Masters Degrees (Youth)

This course offers students knowledge, skills, understanding and reflective practice in the field of community youth work and an opportunity to gain a professional qualification in community youth work. The programme has three main aims: 1. The development of effective professional practitioners in community youth work. 2. The delivery of a postgraduate programme that will challenge, develop and engage critically in issues that relate to the field of community youth work through informed and innovative methods of teaching and learning. 3. To enhance the professional skills and employability of community youth workers.

Visit the website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/course/msc-community-youth-work-pt-jn

Course detail

- Description –

The programme will initially be studied in part-time mode. Students will follow six modules for the postgraduate diploma in community youth work for the professional endorsement by the NSETS leading, if desired, to the award by dissertation of a MSc in Community Youth Work. Students will be required to have the postgraduate diploma before embarking on to the Masters level. The modules are arranged to meet the criteria set out by NSETS and to meet the needs of students training to become professional workers. All students will follow a placement module which is supervised by a University tutor and a practice teacher. The placement is an opportunity for CYW staff to assess at first hand the development of professional practice based on monitoring student skills through reflective practice. The course maintains both academic and professional coherence through the use of modules that underpin fundamental concepts of community youth work. Past experience suggests that it is important to build a strong collegial group early on in the programme. While it is envisaged that other modules will be taught alongside the undergraduate course the first module is explicitly designed to create a sense of belonging for the new intake.. This is followed by more applied modules, i.e. principles and practice of youth work; communities in focus and the in-situ/exigency placements at the beginning of year. After the placement students will follow the principles and practice of youth work: leadership, management and supervision module preparing them for management roles in youth work and the critical thinking and professional development module to consolidate their learning and to focus on areas that they may wish to research or develop further including inter-professional collaboration. The modules have been designed to facilitate the underpinning knowledge, skills and understanding needed to become a professional community youth worker. The modules are: (i) THE CONTEXT OF YOUTH WORK; (ii) PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF YOUTH WORK; (iii) COMMUNITIES IN FOCUS; (iv) IN-SITU AND EX-AGENCY REFLECTIVE PLACEMENTS; (v) PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF YOUTH WORK; SUPERVISION, LEARDERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT; (vi) CRITICAL THINKING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Award of postgraduate diploma in community youth work with professional endorsement; (i) DISSERTATION Award of MSc in Community Youth Work.

The dissertation is the culmination of the MSc in Community Youth Work. It is a sustained piece of independent research focussing on the participants’ practice and understanding in her/his particular circumstance and context. This study will allow the students an opportunity to both research new areas within their existing contexts and afford those newly qualified postgraduate diploma level students an opportunity to explore areas of interest. The dissertation will have an additional taught component consisting of research methodology, design techniques and ethical considerations necessary to complete a rigorous piece of independent research.

Career options

Students normally have to be in full-time, paid employment. The course is professionally recognised by the North South Education and Training Standards (NSETS) committee which is the professional body for youth work practitioners in Ireland.

Many students change employment either during or following completion of the course, while others are promoted to managerial or a project-based leadership role.

How to apply: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/how-to-apply#pg

Why Choose Ulster University ?

1. Over 92% of our graduates are in work or further study six months after graduation.
2. We are a top UK university for providing courses with a period of work placement.
3. Our teaching and the learning experience we deliver are rated at the highest level by the Quality Assurance Agency.
4. We recruit international students from more than 100 different countries.
5. More than 4,000 students from over 50 countries have successfully completed eLearning courses at Ulster University.

Flexible payment

To help spread the cost of your studies, tuition fees can be paid back in monthly instalments while you learn. If you study for a one-year, full-time master’s, you can pay your fees up-front, in one lump sum, or in either five* or ten* equal monthly payments. If you study for a master’s on a part-time basis (e.g. over three years), you can pay each year’s fees up-front or in five or ten equal monthly payments each year. This flexibility allows you to spread the payment of your fees over each academic year. Find out more by visiting https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/postgraduate

Scholarships

A comprehensive range of financial scholarships, awards and prizes are available to undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. Scholarships recognise the many ways in which our students are outstanding in their subject. Individuals may be able to apply directly or may automatically be nominated for awards. Visit the website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/scholarships

English Language Tuition

CELT offers courses and consultations in English language and study skills to Ulster University students of all subjects, levels and nationalities. Students and researchers for whom English is an additional language can access free CELT support throughout the academic year: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/english-language-support
 

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The MA in Youth work offers both a professional qualifying route for those looking to gain a professional qualification in Youth Work and an academic route for those seeking CPD opportunities.

The MA is underpinned by a key set of principles and values and also addresses contemporary issues affecting work with Young People in society.

Course Overview

The MA Youth Work offers both a professional qualification in Youth Work and opportunities for CPD. The programme can be undertaken through the medium of Welsh and bilingually.

It is run on a flexible, part-time bases (twilight sessions and Saturdays); as well as the opportunity to study the non-qualifying route on a full or part time bases via flexible and distributed learning.

Youth Work is a profession with a clearly stated purpose, values, and principles. The key purpose of Youth Work in the United Kingdom is to:

‘Enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential’

This statement refers to the holistic development of young people, recognising that personal, social and educational development can also include, for example, physical, political and spiritual development (LSIS, 2012).

Youth Work regards itself as rare among wider services for young people; being driven by a clear set of agreed values, these values are summarised in the National Occupational Standards for Youth Work and include:
-Participation and active involvement
-Equity, diversity and inclusion:
-Partnership with young people and others
-Personal, social and political development

The Programme is committed to a vision of Youth Work clearly based upon these principles, including the voluntary engagement of young people being fundamental to the process of Youth Work.

