Program start date | Application deadline |
2024-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
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Child Youth & Community MA Information Session
Course Overview
The MA / PG Dip in Child, Youth and Community is designed for professionals already working in or for those who have a strong interest to work in the community, voluntary or public sector. It was developed by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the School of Political Science and Sociology. This programme emerges from the Centre’s core disciplinary orientation, Applied Social Science, and its dynamic research programme focused on ‘what works’ in the real world of policy and practice when working with and for children, youth and their communities.
Professionals involved in the delivery of services to children, young people and communities are increasingly required by funders and central government to provide scientific, robust evidence, measuring the social impact of their interventions. With an emphasis on community and rights based approaches, this one year full-time / two-year part-time blended learning MA Programme, will enable students to be proficient in programme planning, monitoring and evaluation methodologies in the context of child, youth and community services. The programme will allow students space to critically engage with the discourses and debates on ‘evidence’ and explore new lines of research and evidence to accommodate both in the real world of practice.
The objectives of the programme are to:
Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.
Who Teaches this Course
Other staff members of the School of Political Science & Sociology and the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre staff are module conveners and contributors and dissertation supervisors.
Dr. DANIELLE KENNAN PhD, B.A., L.L.B., L.L.M., View Profile
Dr Cormac Forkan B.A. (Hons), M.A., Ph.D. View Profile
Prof John Canavan BA, MA, PhD. View Profile
Applicants will require a NQF Level 8 degree,
Second Class Honours (2:1) i
n child, youth and family studies, sociology, social care, psychology or a cognate discipline. Where applicants do not meet the formal academic requirements they can apply for entry through the University’s Recognition for Prior Learning Policy.Information on the documentation required to support your application is available here.
Students will be assessed on a continuous basis. Assessment will vary from module to module, involving a combination of written assignments, such as, essays, project work, engagement with discussion boards. Central to students’ assessment is their final research project.
Program Outline
Course Outline
All MA Students are required to complete 90 credits (ECTs) worth of modules—70 ECTs will be taught core and optional modules. A further 20 ECTs will be awarded for the successful completion of a final research paper, which can take a traditional dissertation format, a community-based research project, a journal paper or a conference presentation.
Postgraduate Diploma Students are required to complete 60 credits (ECTs) worth of modules, combining core and option modules.
Our approach to blended learning is a combination of on campus classes and online classes, with synchronous (live), asynchronous and hybrid delivery. Classes taught on campus and synchronous (live) online classes will be delivered mid-week.
Core Modules (subject to change)
Option Modules (subject to change)
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
The programme is designed for professionals already working in the community, voluntary or allied sectors and for those who have a specific expertise in, or understanding of the lives of children and youth and communities, and who wish to acquire a specialised Level 9 qualification which will ‘add value’ to their existing qualifications and enable them progress to leadership roles within their careers.
The MA provides students with the opportunity to develop skills-sets that are in high demand. It is designed to respond to the needs of a funding dependent sector and meet the growing national and international donor requirement, to comply with rights-based approaches and provide scientific, robust evidence to measure the impact of social interventions.
Upon graduation students will have the necessary knowledge and a skill-set in programme planning, research and evaluation, human rights programming and advocacy, communication and innovative thinking in the context of child, youth and community services.
Typically, graduates will seek employment in areas such as youth work, child welfare, community development, national or international public administration, advocacy or research.
Unique Strengths of the Programme
About University of Galway
Founded in 1845, we've been inspiring students for 178 years. University of Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching.