Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Childhood Studies at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
This course aims to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of children and childhood.
Performance:
- strong links with a range of international networks and similar university departments in Europe and around the world
Teaching and Employability:
- excellent learning experience and cross cultural views because of international student cohorts
- opportunity to continue studies to pursue a PhD supervised by a well-qualified member of the team
- opportunity to take part in a local field trip
The course in Childhood Studies is designed for a wide range of professionals working with children.
A broad range of topics are covered and students are encouraged to critically reflect on their practice and address theory and research relevant to their own interests in Childhood Studies.
The Childhood Studies course will:
- reflect upon the nature of childhood as a concept and the way in which it comes to be construed as it is
- consider holistic child development in contemporary society
- reflect on childhood and family policy in a variety of contexts
- consider professional roles (one’s own and others) in relation to services for children and their families
- encourage critical analysis of research in relation to childhood
- encourage professional reflective practice.
Modules on the Childhood Studies course may include:
Researching Childhood
Understanding and Observing Child Development
Child Health
Children's Rights and Safeguarding Children and Young People
Perspectives on Play
Advanced Practice with Children
Therapeutic Work with Children
Childhood Illness
Childhood Nutrition and Growth
Team members are active researchers and their work is well published in Childhood Studies.
Childhood Studies students are encouraged to publish their own research – thereby demonstrating the high quality of their work.
Team members include:
Amy Brown – an expert in child health
Jill John – an expert in safeguarding and children’s rights
Pete King – an expert in child development and children’s play across children’s services.
Justine Howard – an expert in child development and play across children’s services
Zac Maunder – an expert in children’s emotional health
The College of Human and Health Sciences has a vibrant postgraduate community with students drawn from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities. The College is known for its friendly, welcoming and supportive environment, which combined with its extensive facilities, state-of-the-art technology and superb beachside location, helps to ensure that students benefit from an exceptional student experience.
In addition, Childhood Studies students have access to a wide range of excellent facilities and equipment for realistic workplace experiences.
Prepare young learners with the skills, confidence, and motivation they need to excel in school and beyond through our MS in Early Childhood Studies program.
There are few professions as rewarding as those that involve nurturing the developmental needs of children. Our master’s in early childhood development non-licensure degree program empowers you to deepen your understanding of child development and learning, expand your knowledge of effective programs and services, and enhance your ability to link issues of equity and inclusion to how students learn and grow.
You already have the desire to make a difference. With our master’s-level early childhood development degree, you can gain the knowledge and professional competencies that prepare you for leadership roles, in and out of the classroom.
After the first course, you can take one course at a time, earn your degree faster by taking two courses at once, or choose a combination of the two throughout the program to fit your changing needs.
And Walden now offers two ways to earn your degree. With Tempo Learning® by Walden, you have the option to choose your learning experience depending on your learning style and preferences. Whether you want to study alongside classmates in a traditional course-based program or earn your degree at your pace, there’s an option for you to achieve your dreams.
Walden’s MS in Early Childhood Studies program offers a variety of specializations to help you meet your personal and professional goals.
Expand Your Career Options
Prepare for a variety of roles in the early childhood field, including:
The social study of childhood is the focus of this innovative MA, which takes a global and multi-disciplinary approach to the study of childhood and youth from 0-18.
Drawing on sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, philosophy, human geography and inclusive education among others, this programme will give you an understanding of the lives of children and young people in different social, cultural and educational contexts around the world. Core modules will give you a sound knowledge of concepts and approaches in the study of childhood, but you’ll also be able to choose optional modules to suit your interests and career aspirations.
Research insight
MA Childhood Studies is taught in collaboration with the Centre for Research on Families, Lifecourse and Generations (FLaG) in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, a forum for researchers and research users which offers a wide range of seminars, workshops and training to help you expand your knowledge for a wide range of careers.
From the beginning of the programme you’ll develop your understanding of childhood and youth through a core module focusing on academic thinking, policy and practice from a range of different perspectives. You’ll also learn more about undertaking research with children and young people, gaining the skills and knowledge to conduct research in a range of different settings.
During the programme you’ll choose one or two optional modules directly related to childhood studies from the range we offer. If you decide to take only one, you’ll choose another optional module from the Faculty of Education, Social Science and Law to suit your interests and career plans – from racism and ethnicity studies to aspects of international educational management.
Throughout the course you’ll be building your research skills and gaining a broad base of knowledge. You’ll put this to the test in your critical study, when you complete an independent piece of research on a related topic of your choice by the end of the programme in September.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.
Compulsory modules
For more information on typical modules, read Childhood Studies MA Full Time in the course catalogue
For more information on typical modules, read Childhood Studies MA Part Time in the course catalogue
We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures as well as seminars, tutorials and workshops that allow you to discuss in more depth the issues arising from the course reading. However, independent study is also an important element of the degree, allowing you to pursue your own interests and develop your skills.
Most of the modules on this programme are assessed by essays. However, you’ll also submit a project report for the Research with Children and Young People module.
The MA Childhood Studies programme has links with both Leeds Children's Services and Tutti Frutti children's theatre company; both of which offer exclusive internship opportunities to students studying on this course.
This programme has been designed to meet the needs of graduates who plan to use the knowledge and skills they will gain in a wide range of careers involving children. We expect this to include educational, social or health settings as well as NGOs. You’ll also be prepared for further study in related areas such as education, social policy, sociology or psychology.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website
Few professions are as rewarding as those that nurture children’s developmental needs. Our non-licensure MS in Early Childhood Studies delivered through Tempo Learning™ will improve your ability to work with children in diverse environments so you can promote positive learning experiences for all children and will empower you to:
The MS in Early Childhood Studies program delivered through Tempo Learning™ by Walden is a custom-paced, competency-based education option for working professionals, meaning that your progress is measured by the mastery or demonstration of skills, abilities, and knowledge in a particular area of study.
Each competency we include in your path to a degree has been carefully designed by expert faculty with input from employers, with your education and future employment in mind.
This custom-paced online program allows you to learn and advance on your own schedule. Walden faculty engage proactively with you on each competency, sharing their expertise to ensure you gain the knowledge needed to impact your career. In addition, your real-life experience and prior knowledge can be used to demonstrate what you already know and potentially accelerate your progress to save time and money.
The MS in Early Childhood Studies program delivered through Tempo Learning™ by Walden offers specializations to help you meet your personal and professional goals:
Prepare for a variety of roles in the early childhood field, including:
The Doctorate in Childhood Studies (DChild) is a partly taught and partly research based Professional Doctorate which has proved to be both successful and convenient for middle and senior managers and other professionals who wish to further their careers by enhancing their academic knowledge and research skills through developing and expanding on their existing expertise.
You can undertake pathways through taught modules that have an emphasis on child care/child protection; children and education; and children/young people and youth justice.
It represents a unique opportunity to pursue an original research project informed by research training and a range of theoretical perspectives on the lives of children and young people. Exploring the experience of childhood across the age spectrum, in different social and political contexts, this research degree places a strong emphasis on the links between social justice, rights, lived experiences and outcomes.
The programme content is delivered intensively through group teaching in two and a half day blocks (usually Thursday-Saturday lunchtime).
Course Details
Students are required to take eight taught modules, five of which are core and three of which are chosen from a menu of options, plus a research thesis.
Core Modules
Students must complete the following five 30-credit core modules:
Optional Modules (all 30 credit except where stated)
The above list is indicative and not prescriptive.
This programme involves cross-School collaboration and a multi-disciplinary suite of optional modules. The modules are designed to ensure that students acquire interdisciplinary, theoretical and methodological research knowledge within the field of Childhood Studies. Modules are delivered in the Spring and Autumn each year in the splendid surroundings of the historic Graduate School which provides world-class graduate education creating synergy between academic and business communities.
You follow this specialist route if you are a practitioner working or intending to work in the early years sector. You draw on your own personal and professional experience, practice and interests to explore an area of early childhood studies that is particularly relevant to you and your career development. If you have previously studied this area at undergraduate level, you can build on the knowledge you have already gained.
