time basis. During the degree, you will study a combination of core and non-core modules, which you choose from those on offer. These modules are outlined beow, with core modules in bold type:
Year 1
- Policies and Issues in Education*
- Child Development
- Young Children Learning
- Working with Play
- Play for Emotional Intelligence
- Early Years Provision: Principles and Practice
- Study Skills
- Introduction to Working with Groups
Year 2
- Psychology of Learning and Thinking
- Literacy in Young Children
- Research Methods
- Cultural Diversity in Education
- Bilingual Education
- Working with Children
- Work Based Learning
- Making Sense of the Curriculum
Year 3
- Critically Reflecting and Evaluating Learning and Skills
- Major Dissertation
- Mathematical Development in the Early Years
- Children and the Media
- Special Educational Needs
- Health and Education
* This module is also delivered through the medium of Welsh as Polisiau a Materion mewn Addysg.
You may also be able to choose modules from other departments within the University.
Childhood Studies degree Exit Points and Qualifications
The Childhood Studies degree at Aberystwyth University has a unique selling point which is the fact that there are exit points after each year completed, so that if for any reason you could not progress to the next year you would leave with a named award.
- Childhood studies degree after 1 year of study
- Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood Studies
- Childhood studies degree after 2 years of study
- Diploma of Higher Education in Childhood Studies
- Childhood studies degree full course completion
- BA (Hons) degree in Childhood Studies
There is also an opportunity to undertake a work placement to gain experience of working within an educational/childhood setting. The administration of this is organized during the first term.
Childhood Studies degree Careers
Upon completion of the Childhood studies degree , you will have a BA Honours Childhood Studies degree. Such a degree demonstrates a level of intellectual achievement which allows students to compete for a variety of employment opportunities: specifically, the qualification would be an ideal basis for anyone wishing to work in any educational setting or in the social care profession. Completion of the Certificate or the Diploma is also likely to increase your employability in education: for example, as a teaching assistant.
Successful completion of Childhood studies degree scheme could lead to progression to a one year primary school teacher training course (PGCE) subject to a successful application and interview. In particular, the course provides an excellent basis for progression onto the primary PGCE and secondary PGCE schemes taught jointly between Aberystwyth and Bangor.