Childhood and Education Studies (top-up) - Online BA (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- Start Date(s): September 2024
- Duration: Three terms
- Study Mode(s): Distance learning / Part-time
- Campus: Online
- Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
The childhood and education sector is rewarding, complex and continually evolving. With the BA (Hons) Childhood and Education Studies (Top-Up) course, you’ll study childhood from birth to adulthood through research-informed practice and contemporary debate. You’ll have the freedom to explore the topics that matter to you – equipping you with the tools to make a difference in your own setting and society.
Studying with NTU, you’ll gain the skills and expertise to become a leader of tomorrow. You’ll address today’s complex social issues - whether that’s focusing on decolonisation or identity development. You’ll explore philosophical constructs allowing you to better understand working environments and become a confident practitioner.
This course is designed for you if you hold a relevant level 5 qualification and want to top up to BA honours degree level. Our online learning approach will allow you to further your career in early childhood, childhood or education alongside work and other commitments.
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Flexible online learning approach, allowing you to fit in learning around other commitments. -
Choice of specialist modules in line with your specific interests and career aims. -
Learn from tutors and students in a collaborative and supportive environment. -
Benefit from NTU’s top-class teaching, award-winning research and excellent career opportunities.
What you’ll study
As you study childhood from birth to 18 years of age, you’ll broaden your understanding of approaches to research, theories of learning, education policy and a general understanding of childhood education in political, social, and economic contexts.
Legacy Research Project (40 credit points)
- Taught in terms one, two and three, this module allows you to engage in a prolonged piece of supervised action research.
- This will tie in directly to your compulsory placement experience (either in employment or voluntary placement) and will allow you to acquire the necessary undergraduate research skills required at this level of study whilst also offering their placement setting a lasting intervention/legacy project.
Contemporary Debates (20 credit points)
- Taught in term one, you’ll be exposed to dominant discourses that impact upon children’s lives from maternity care through to their eighteenth year.
- Session content will be updated to reflect changes in contemporary issues in the childhood sector.
- Issues affecting the statutory, independent, and voluntary sectors will be examined allowing students to engage in critical enquiry and reflexive practice.
The course design allows you to select a specialist pathway that is tailored to your area of professional interest. In terms two and three, you’ll follow a pathway consisting of three modules.
Early Childhood Pathway
Research Agendas in Early Childhood (20 credit points)
- You’ll examine some of the research agendas within the statutory, voluntary, and independent early childhood sectors.
- The module focusses on the research work completed by practitioners and how these agendas might influence change in practice.
The Power of Leadership (20 credit points)
- You'll examine the nature of leadership and leaderful practice in the early childhood sector.
- Looking at contemporary debates, theories of leadership and what it means to be a leader in early childhood, students explore their role as future leaders in this field.
Inclusion in the Early Childhood Sector (20 credit points)
- This module examines the statutory requirements around inclusion and SEND in early childhood environments.
- You’ll explore the legislative frameworks, statutory and non-statutory guidance documents in relation to this aspect of practice.
Childhood Pathway
Sustainable Childhoods (20 credit points)
- This module identifies what is meant by the term ‘sustainable childhoods’ and consider a range of underpinning theoretical models and viewpoints.
- You’ll be encouraged to adopt global contemporary perspectives in relation to global childhoods and will employ theory and practice concepts to better understand this.
- You’ll be encouraged to reflect on global initiatives and professional practices within the context of sustainability.
Future Childhoods (20 credit points)
- Employing a sociological lens, you'll investigate the concept of gender, its categorizations, and the emergence of gender diversity within British and global societies.
- You’ll consider the development of sexual identity and the development of this sense of identity.
- The module will explore concepts including gender binary, gender neutrality, sexual ambiguity, models of gender affirmation and transgenderism within global societies. The module will consider contemporary arguments around RSE within early childhood contexts.
What Can Comic Books Teach us About the Philosophy of Childhood and Education? (20 credit points)
- This module employs comic books as a foundation for examining the philosophy of education.
- You’ll engage with a wide variety of classical and contemporary philosophical constructs and explore how these are evident in both the fictionalised worlds of comic book stories and in contemporary education spaces.
Education Pathway
Education and Digital Technologies: Teaching in an Online World (20 credit points)
- The module examines how online and digital technologies influence education throughout life.
- Societal attitudes, socioeconomics and the digital divide will be used as lenses through which to examine contemporary education practices and policies.
- You’ll explore the role of educationalist in the delivery of effective practice will be explored within and beyond mainstream education.
Future Childhoods (20 credit points)
- Employing a sociological lens, you’ll investigate the concept of gender, its categorizations, and the emergence of gender diversity within British and global societies.
- You’ll consider the development of sexual identity and the development of this sense of identity.
- The module will explore concepts including gender binary, gender neutrality, sexual ambiguity, models of gender affirmation and transgenderism within global societies.
- The module will consider contemporary arguments around RSE within early childhood contexts.
What Can Comic Books Teach us About the Philosophy of Childhood and Education? (20 credit points)
- This module employs comic books as a foundation for examining the philosophy of education.
- You’ll engage with a wide variety of classical and contemporary philosophical constructs and explore how these are evident in both the fictionalised worlds of comic book stories and in contemporary education spaces.
How you’re taught
The course is taught online, allowing you to achieve a degree-level qualification that fits in with work and personal commitments.
You’ll require a PC, laptop or tablet device with access to a stable internet connection.
Learning and teaching methods include:
- Engagement with pre-study academic skills learning materials to prepare you for your learning journey
- Live taught online sessions
- One-to-one supervision of your legacy research project
- Small group online seminar activities
- Engagement with asynchronous (taught online) video content
- One-to-one tutorials
- Regular Personal and Academic Tutorials (PAT)
- Sequential delivery of a minimal number of modules at a time
- Authentic assessment grounded in real world learning.
A key feature of the learning experience is that – although you may be at a distance from the University’s campus – you are able to learn from each other, as well as from the tutors, in a supportive environment.
Like all other students at NTU, you are entitled to come onto campus should you wish and will have access to the suite of additional support services available. This includes access to the library support team (and their frequent online tutorials), the well-being team, the NTU Student Union and the St3p Up student support service.
Students will also have access to the ‘Student Lounge’ online space for socialisation between face-to-face and taught online students.
Contact hours
Learning engagement time
The Research Legacy Project module runs for the full three terms with learning engagement time as follows:
- Six, three hour live, taught online sessions.
- Approximately 12.6 hours of independent/directed learning each week.
- Five one-to-one tutorials with your supervisor throughout the year (20 minutes for each meeting).
For all other 20 credit modules the learning engagement time is:
- Three, three hour taught online live sessions.
- 12.7 hours of independent/directed learning per-week.
How you’re assessed
This course is assessed solely through coursework, with a variety of dynamic, exciting and creative assessment methods, including:
- research legacy project - a piece of coursework based on practice allowing you to enact a policy or practice change in your setting.
- poster presentations
- media presentations
- portfolio of evidence
- blogs.
Careers and employability
The course provides you with the opportunity to develop your professional knowledge and practice, to the extent you will be ready for a range of diverse and rewarding employment opportunities, such as:
- Early Childhood Graduate Leader
- Educational Developer
- Youth Development Worker
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Careers Leader
- Museum Educator
- Academic Advisor
- Student Support Officer
- Learning Mentor
- Youth Worker
- Community Worker
- Early Help Advisor
- Youth Mental Health Worker
- Researcher
- policy development
- postgraduate study.
Careers Team
Our award-winning Employability team is here to inspire and enhance your career planning, whichever path you choose. Whether you wish to go on to further study or to look for job opportunities, we can guide you to be a successful candidate.
Entry requirements
What are we looking for?
A full and relevant Level 5 qualification, for example, Early Childhood or Early Years:
- Apprenticeship
- Higher National Diploma
- Foundation Degree, or equivalent.
Other requirements
- English GCSE or equivalent.
- Successful completion of the Academic Skills Pre-study module.
- Successful completion of an online interview.
- Work experience is preferred, but applications will be considered without it.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
What are we looking for?
A full and relevant Level 5 qualification, for example, Early Childhood or Early Years:
- Apprenticeship
- Higher National Diploma
- Foundation Degree, or equivalent.
Other requirements
- English GCSE or equivalent.
- Successful completion of the Academic Skills Pre-study module.
- Successful completion of an online interview.
- Work experience is preferred, but applications will be considered without it.
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
Additional Costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as support from our expert Employability team.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government. Visit our fees page for more information.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Additional Costs
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as support from our expert Employability team.
Library books
Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
How to apply
Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.
Keeping up to date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please call us on +44 (0)115 848 4200 or complete our enquiry form.
You can apply for this course directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.