Additionally a form of Youth Work which empowers young people and adopts a stance where they are partners in the process of learning. The programme team are committed to teaching a form of Youth Work which has at its core the importance of providing safe environments for young people and of supporting the safety as well as their development and well-being. Fundamental to the MA in Youth Work are also the principles of equality and inclusion.

Modules

-Researching and Reflecting upon Youth and Community Practice
-Social Education
-Professional Practice
-Sustainable Communities
-Outreach and Detached Youth Work
-Adolescent Psychology
-Supervision and support skills

Key Features

-The MA Youth Work offers both a professional qualification in Youth Work and opportunities for CDD
-The programme can be undertaken bilingually.
-Fieldwork opportunities offering links to employment.
-Professionally Qualified staff who are research active.
-Opportunities to progress to PhD

Assessment

-Field Work Portfolios
-Essays
-Seminar Presentations
-Online discussions

Career Opportunities

-Youth and Community Worker
-Community Worker
-Learning Support Worker
-Health Based Youth Worker
-Young people’s Participation Worker
-Youth Justice
-Voluntary Sector

Professional Accreditations

The programme is a professionally endorsed programme by the Education and Training Standards for Wales.

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Get on the fast track to becoming fully qualified as a youth worker on a part-time course designed to meet the requirements set out by the National Youth Agency. You complete 592 hours of professional practice and if you are already employed in the sector then you may be able to take your main placement in your current workplace.

Choose the fast track route to becoming a fully qualified youth worker on this 24-month part-time course based on National Youth Agency requirements. You take six modules, all relating to your work as a youth worker. Two are based in the workplace and the others cover key areas of study such as understanding youth work and developing communication skills.

You must complete at least 592 hours professional practice with 13-19 year olds in two different placements. They are likely to take place in local voluntary, community and local authority youth services. Your first placement is normally in your current place of work if you are already working in the sector.

We base the course on the National Youth Agency’s requirements for youth workers and the National Occupational Standards in Youth Work (Lifelong Learning UK).

As a student, you benefit from the insights of lecturers who are experienced youth workers. Course leader Jean Harris-Evans is a senior practitioner and co-author of Delivering Good Youth Work. You are taught in small groups with lots of support from staff.

The course design means that you only need to attend university one day a week during term time. There are no exams but lots of discussion and group work. We base the course at our City Campus in the heart of Sheffield, just three minutes’ walk from the train station.

Professional recognition

The course is accredited by the National Youth Agency. When you successfully complete it you gain Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers (JNC) status. This means you are a nationally recognised and qualified youth worker.

For more information, see the website: https://www.shu.ac.uk/study-here/find-a-course/graduate-diploma-youth-work

Course structure

Part time – 2 years (Runs September to May)
You attend one day a week – Mondays in year one and Tuesdays in year two, 9am–4pm.

Modules
-Understanding youth work and young people
-Professional practice 1
-Communication, interpersonal and intervention skills
-Contemporary issues in youth and community work
-Professional practice 2
-Leading and managing in youth work

Placements
In addition to these modules, you have to complete two work-based placements. The requirement is 350 hours for the first placement and 242 hours for the second. This work may take place during the evenings and weekends depending on the placement.

Assessment: assignments, in class timed assessment, funding bids, reports, placement assessments.

Other admission requirements

If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.5 or equivalent we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score. If you do not meet these requirements, please contact the course leader to discuss your individual circumstances as there may be some flexibility.

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About the course

This programme is unique within the UK in catering specifically for those working, or interested in working, in the field of children, youth and international development.

The Children, Youth and International Development MA will equip you with the conceptual understanding and breadth of empirical knowledge to critically evaluate policy and practice in the area of children, youth and development.

The core modules focus on key issues relating to children, youth and international development, including the rights and participation of young people. They also prepare students in research design and practice. The optional modules offer a unique opportunity to appreciate in depth how children and youth-related issues are addressed from alternative disciplinary perspectives.

Aims

Working with and for young people in the Global South offers an exciting career full of challenges and rewards. This MA provides a varied programme with a global perspective that equips students for roles at senior levels in international development organisations, government ministries and global agencies.

The programme equips you with:

The conceptual understanding and breadth of empirical knowledge that will enable you to critically evaluate research, policy and practice in the area of children, youth and development.
An understanding of differing disciplinary perspectives on childhood and youth, and their theoretical and empirical contributions.
The skills necessary to design and undertake research relating to children, youth and international development.
Methodological, cognitive and transferable skills and substantive knowledge that will prepare you for employment, further study and civic engagement.

Course Content

The programme combines four core taught modules (accounting for 90 credits) with 30 credits worth of options.

The programme is intended to relate to the needs of organisations working in the field of children, youth and international development. Students will have the opportunity to undertake a sustained project with an external organisation as part of a placement module. This may be an organisation with which they already have links, such as a current of former employer. They may also choose to apply their 60 credit dissertation to the needs of an identified community or organisation.

Compulsory Modules:

International Development, Childhood and Youth
Young Lives in the Global South
Global Agendas on Young People, Rights and Participation
Researching Children, Childhood and Youth
Dissertation

Optional Modules:
(Please note, not all options are available every year and some have capped intakes.)

Sociology of Youth and Youth Work
Contemporary Issues in Youth and Community Work
Social Policy
Anthropology of Education and Learning
Anthropological Perspectives on War and Humanitarianism
Psychological Development
Applied Learning (via placement)

Special Features

High value placements: Students may opt for the ‘Applied Learning’ module which involves a short placement (one or two days a week for 10 weeks) with an organisation that works in the field of children, youth and international development. Through the placement, a series of workshops and coursework assignments they will examine the relevance and responsibility of their academic studies to community work, voluntary action and paid work, as well as having the opportunity to develop transferable, personal and subject specific skills to enhance their employability on completing their postgraduate degree.

Pioneering research: In both core and specialist option modules, students will be exposed to innovative high profile research in the field of children, youth and international development.

Eramus Exchange: An Erasmus agreement exists between the Brunel University’s MA in Children, Youth and International Development, and the MPhil in Childhood Studies at the Norwegian Centre for Child Research (NOSEB), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. The exchange programme has two places for students from the MA Children, Youth and International Development. The exchange period is the second term / semester (approximately January to May). Erasmus students do not pay tuition fees at NOSEB, and are entitled to an Erasmus grant (€375/month) to cover any additional costs.

Teaching

A range of teaching and learning techniques are employed on the programme, most of which stress the active involvement of students in discussion and debate. The MA also emphasises reflective, independent learning, both by individuals and groups, and students are well supported to achieve this - through tutorials, workshops and seminar discussions.

Staff place a strong emphasis on tutorial support and all students are assigned to a tutorial group. Regular tutorials focus on the development of study skills (critical reading and writing), careers support, exam and assignment preparation, feedback on assessments and help in developing research proposals.

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This postgraduate diploma can be studied on a full- (one year) or part-time (two years) basis. It provides the perfect learning platform for experienced youth workers to concentrate on their professional development, exploring and analysing social education strategies and community development with critical reflection. Students also work to understand the policies and practices which aim to counter discrimination and encourage equality in the community.

This dynamic course offers an in-depth look at the profession in its current state, encouraging students to identify new strategies which can bring about positive change in the future. The course leads to a nationally recognised qualification from the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), as part of the University’s continued commitment to boosting students’ employability and professional confidence.

This intensive course helps students to understand how communities function and how they change according to political, social and economical changes. Students are encouraged to explore historical and contemporary evidence and theory to develop a well-rounded, expert approach to youth and community work.

Modules

Students are required to completed their PG Dip with professional qualification before undertaking a practitioner research project to inform the Masters Dissertation.
-Theory and Practice of Youth and Community Work
-Professional Development (1) Anti-Oppressive, Interpersonal Communication and Group Work in Youth and Community Work
-Professional Development (2) Enhancing Youth and Community Work Practice through Research and Enquiry
-Professional Development (3) Managing and Leading Youth and Community Work
-Youth and Community Work Practice 1
-Youth and Community Work Practice 2

Students who successfully complete their Postgraduate Diploma (Year 1) can exit with that award, or they can return the following year or interrupt and return in any subsequent year to submit a dissertation for the MA. The Masters dissertation of 15,000 words is based on a separate practitioner research project.

Career Opportunities

Youth and community workers are in demand across a wide range of agencies and settings both locally and nationally. From main stream youth work running centres, projects in the Third Sector to work in schools and with youth work partners such as Public Health. The MA Youth and Community is not only responsive to the continuing professional development needs of students in the UK but is also transferable to other Youth and Community Work settings internationally. The Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) accreditation is one of the few nationally recognised professional qualifications which places successful students in an excellent position to gain employment in a variety of youth related fields. The University has well established and on-going contact with local and national agencies and a developing rapport with international providers, so the career prospects for graduates of the programme are excellent.

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This MA is the first of its kind in the country, combining academic and professional qualifications. By bringing together Community Development and Youth Work practice with the research methods and theoretical preoccupations of Anthropology, it offers a stimulating synthesis of theory and practice- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-applied-anthropology-community-youth-work/

Taught jointly by the Departments of Anthropology, and Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, the programme reflects the common concerns of lecturers in both disciplines. The MA fits the spirit of the academic profile of Goldsmiths both in its interdisciplinary and multi-cultural character, and by bringing together academic and practical fields of study.

This Master’s degree is aimed at graduates interested in working in Community Development and Youth Work. We offer two alternative pathways:

* The MA in Applied Anthropology & Community and Youth Work (this programme) results in a qualification in the fields of Community and Youth Work and Anthropology that is fully endorsed by the National Youth Agency and the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers for pay and qualification purposes

* The MA in Applied Anthropology & Community Development is aimed at applicants who don't have the required level of work experience to apply for the professionally validated programme, and offers students an opportunity to develop community-based theoretical interests and practice

What you study

The MA reflects the common concerns of Social Anthropology and Community and Youth Work, and offers a stimulating synthesis of theory and practice. It consists of an academic programme of lectures, seminars and tutorial assignments, and practical experience. Modules are taken over one academic year if you are studying full-time, and two years if you are studying part-time (part-time study only available to home/EU students). Please note that all modules are compulsory.

The Research Methods in Anthropology module covers the research methods of anthropology, the collection of different types of data including surveys, in-depth interviews, participant observation and participatory research, its uses by subjects, and conflicts of interest. It combines weekly lectures and seminar-based work with the completion of a small individual project in the second term. Assessment is by essay, combining project material with theoretical literature.

Contemporary Social Issues consists of four themes:

* First World/Third World Anthropological Perspectives
* Gender, Race and Class
* Community
* Youth Cultures

It is taught through lectures/seminars, and assessment is by one three-hour examination paper.

Two supervised community and youth work fieldwork placements (totaling 47 days). These are supported by seminars, lectures, workshops and tutorials. Both fieldwork assignments are assessed by your 5,000 word report on each and your agency supervisor's reports. Overall, at least 50% of all fieldwork must be face-to-face with the 13-19 year age group.

Block fieldwork. For all students there is a six-week block fieldwork assignment (30 working days) focused on any aspect of management in a community and youth work agency, negotiable with your tutor. Assessment is based on your agency supervisor's report and a 5,000 word report on the placement submitted by you.

Full-time students attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.00am to 4.00pm and spend the rest of the week on fieldwork placements and library studies. Part-time students attend on Thursdays in one year and Tuesdays in the other.

Assessment: Essay; individual project; take-home paper; fieldwork evaluation and reports; dissertation.

Careers:

Our graduates have gone on to develop their professional careers in community and youth work - for example as Connexions personal advisors, youth officers, community development workers, substance misuse workers, youth workers in a range of settings, and some have gone on to work with people who have disabilities.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Childhood and Youth is a growing field of inquiry across the social sciences. This MSc offers an opportunity to study in one of the UK's leading centres for childhood and youth based research.

This course is aimed at practitioners, policy makers and postgraduate students who want to develop their knowledge of childhood and youth and consider what it means to conduct research with children and young people at an advanced level.

It offers the opportunity to examine leading theories, methodologies and research evidence in order to understand the relationship between the conceptualisation of childhood, methodological approaches to researching with children and young people and the social impact of childhood policies and practices in a variety of social and cultural contexts and across the young life course.

Distinctive features

A distinctive feature of this programme is that two of the modules are taught as a cluster of stand-alone, day-long workshops, each focusing on cutting-edge policy and research issues. These workshops are especially designed for practitioners and policy makers who want to enhance their substantive or methodological knowledge on key areas of childhood and youth policy and practice. They also provide the opportunity for students on the full programme to engage with contemporary issues and debates through a more focused and practical lens, with leading specialists in the field.

The programme also offers exciting opportunities for you to work in an interdisciplinary social science environment and to benefit from a breadth of substantive, theoretical and methodological expertise with leading childhood and youth scholars. Members of our Childhood and Youth Research Group operate at the forefront of public policy debates, advising and steering at local and national levels on a range of contemporary issues (e.g. 'sexualisation', 'domestic violence', 'adoption') and drawing on their own research.

Structure

The course can be completed in one year with full-time study or in two years by part-time study.

A 20-credit module comprises 200 hours of study, including about 30 hours of contact time, and the MSc as a whole, 1800 hours of study.

The MSc in Childhood and Youth comprises up to three 20-credit specialist modules in childhood and youth, two 30-credit modules in social science theory and research methods, and one 60-credit supervised dissertation on a childhood and youth topic of your choice.

For a list of modules for the FULL-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/childhood-and-youth-msc

For a list of the modules for the PART-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/childhood-and-youth-msc-part-time

Teaching

Our teaching is research-informed and led by researchers and scholars in one of the foremost childhood and youth studies research groups in the UK. The programme benefits from being located in an inter-disciplinary environment so that in parts of the course, you will come into contact with staff and students from other subject areas and, in other parts of the course, with staff and students in the same substantive area.

Modules employ a diverse range of teaching including lectures, seminars, group and individual tutorials, and independent guided study. All modules within the programme make use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Learning Central, on which you will find course materials, links to related materials and information on assessment.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a combination of essays, reports, reviews and presentations.

Career Prospects

Graduates from this programme will have a theoretical, methodological and substantive foundation from which they can critically evaluate how contemporary social structures, institutions, media, policies and practices impact upon children and young people's everyday lives.

This makes the programme suitable if you wish to work in child and youth-focused research, policy and advocacy roles in the private, public and voluntary sector, both nationally and internationally. It also provides a good foundation for those wishing to go on to further training in a variety of professional fields involving work with children and young people, such as education, health and social care, family policy, youth work, justice, international development and charity work.

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*Individual modules are also available as short courses, which can be combined into the large qualifications.

This programme provides an ideal route for practitioners working with young people, including youth workers and those who manage them, enabling them to develop an advanced understanding of the issues involved in managing work with young people. It is designed for those who wish to further their understanding of these issues at postgraduate level and who already have (or do not require) a professional qualification in Community and Youth Work.

Course structure

Core Modules

-Youth Policy and Practice (15 credits)
-Professional and Personal Development (30 credits)
-Management in Community Settings (30 credits)
-Practitioner Research and Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional Modules

Typical modules outlined below are those that were available to students studying this programme in previous years.
-Community Analysis (15 credits)
-Community Policy and Practice (15 credits)
-Crime, Justice and the Sex Industry (30 credits)
-Drugs, Crime and Society (30 credits)
-Gender, Violence and Abuse (30 credits)
-Policy Related and Evaluation Research (15 credits)
-Qualitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits)
-Quantitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits)

To study the PG Certificate in Managing Youth Work Practice you will be required to take Management in Community and Youth Work and Youth Policy and Practice plus one 15 credit optional module.

To study the PG Diploma in Managing Youth Work Practice you will be required to take Management in Community and Youth Work, Youth Policy and Practice and Professional and Personal Development plus 45 credits from the optional modules.

Learning and Teaching

The MA Managing Youth Work Practice is designed for a range of professionals working with young people including youth workers and those who manage them, who wish to undertake related advanced study. It is ideal for those wishing to develop their understanding of the management of this work especially for those who already have or do not require a professional qualification in Community and Youth Work. It is offered through both a full time and part time route however, this summary refers to the full time route with the part time options being individually tailored to accommodate work patterns of those students already employed in profession practice. The programme is delivered through a range of lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, reflective practice seminars, research seminars and study visits.

Within an ethos of Informal Education our teaching and learning incorporates a range of methods which reflect this and time is allocated to provide a balance between tutor-led and self-directed learning.

Typically, taught sessions provide students with academic input on a particular area of the professional disciplines of youth work and reflect the diverse range of settings within which the management of practice takes place. Drawing from relevant literature and legislation and acknowledging the related range of professional skill, competence and understanding, issues are identified for discussion and draw from historical and contemporary contexts. Seminars provide the opportunity for students to discuss and debate the issues, to share ideas and experience, broaden their understanding and test out their knowledge gained through the taught sessions and independent study. Classroom learning provides students with the latest research and critical theory on the subject area.

The MA Managing Youth Work Practice provides the student with a learning opportunity within which they can apply and test understanding, knowledge and skills related to the managerial roles and responsibilities of their practice settings. A critical examination of the relationship of theory and practice is central to this. The programme is assessed through continual assessment using a range of methods including written assignments, reflective journals, individual and group presentations so there is an expectation that students will undertake independent study to prepare and plan for their classes, through reading relevant literature and legislation, journals and drawing on their current and previous practice experience.

This programme is part of the School of Applied Social Sciences and is significantly involved with the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action at Durham University, as well as being a partner in many collaborative pieces of research and professional practice developments. There are therefore many events and initiatives which the students are encouraged to attend such as extracurricular training, research seminars and workshops to broaden their understanding and deepen their knowledge of wider issues related to their professional discipline.

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Developing an eye for the diversity in backgrounds and for the difference in treatments and policies these diversities require.
Girls discuss the same problems differently to boys. Immigrants frequently exhibit pathology different to natives. How can this be? And how do you deal with this? This Master’s specialisation focuses on the diversities in youth care. Diversities in the area of ethnicity, religion, gender and social-economic class. You will develop an eye for the diversity in backgrounds and for the difference in treatments and policies these diversities require.
The Master’s specialisation in Diversities in Youth Care challenges you to look differently at care giving and welfare policies. You will gain specific knowledge and develop a sixth sense on the health care needs of young people. You will broaden your vision. How come fewer immigrants accept (certain forms of) help? How can you make homosexuality a subject of discussion in certain cultures? You will look beyond your own values and differentiate between your own ethical beliefs and cultural values and universal beliefs.
Upon graduating you will be an expert in the area of diversities in youth care. Besides plenty of knowledge, skills and – if you want – experience abroad, you will have a dose of cultural relativism. Why do we do it like that? How could we do it differently? You can use this in your work as remedial educationalist or policy maker. After graduating you will be able to work in and outside of the Netherlands at (development) organisations and institutions in the fields of youth care, education, adoption and refugee relief.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/youthcare

Why study Diversities in Youth Care at Radboud University?

- You may pick electives from different Master’s programmes like Religious Studies, Cultural Anthropology and Management Science. These electives fit in well with the programme Diversities in Youth Care. More information can be found on the programme outline page.

- There is plenty of opportunity to go abroad for an elective or an internship. Our network includes a university and relief organisations in Bangladesh, foster homes and orphanages in Romania and the Ukraine and schools in several African countries.

- Radboud University has the only education and research institute in the Netherlands within the field of social sciences which specialises in gender and sexuality: Institute for Gender Studies (IGS). This means you will have access to the latest and most relevant research.

- The programme collaborates with the knowledge centre Sekse en Diversiteit in Medisch Onderwijs (SDMO) (i.e. Gender and Diversity in Medical Education) of Radboudumc. We exchange case studies and give one another guest lectures. You will profit from this exchange of knowledge!

Change perspective

This programme will continually challenge you to adjust your point of view. To look beyond your own values. What is the dividing line between your ethical beliefs and those of the other people? And at what point have universal values been seriously affected?
You are taught to look at it from the point of view of a child growing up in poverty, of a homosexual youth, of someone with a Moroccan father and a Dutch mother, of a child living in a reconstituted family or in a family with strong religious beliefs. You are taught to continually look at issues from someone else’s perspective. In other words, to be flexible when it comes to making judgements and having expectations. Changing your perspective is the very core of this programme.

Career prospects

Upon completing this Master’s specialisation, you will be an expert in youth care concerning diverse backgrounds and personal traits. There is a large need for professionals who know how to deal with homosexual immigrants, with children who don’t speak the local language or youths that have been traumatised by war. Such knowledge and experience are gained in this programme. You will have a flexible view of diverse backgrounds and be critical of your own area of expertise. After graduating you will be a remedial educationalist or policy maker with an expertise that organisations are desperately in need of!

Job positions

As a professional in Diversities in Youth Care you can work in and outside of the Netherlands in the area of youth care and development. You can work as a policy maker or researcher in organisations as Unicef, adoption agencies, the EU, local governments or research institutions. You can also work as a remedial educationalist for mental health care organisations, refugee centres or with specific groups of children like refugees or LGBT children.

Our approach to this field

The political and media interest for problems regarding ethnicity, gender and sexuality is huge. How do you deal with it? How do you develop policies? This requires specialist knowledge. Knowledge that goes beyond the borders of a country, a culture and a set of beliefs. The Dutch have a very individualistic approach to happiness while other cultures believe that a happy family unit is more important for one’s own happiness. You will not learn what is wrong and what is right, but how things can be different. This will ensure that the policies you will develop will also be different.

The Master’s specialisation in Diversities in Youth Care will train you to become a specialised caregiver. The programme focuses on social issues in the area of diversity. You can develop a clinical or policymaking approach within youth care and diversities of youth. After graduating you will have knowledge on the role of different backgrounds. Whether it’s about culture, religion or gender, you will be flexible enough to identify various problems and to judge and treat them from the right perspective.

See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/youthcare

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Improve the level of work you provide in your role as a Youth and Community Worker! If you have a first degree (or equivalent) and experience in youth or community work, then our course is the perfect way to advance your qualifications and improve your career prospects. We offer both full and part time study options so that you can fit your education around your prior work commitments.

The course attracts professional endorsement from the National Youth Agency, and will help you become a Nationally Qualified Youth and Community Worker. Our team of academic staff have substantial youth and community work experience, offering a positive student experience that builds on your strengths. Help improve your future and those you work with by studying for a Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Professional Range Qualification.

Course outline

We instil a fundamental belief that young people and communities deserve high quality and professional workers. You'll develop a commitment and desire to promote social justice. The course gives new and experienced staff a chance to reflect on the current and changing experience of young people, particularly those facing multiple disadvantages, and to explore what the best youth work process should be.

All students must complete a full-time placement and a further 148-hour placement during their time on the course. It is possible for students working in a Youth and Community work setting to use their place of employment as their substantive placement.

A wide range of teaching methods are employed throughout the course, including workshop activities, case study analysis, role plays and simulations. Students are expected to manage substantial independent study, which will be supported by the university's virtual learning environment 'Blackboard'.

Graduate destinations

You'll have a professional qualification validated by the National Youth Agency and recognised by the Joint Negotiating Committee. This will allow you to work in a diverse range of youth and community settings, including youth services, domestic violence charities, homelessness projects, drug and alcohol projects, prisons, young offender institutions and community development projects.

You may wish to take your studies further by taking a Masters degree.

Other admission requirements

-All entrants to the programme must have evidence of successful study at undergraduate level and demonstrate an ability to study at Level 6. This will normally be through having completed a foundation degree or Diploma in Higher Education or similar qualification at Level 5 or higher (including a 3rd class honours degree or ordinary degree).
-Students will be invited for interview and should be able to demonstrate experience of work in youth and community work contexts.
-Applicants must demonstrate through interview an understanding of the professional role of youth and/or community workers. They should normally have gained experience of youth work/community work as either an active participant, volunteer or staff member for at least six months prior to starting the course (this should normally equate to at least three hours each week, or a minimum of 72 hours in total).
-Candidates will be required to be approved as medically suitable by the University Medical Officer
-All applicants must complete an enhanced DBS clearance disclosure form since they are regarded as potentially having unsupervised, substantial access to children and young people.

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Course Overview

​MA Managing Community Practice: This programme is designed to enhance the professional practice of experienced practitioners by facilitating a critical and reflective approach to management, staff development, innovatio​n and researching practice. Many of the modules are taught interprofessionally including colleagues from community work, youth work, teaching, PRUs and health in both voluntary and statutory sectors. This provides for rich interprofessional learning and reflects the practice realities of interprofessional working.

PgD in Youth and Community Work: This professionally endorsed award is particularly suitable for graduates who have increasingly found themselves working in the field of youth and community work and who wish to gain a professional qualification. The programme requires students to undertake two separate supervised placements in the field of youth and community work. Students attend university on one evening a week where they undertake taught modules and tutorials. Students on this programme tend to develop into a highly supportive, friendly and analytical professional group.

See the website https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/education/courses/Pages/Youth-and-Community-Work---PgD--Managing-Community-Practice---MA-.aspx

​Course Content​​

MA Managing Community Practice:
The programme consists of three core and one optional module, followed by a dissertation. Most students choose to take two modules per year over two years (one evening per week during term time) followed by the dissertation, although full-time and accelerated modes of attendance may be negotiated.

MA Core Modules:
- Researching Practice
- Reflective Practice
- Managing and Leading Community Practice

MA Optional Modules:
- Mentoring
- Leading and Facilitating Reflective Practice
- Education: Character and Context

PG Dip in Youth and Community Work:
The taught and fieldwork elements of the programme are part time and can be completed in two years. Once both taught and fieldwork elements of the programme are satisfactorily completed it is possible to continue onto the MA. Students will need to attend taught sessions and tutorials on one evening a week.

PgD Core modules:
- Principles and Practice of Youth and Community Work
- Management in the Youth and Community Sector
- The Community Context of Practice (Fieldwork and Tutorials)
- The Social Context of Practice (Fieldwork and Tutorials).​

Learning & Teaching​

​MA:
Most of the modules have a strong application to professional practice and often involve the undertaking of practice-based projects.

PgD:
Students will be expected to undertake a considerable amount of self-study to enhance the collective learning process. It is envisaged that students will utilise their experiences to enhance the level of analysis in all collective sessions. Students are expected to engage in reflective learning processes throughout the duration of the programme.

Teaching methods will tend to emphasise small group discussions and informal lectures.

Assessment

Students will be assessed on both their youth and community work-based practice and their academic assignments through a range of assessment types including essays, presentations, group exercises, portfolios, reflective writing, and viva voce.

Employability & Careers​

MA:
The programme is aimed at practitioners and managers in the generic and expanding field of youth and community development work. It aims to enable people to develop their professional understanding and skills through a supportive and challenging learning environment.
The programme will be of particular interest to experienced practitioners who manage aspects of youth or community development provision and who wish to develop their analytical and professional capabilities. It is one of the pathways on the Master's CPD framework.

PgD:
The PgD is a programme leading to professional qualification in youth and community work which is endorsed by the Wales ETS. As such it enables graduates to qualify in this growing occupational area while enhancing their academic profile.

​Successful Post Graduate Diplomats may wish to continue with their studies to obtain the MA.

Contact for MA:
Jan Huyton:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 029 2041 6499​​

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/scholarships

Find out how to apply here https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/howtoapply

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What is the Masters course about?

