Skip navigation

Childhood and Youth (F55) (Taught)

  • MA
  • 3 Years
  • Part-Time
  • October 2027
  • Postgraduate
Distance Learning
Awarded by:
The Open University
More about Open University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
Apply

Course summary

Explore childhood and youth through an interdisciplinary approach that blends theory, policy and practice. Designed for graduates and professionals considering the field, this postgraduate degree enhances understanding and develops practice using global case studies that link theory to practical applications. You'll explore diverse contexts of young lives, policy changes and critical reflective practice, and the dissertation module includes a small-scale inquiry or an extended literature review and research proposal. While this degree doesn’t provide professional recognition, graduates with backgrounds in Childhood and Youth Studies, Early Years, Education Studies, Social Work or Health and Social Care will find it particularly relevant.

Key features of the course

  • Equips you with the critical tools to analyse policy and to reflect on your own practice

  • Designed to help you develop professionally and meet the diverse and changing needs of children and young people

  • A strong focus on multi-agency working and inter-professional practice

  • Offers a choice between a small-scale inquiry or an extended literature review and research proposal

  • Gives you the option to count your previous study towards this qualification, helping you pay less and finish sooner

Modules

Course Modules

To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits.

You’ll study three 60-credit modules that explore children and young people’s worlds, develop frameworks for critical practice, and complete a dissertation through either a small-scale inquiry or an extended literature review and research proposal.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Distance Learning

Study options

  • MA • Part-Time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • October 2027

Entry requirements

To study for this masters degree, you must hold a bachelors degree from a UK university or other recognised degree-awarding body, or a qualification at an equivalent level. Your degree can be in any subject, although childhood and youth studies, sociology, health and social care, anthropology, psychology or education are particularly relevant.

For the final module, E822, please note that Enhanced DBS clearance (or the equivalent in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland) is a UK legal requirement for working with children. Securing this clearance is the responsibility of you and your employer, not The Open University. If you are unsure about your eligibility or need further information, you should contact the relevant national agency in the country where you intend to undertake your work with children.

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

As fees for individual modules can vary, the total cost you pay for your qualification depends on the modules you choose to study. For further information about fees, please refer to the course description on The Open University website.

Related courses

At Open University

Like this page