This MA has a full-time and a part-time route. Both routes have taught sessions which are scheduled to enable working professionals to attend. You study 180 level 7 credits made up of four modules plus a final dissertation.
The core modules enable you to update your knowledge and skills and give you the opportunity to reflect on your professional practice whilst developing your understanding of theoretical models and current debates. There is a strong emphasis on the application of your studies to your professional context.
You study two modules; Using the Literature to Inform Educational Research and the Dissertation. You choose your topics which should be around current debates and issues in early childhood studies.
This MA has a full-time and a part-time route. Whichever route you choose you will study the same modules which are all scheduled on a Tuesday evening to enable working professionals to attend. You study 180 level 7 credits made up of four modules plus a final dissertation. The core modules enable you to update your knowledge and skills and give you the opportunity to reflect on your professional practice whilst developing your understanding of theoretical models and current debates. There is a strong emphasis on the application of your studies to your professional context.
You study two modules; Using the Literature to Inform Educational Research and the Dissertation. You choose your topics which should be around current debates and issues in early childhood studies.
Course structure
Core modules
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You share experiences and perspectives on aspects of practice. You study with students from other programmes who are from a variety of educational settings and backgrounds – this sharing gives you the opportunity to develop a systematic and critical understanding of the breadth and depth of knowledge in educational research and practice. You can develop a sense of belonging to the programme while being able to discuss and explore your own area of interest.
Peer-led discussion on research and practice issues raised in sessions provides the opportunity for interprofessional discussion and debate, and the opportunity to consider relevant issues from the perspective of other professional educational groups which supports you to integrate and synthesise a diverse range of knowledge. You share taught sessions with the Education Doctorate, enhancing the range and type of discussions held within sessions as well as encouraging you to consider your progression after the programme.
How you are assessed
Staff have a wide range of educational backgrounds and specialist interests to support for your cross-disciplinary interests and multi-agency working. Another important element is how we support your transition to studying at level 7. You are offered academic support to help you understand the requirements of master’s level study; to develop your skills in academic writing and referencing, critical thinking and critical writing; and in the key IT skills such as literature searching. The assessment allows you to reflect on your own practice and context, and produce assessed work that benefits your working context. Student feedback on the programme has consistently highlighted the level of support from the staff as a major contributor to their success.
Early Childhood Studies at Roehampton is committed to babies and young children as people with agency and unique capacities, and to their overall wellbeing from the prenatal period.
The postgraduate programme draws on Froebel’s understanding of the transformative power of young children’s play on their thinking, and the crucial way that adults can either seek to assist or control young children’s intrinsic creativity. In adults’ interactions with children, however, Froebel recognised the profound influence of the community and social context.
The syllabus is underpinned by an awareness of the influence of these social, cultural and political contexts on young children’s lives, and of the roots and structures of inequality that arise from these issues. The programme will strengthen your awareness and understanding of these influences and explore how you take account of them in action. In these respects, the programme also draws inspiration from the work of Paulo Freire, the radical and pioneering educator.
The teaching is informed by active research and scholarship in early years policy and practice, as well as leading research into young children’s well-being, thinking and understanding. There is a deep commitment to working in partnership with families and communities and to the development of students’ professionalism, advocacy and leadership.
The programme is relevant, engaging and of professional and personal value for a variety of roles within the early years sector. For those working directly with young children, engagement with the course content will provide a platform for continuing professional development and career progression, while for those involved in early years policy or research, the course offers an opportunity to engage with up current thinking in a broad range of issues.
Students will first look at babies' and children’s capacity for play, how they think, and how they communicate their ideas and emotions though a variety of ‘languages’ such as talk, mark-making, drawing, construction, movement, music and dance. This is studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives, critically looking at the values and assumptions underpinning these views.
There is special focus on Froebel’s legacy in early childhood practice and other key pioneers in the child-centred tradition, which embodies advocacy and respect for children and their families. You will gain an understanding of the political nature of this work, learn advocacy skills for the well-being of young children and their families and develop effective leadership and collaboration techniques across disciplines in the field of early childhood. Alongside modules going deeper into young children’s emotions and well-being, students will learn skills for undertaking their own social and educational research. These skills will be put into practice with an extended in-depth research-based project, critically enquiring into an identified social or educational problem.