The Master of Arts in Child, Youth & Family Studies will provide learners with critical thinking tools to enable them to manage and lead services that develop the potential of children, youth and families and visualise new possibilities for better service provision in the sector. This programme is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and competencies required by the sector and to provide future leaders of child, youth and family services in Ireland and abroad. The programme will provide learners with critical understanding of concepts and approaches to enabling individuals and groups to realise their potential as human persons and participative communities. The programme aims to educate learners to high levels of contemporary and comparative theoretical awareness in fields central to services provision (transitions across the life span, cultural diversity, youth and families) and to create an atmosphere of rigorous academic enquiry and writing. Learners will develop a deep and integrated knowledge of contemporary Child, Youth and Family theory and practice, and the sector within which Child, Youth and Family services operate.

What will I be able to do when I finish the course?
Graduates from the Programme will be:
• Knowledgeable
• Analytical & Creative
• Ethical & Responsible Future Leaders
• Research Literate
• Critical Thinkers
• Collaborative

Graduates will be equipped to manage and lead Child, Youth & Family organisations. They will be able to contribute to and develop the strategy of that organisation and will take up positions as the future leaders of such organisations. Potential employers include:
• Community based organisations and projects both at a voluntary and statutory capacity
• National rights focused organisations and advisory groups
• Family support services
• Services catering for the care, education and advocacy of children and families in society.

Graduates may also adopt research and advisory roles in relation to development and planning for such services. Graduates will be in a position to critically evaluate existing services and programmes and to visualise future possibilities for better service provision. The programme will meet the needs of professionals who are already working in the area of social care/work, early education, youth and family work and related areas. It will also serve to provide new graduates with a unique opportunity to gain a competitive edge prior to embarking on a career in these fields or in the field of academia.

What follow-on study opportunities are available?
Graduates of the programme may progress to a PhD programme of study in the discipline areas, in Ireland or abroad. Graduates of the programme may also be eligible to progress to a professional doctorate in the field of Child, Youth and Family Studies in both Irish and international Institutions.

What subjects will I study?
Subjects:
Contemporary Issues in Childhood & Youth
Studies
Applied Psychology
Perspectives on Family & Society
Leadership, Strategy & Governance
Research Methods & Dissertation

Plus Two Electives (subject to availability):
Youth Justice
Child & Family Rights
Addiction Studies
Adult & Community Education

What are the entry requirements?

Level 8 Degree (minimum 2nd class Honours) in:
• Early Childhood Education & Care
• Applied Social Studies
• Social & Community Studies
• Youth & Community Work
• Social Sciences or cognate area

Candidates with significant experience in the social sciences [as determined by IT Carlow’s Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) policy], in addition to an honours primary degree in another discipline area may also be considered for entry.

Applicants applying for entry via routes other than that listed above will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with IT Carlow’s Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) policy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Eileen Doyle-Walsh
BA, MLitt, PhD
Programme Director
E: [email protected]

Allison Kenneally
BCL, BA, LLM, PgCert
Head of Department
E: [email protected]
T: 059-9175300

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This Masters is the first of its kind in the country, combining academic and professional qualifications. It is aimed at students who wish to pursue a career in youth and community work and who need a professional qualification. It is fully endorsed by the National Youth Agency and the Joint Negotiating Committee for Youth and Community Workers for pay and qualification purposes. http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-applied-anthropology-community-youth-work/

Taught jointly by the Departments of Anthropology and Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, the MA offers a stimulating synthesis of theory and practice. In short, it is at the core of what Goldsmiths is all about.

Established in 1992, it is the first of three pathways, with an additional MA in Applied Anthropology and Community Development launched in 2012 and an MA in Applied Anthropology and Community Arts started in 2015. The three pathways entail different placements but are taught together, providing much opportunity for exchange of ideas and collaboration amongst students.

What you study

The MA combines an academic programme of lectures, seminars and tutorial assignments with practical experience.

Modules are taken over one academic year if you are studying full-time, and two years if you are studying part-time (part-time study only available to home/EU students).

Full-time students attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays and spend the rest of the week on fieldwork placements and library studies.

Part-time students attend on Thursdays in one year and Tuesdays in the other and spend some of the week on fieldwork placements and library studies

The Department of Anthropology teaches two of the core components of your degree: Contemporary Social Issues and Anthropological Research Methods.

The Contemporary Social Issues module runs through the Autumn and Spring Term, with lectures and student-led seminars alternating on a weekly basis. In the autumn it explores key analytical concepts in anthropology and related social sciences relevant to youth and community work, such as class, gender, race and culture. The Spring Term addresses more specific contemporary social issues affecting communities and young people, such as transnationalism, mental health, gentrification and new media. The module is assessed by a take-home exam in May.

Anthropological Research Methods is taught in the Spring Term. Here, you will become familiar with ethnographic research and writing. Through literature and practical research exercises (five days of fieldwork is attached to this module), you will learn about different methods of data collection including surveys, in-depth interviews, participant observation and participatory research. It combines weekly lectures and seminar-based work with the completion of a small individual project in the second term. Assessment is by essay, combining project material with theoretical literature.

In addition we strongly encourage all students, in particular those without a background in anthropology, to sit in on other MA option courses offered by the anthropology department, such as Anthropological Theory, Anthropology of Development, Anthropology of Violence, Anthropology of Art and Anthropology and the Environment.

The Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies runs the three fieldwork placements, each of which is supported by seminars, lectures, workshops and tutorials.

Fieldwork I: Perspectives and Approaches (22 days practice)

In this module you explore key themes, principles, values and competing perspectives underlying youth work and community development. The value of experiential learning approaches and critical pedagogy in informal learning and community development are explored alongside group work principles, processes and theories. You consider your own values and reflect on your practice perspective.

