Early Childhood Studies

Early years professionals play a crucial role in shaping young minds working in areas including childcare, support services, children’s centres and healthcare.

Our Early Childhood Studies degree will build your knowledge and skills to turn your passion for working with children into a rewarding career.

You'll study child development, sociology, psychology, health and social policy, and explore education, the roles of family and wider institutions and more.

Placements, visiting experts and field trips will develop your experience and understanding of the sector to ensure you are work-ready.

Top reasons to choose this course

• 2nd in the UK for education courses – Guardian University Guide 2025.

• Two placement opportunities to gain hands-on professional experience.

• Observational study visits to support your understanding of the sector.

• Learn from a team of early years experts and visiting guest lecturers.

• Specialist curriculum centre with 30,000 specialist resources to enhance your learning.

• Successful completion of the degree will lead to you being counted as a level 3 early years practitioner.

• Guaranteed interview to our postgraduate teaching courses if you wish to pursue a career in teaching.

**Year 1 **
You will learn how babies and toddlers start to make sense of the world around them, along with key theories surrounding children’s physical, emotional and social health. You will consider the role of wider systems on a child’s development including family and community, policy and legislation.

Core modules:
Knowing and Learning in Higher Education
How Children and Young People Learn
Educational Thinkers and Activists
Child Development: Physical, Social and Emotional Development
Families and Communities in Early Childhood Contexts
Policy, Legislation and Change in Education

The Child Development, Physical, Social and Emotional Development and Families and Communities in Early Childhood Contexts modules include 12 hours of observational study visits to early years settings.

**Year 2 **
You will focus on child development to consider the role of play and children’s developing communication, language and literacy. You will delve further into wider societal influences on children’s lives when you consider equalities and inclusion in early childhood and how policy and legislation influence and reflect children and families’ experiences.

Core modules:
Child Development: Play for Learning and Development in Early Childhood
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice
Research Methods
Child Development: Communication, Language and Literacy in Early Childhood
Placement: Understanding Young Children and Young Children’s Services

Optional placement year
Gain valuable additional experience and earn money during an optional placement year. You’ll return to the final year of your degree with added confidence, additional real-world experience and valuable contacts.

Final year
You will draw on placement experiences to explore the complexities of multi-agency and interdisciplinary working as well as how childhood is interpreted across the globe. You will also consider the ways that different agencies approach the assessment of children’s learning and development needs and have the opportunity to research in depth the areas of early childhood that most interest you.

Core modules:
Teamwork, Collaboration and Leadership
Assessing Learning and Development in Early Childhood
Reflection on Learning
International Perspectives on Early Childhood
Dissertation: Researching Early Childhood

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS