Who is it for?
If you aspire to contribute to ensuring children have the best possible start in life, there are critical questions to explore. For instance, how can we best understand and meet the individual needs of all the children within our care? UCP’s BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (Top-up) programme is designed to examine these questions, and others, which are pivotal within the first eight years of a child’s educational experience.
You will turn your Level 5 qualification – such as a diploma, teaching apprenticeship or foundation degree – into a full Bachelor’s degree. You will develop a deeper understanding of how people learn, explore education in relation to society, and build on your research skills. You will explore the physical, emotional and mental development of a child to hone the skills needed to make a positive impact on their lives. Additionally, you have the flexibility to tailor your degree via a research project, cultivating specialised skills highly valued in various professions.
Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (Top-up) programme has been designed to offer those who want to develop their career working with young children an opportunity to gain a qualification which combines academic knowledge and practical skills. This programme will help to develop professional skills and knowledge currently in demand across the Early Years sector, such as partnership working, leadership and an understanding of educational psychology.
You will study how children develop, as well as factors which affect their learning and development, child psychology and the services which support wellbeing and psychological health. The programme will also provide you with a broader understanding of Early Years policy and practice, and how this can be managed and developed effectively within your own and wider settings. Through the course, you will have opportunities to take part in work-based learning with placement opportunities, during which you will be encouraged to be critically reflective of your impact in the workplace.
There will continue to be a very high demand for teachers in the region, with a 19% increase in 5 to 14-year-olds from 2015 to 2036 (Source: Cambridgeshire Research Group, 2015-Based Population Forecasts). This makes education a growing sector offering excellent local employment opportunities.
The BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies provides a strong pathway to postgraduate study and to Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) or initial teacher training programmes across the education sector.
The courses at University Centre Peterborough are studied in smaller class sizes compared with other universities; a typical class size is under 20 students.
To view the course specification, click here.
You can view The Open University regulations here.
