Childhood Studies

What is BA Childhood Studies?
The BA Childhood Studies at Essex is a unique interdisciplinary degree exploring the social and emotional worlds of children and young people from birth to 25.

You’ll deepen your understanding of children’s lives, development, wellbeing, and identity while preparing for careers working directly with children or influencing policy, advocacy, and research that shapes childhood experiences.

Why this course
Childhood Studies is a vibrant and expanding field bringing together ideas from psychoanalysis, psychology, sociology, social work, and the arts and humanities to better understand children’s lives and experiences.

You’ll explore how childhood is shaped by culture, society, relationships, and emotional development, while examining the challenges children and young people face today, including inequality, climate change, online media, mental health difficulties, and bullying.

Whether you want to work directly with children, support families and communities, or progress into postgraduate training and professional practice, you’ll graduate with the knowledge and insight to make a positive impact on children’s lives.

Who should apply

• Students fascinated by child development, behaviour, identity, and emotional wellbeing

• Future professionals interested in education, social care, advocacy, mental health, or family support

• Learners wanting to combine academic study with practical placement experience

• Those already working with children who wish to deepen their knowledge and professional skills

What you’ll learn

• Child development: Study emotional, social, and psychological development across childhood and adolescence

• Attachment and wellbeing: Explore attachment theory, resilience, safeguarding, and developmental trauma

• Childhood across cultures: Examine how ideas of childhood differ across societies and historical periods

• Neurodiversity and mental health: Learn about ADHD, ASD, emotional wellbeing, and the unconscious mind

• Teaching and group dynamics: Understand psychodynamics of learning, teaching, and working with groups

Your learning experience

• Placements in Years 1 and 2: Gain hands-on experience working with children and young people in real-world settings

• Infant observation: Develop professional insight through focused observational practice in Year 2

• Interdisciplinary teaching: Learn from experts across psychoanalysis, psychology, sociology, and social work

• Coursework-based assessment: Assessment is mainly through coursework rather than exams

• Research-informed learning: Study within an internationally recognised department specialising in unconscious processes, mental health, and society

Careers and outcomes
A BA in Childhood Studies prepares you for careers across a wide range of settings:

• Education and schools: Supporting learning, wellbeing, and child development in educational environments

• Children’s services and advocacy: Working with children experiencing emotional, behavioural, or social difficulties

• Health and social care: Supporting children and families within community and care settings

• Further professional training: Progressing into postgraduate study in teaching, psychotherapy, social work, or speech and language therapy

• Research and policy: Influencing childhood policy, advocacy, and services that improve children’s lives

• You’ll graduate with a strong balance of theoretical understanding, reflective practice, and practical experience that prepares you to make a meaningful difference to children and young people.

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.