Modules
Compulsory modules
Required module
Optional modules
This is an intensive interdisciplinary programme, designed to explore issues such as child law and how it is implemented through policy and practice, and the implications of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child for child welfare, disability, education, family studies, juvenile justice, social policy and social work.
This programme responds to the increasing importance of the study of childhood in disciplines as widespread as philosophy, sociology and geography. It offers an opportunity to develop skills in research and consultation with children and young people.
You’ll examine the implications of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and gain knowledge and analytical perspectives on particular areas of legislation, policy, theory and practice that affect children. The programme benefits from the childhood studies expertise of academic staff across the University.
Teaching combines lectures, seminars and tutorials, plus a combination of essays and assessed coursework. You will complete three compulsory courses and three option courses followed by an independently researched dissertation.
This qualification serves both as a conversion course if you wish to pursue careers working with children or children’s issues, and as a career development opportunity if you already have experience in these fields.
Graduates have gone on to a variety of posts, such as employment with national and international non-governmental organisations, research posts and PhD study, and national and local government positions.
You will develop a range of transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied to roles in any field.
If you’re looking to develop your career within the specialist field of early childhood education, then this course could be for you.
In this course you’ll reflect on a range of international attitudes to early childhood education. You’ll also consider the relationship between theoretical perspectives and aspects of practice in early childhood education.
You’ll have the opportunity to focus on current issues faced by early years professionals and you’ll study early childhood education in international contexts. Themes include children’s rights, sociology of childhood, psychological perspectives on childhood and international approaches to early years education.
The course combines knowledge about practical aspects of the early years curriculum with the opportunity to bring a theoretical understanding to help to deepen and challenge your thinking.
The course is tailored around you. You can expand on your early years focus by choosing from a range of options to match your role, experience or organisation to help you progress as an informed, reflective and inspirational practitioner.
On this course you’ll have the opportunity to develop an understanding of critical reflection and how to employ independent learning strategies to enable you to evaluate and inform your professional practice. You’ll also develop and deepen your knowledge and understanding of educational research and be able be able to use these skills in researching an aspect of early childhood studies for your dissertation.
You’ll be taught by an outstanding team of teachers; in fact, we were ranked fourth in the Guardian Guide for Higher Education in 2018. You’ll also have access to our extensive professional and academic network which feeds directly into course design and delivery and to excellent facilities and specialist equipment.
Recognise and champion the uniqueness of every child as you take an holistic 'whole child' approach to the study of children and the issues that affect them and their families. Using the latest research, you will explore the theoretical and conceptual terrain of childhood to inform and develop your own practice. This course will enable you to specialise your study through two distinct routes - Early Years and Children & Young People.
The Early Years route will see you apply a critical lens to young children's education and care within a variety of settings. The Children and Young People route will focus more closely on critically examining concepts, contexts and practice related to childhood.
We recognise that children are active social agents and meaning makers with the abiloty to both interpret and shape their social worlds. Therefore, each module has been designed to highlight the importance of the child's voice and children's participation.
To fit around your working patterns and personal commitments, you can study over one, two or three years through day, evening and Saturday face-to-face sessions or online via our Virtual Learning Environment.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014: twice as many of our staff - 220 - were entered into the research assessment for 2014 compared to the number entered in 2008.
If you work with children and young people, this course will help you to progress to managerial or senior leadership level. It is also suitable should you wish to pursue a career working in early years or with children and young people in, for example, youth justice, child and family support, policy development and education, or should you want to pursue a doctoral qualification.
Highly flexible, this course is an attractive option if you want the opportunity to study without having to give up your job. Our Education Master’s framework allows you to choose your own path by selecting the core modules, area of specialisation and optional modules, that way you can tailor your study to suit your needs and areas of interest.
The modules available explore current issues in education, leadership and management, change and improvement, as well as a flexible portfolio, reflection and research opportunities, leading to a final dissertation.
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