Childhood and Youth Studies with Criminology with Foundation Year

With this foundation year course, you'll gain all the credentials you need to begin your career in childhood and youth studies with psychology. It's ideal for you if you don't yet meet the entry requirements of our undergraduate degree, if you're returning to study after a break away, or you need a bit of extra support to get uni-ready.

You'll spend a year studying with us on campus, through ICP. You'll get the knowledge and academic skills needed to take on a bachelor's degree, learning how to analyse information, do research, and improve your academic writing.

The skills you'll learn will help you work in teams as well as on your own in culturally diverse workplaces. You'll develop your understanding of new workplaces and environments, and how to adapt to new environments.

After your foundation year, you'll be ready to move onto the first year of BA (Hons) Childhood Studies with Criminology.

A guaranteed place
Once you’ve successfully completed your foundation year, you'll be ready to progress on to BA (Hons) Childhood Studies with Criminology with a guaranteed place.

Course highlights

• ICP is based on the University of Portsmouth campus so you'll have access to all facilities, support and societies

• When you finish your foundation year successfully, you get a guaranteed place on BA (Hons) Childhood Studies with Criminology

• Get used to how lectures, seminars and tutorials work, so you can move onto your degree ready for success

• Learn how to meet the demands of taking on a bachelor's at university

Careers and opportunities
When you complete this foundation year, you'll be all set to continue on to our BA (Hons) Childhood Studies with Criminology. This degree will prepare you for a range of careers working on behalf of children and young people.

There's significant demand for graduates who have the expert skills and knowledge to work with young people and children in the community in this way, particularly since the pandemic and its impact on education.

What can you do with a childhood and youth studies with criminology degree?

After the course, you could work in areas such as:

• youth work

• law enforcement and the police

• social work

• social justice

• children's rights

• social policy

• probation

• educational welfare

• health promotion

• teaching

Placement year and work experience
After your second year, you can do a paid placement year in a youth work setting. You'll have the opportunity to make a positive difference to young people while applying your knowledge and boosting your employability.

Previous students have put their skills to work at organisations such as:

• Portsmouth in the Community (PitC)

• KidsOut

• Victim Support

We’ll help you secure a placement that fits your ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support to get the most out of your placement year.

This course also allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option. This means you can earn credits towards your degree for work, volunteer and research placements that you do alongside your study.

We can also help you identify additional work experience, internship and voluntary opportunities that complement your studies.

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.

We design modules that have:

• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering

For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-childhood-and-youth-studies-with-criminology?studyMode=4-years-with-foundation-year&startDate=september-2026#modules

You'll be assessed in a number of ways on your foundation year, including:

• assignments
• oral presentations
• exams
• lab reports
• portfolio
• court reports

Typically, you can expect to have two assessments per module.