Fieldwork 2: Critical Practice (25 days practice)

In this module you critically analyse the changing context of community development and youth work practice, develop as critically reflective practitioners and learn how to recognise and challenge discrimination and oppression. Key themes include ethical dilemmas faced in practice, youth participation and methods of engaging communities with a view to facilitating ‘empowerment’.

Fieldwork 3: Management, Enterprise and Development (30 days practice plus five days observations)

This module advances critical understanding of the management of projects, staff and resources, the legal context of community and youth work, how to produce funding bids, prepare budgets and grapple with the issues and processes involved in developing a social enterprise as well as monitoring and evaluation.

All three modules are assessed by a fieldwork report written by the student and a report by the placement supervisor. Overall, at least 50% of all fieldwork must be face-to-face with the 13-19 year age group.

The dissertation presents the culmination of your work, in that it is here that you apply anthropological methods and theories to a specific issue relevant to youth work that you are interested in. It is taught jointly by both departments.

Please note that it is possible to exit with a postgraduate diploma, also fully endorsed by the National Youth Agency, if you do not wish to move onto the dissertation.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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This is an innovative course designed to qualify you as a professional youth and community worker and gain a JNC professional qualification in youth work. The programme is professionally endorsed by Education Training Skills Cymru (ETS).

The Postgraduate Diploma Youth and Community Work (Initial Qualifying) has been designed to reflect the professional, policy, social, and cultural contexts that youth work within the UK, is currently engaged.

This course is for graduates from a relevant academic background and profession, looking to gain a JNC professional qualification in youth work and a postgraduate or MA qualification.

You may be an experienced youth worker but not yet hold a JNC professional qualification. This postgraduate programme meets the professional development needs of a growing statutory and voluntary social and education sector, that embraces for example, professionals working in youth work, community development, health, education, social care and youth justice.

The additional strengths at the University of South Wales include its focus on the development of critical thinking and leadership skills, and a greater understanding of the policy and practice context of this specific area of professional work. The focus on ethics, reflection and safeguarding complements this. The opportunity to both study, and directly experience, European models of practice with and for children and young people adds a further unique and interesting aspect to the programme.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1275-postgraduate-diploma-youth-and-community-work-initial-qualifying

What you will study

As a student on the programme you will study the following core modules:
- Principles, Practice and Professional Foundations of Youth Work
- Ethics, Reflection and Safeguarding
- Social Pedagogy
- Professional Placement (180 hours) and linked teaching.
- Alternative Professional Placement (120 hours) and linked teaching.

Plus one of the following two optional modules:
- Managing and Leading Interdisciplinary Teams
- Research Methods and Project Management

You may then exit with a Postgraduate Diploma, or remain on the programme to complete your Dissertation (20,000 words) or Internship and Critical Report (15,000 words) and achieve the MA Working for Children and Young People.

Assessment methods

You will be assessed through a variety of written assignments, presentations, group work, distance learning tasks and a placement or work-based project.

Learning and teaching methods

Full-time: One year plus dissertation

Part-time: 2-5 years. Part-time students will normally be required to spend one day a week on campus for lectures. This will be supported by independent study and distance learning. This is ideal if you are looking to study and work in tandem. Your time on campus will vary if you choose the part-time route.

Students can also participate in individual stand alone modules based on your professional and CPD needs. The programme is timetabled flexibly and creatively and designed to complement employment. This will not lead to the initial qualifying (JNC) award as this depends on successful achievement of all modules.

You may also take the opportunity to participate in overseas study and work experience visits.

Employment Prospects

An MA is a highly regarded qualification for senior positions in youth and community work in both the statutory and voluntary sector. On completion of the full master’s programme, there may also be opportunities for you to progress into further study via a PhD route on application, both at the University of South Wales and other UK Universities. Our graduates will be well placed to seek advancement in their own professional areas or seek a change of employment.

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Youth and community work is a unique and value-based practice that seeks to support and foster the development of young people and the wider community to enable all to reach their full potential. Underpinned by strong values of social justice Youth and Community Workers seek to critically analyse the social world and nurture the development of others through collaborative and creative practice leading to social change.

The main aim of the MA in Youth and Community Work with JNC professional qualification is to develop skilled, innovative and reflective practitioners, who are able to engage and develop positive relationships within communities, which lead to education and discovery. Through practice workers will demonstrate a clear commitment to promoting participation and empowerment, equality, partnership working and to the personal, social and political development of those involved.

This new MA Youth and Community Work programme has been designed in partnership with service users and leading professionals employed in the field. This collaboration ensures teaching is current and reflective of today’s youth and community work agenda preparing you effectively for a successful career.


Curriculum

This course is delivered through a full-time (1 year) or part time (2 years) route and will provide you with a blend of academic and practice-based learning to develop both your theoretical understanding and experience through two professional practice placements. Students will build a solid foundation in youth and community work through an exploration of the theoretical frameworks of informal education and community development along with advanced studies examining key youth and community work methods and settings, contemporary issues, youth development, welfare and social policy.
- Youth Work Theory and Practice (20 Credits)
- Practice Placement 1: Linked to Youth Work Theory and Practice, Community Empowerment for Social Change (20 Credits)
- Critical Themes and Issues Influencing Contemporary Practice (20 Credits)
- Managing Youth and Community Work (10 Credits)
- Advanced Research Seminars (20 Credits)
- Dissertation Preparation and Research Methods (10 Credits)
- Practice Placement 2 (20 Credits)
- Dissertation (60 Credits)

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