Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Foundation Year

Why study this course with LJMU?

• 94% of students surveyed said the teaching staff on our education courses were good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024)
• 93% of students surveyed said academic support on our childhood and youth studies courses was good or very good (National Student Survey 2024)
• Stepping stone to a wide range of careers in teaching, social work, health and childcare
• Extensive work-related learning opportunities including the chance to undertake international work experience
• Supportive and inspirational tutors rated as excellent in the National Student Survey
• Experience the diverse traditional and non-traditional early childhood settings
• Tailor your studies to your own interests through optional modules, research and work-related practice
• You will be taught in the dedicated Education Building based in the University's Mount Pleasant campus

About your course

The BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies at Liverpool John Moores University offers a multi-disciplinary approach to working with children and their families. An exploration of different perceptions of children and childhood opens up an exciting range of career opportunities.

Foundation Year

The Foundation Year offers a supportive environment to develop confidence with academic study skills and also introduces you to key subject specific content relating to your degree pathway. This is a four-year degree programme. We particularly welcome applicants with non-standard qualifications.

A child's first experiences have an impact far beyond those initial few years of life. Poverty, poor education, child abuse, as well as the positive experiences of creativity and play, have an enormous influence on a child's development.

The acquisition of knowledge and understanding of early childhood studies is progressive, and nurtures the development of a critically reflective perspective. The overarching themes and defining principles of the programme are education, social welfare, health and wellbeing.

Early Childhood Studies explores and deals with all aspects of society, which impact on young people and their families. The course focuses on the development, growth, health and well-being of young children from 0-8 years old from both the perspective of the child and the adult. Different perceptions of children and childhood are considered and you are also encouraged to examine the wider socio-economic and political factors that influence children at all levels. You are provided with a sound theoretical foundation drawn from different disciplines such as psychology and sociology.

We have several international links, and there are opportunities to visit various countries as part of your course and also undertake a work-related placement abroad.

We have a student volunteer scheme in schools and other placements, so that you can gain the experience and practice you need before embarking on further study or a career.

The course gives you enormous scope to tailor your studies to your own interests through optional modules, research and work-related practice.

Additional course costs

There are no costs for off-site day trips embedded into Core and Option modules. Optional international placements will have a cost attached.

Course modules

What you will study on this degree

Foundation Year

• Exploring Childhoods (30 credits)
• Places and Spaces of Learning (30 credits)
• Preparing for Academic Success (30 credits)
• Investigating Liverpool (30 credits)

Year 1

• Holistic Child Development (20 credits)
• Early Childhood Studies; Student Enquiry (Part 1) (20 credits)
• Pedagogical Approaches (Part 1) - Working with Babies, Young Children and Families (20 credits)
• Perspectives of Children and Childhood (20 credits)
• Early Childhood Studies; Student Enquiry (Part 2) (20 credits)
• Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainability (Part 2) (20 credits)

Year 2

• Deconstructing Child Development (20 credits)
• Student Enquiry into Research Methods (20 credits)
• Global inequalities and unequal childhoods (20 credits)
• Professional Project Enquiry (20 credits)

Year 3

• Exploring approaches: Working Together to Support Children and Families (20 credits)
• Dissertation Research in Early Childhood Studies (40 credits)
• International Approaches; Comparative Early Childhood Education and Care (20 credits)

Optional modules

• Exploring Health Literacies within Early Childhood (20 credits)
• Professional Approaches within Early Childhood Studies (20 credits)
• Exploring Curricula in Early Childhood; Pedagogical approaches for sustainability (20 credits)
• Study Semester Abroad - ECS (60 credits)
• Working Therapeutically with Children and Families (20 credits)
• Social Work within Early Childhood Studies (20 credits)
• Global Dimensions: Sustainable Futures Across Early Years Curricula (20 credits)

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

Excellent facilities and learning resources

We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.

The course aims to produce graduates who are able to think in a critical and analytical manner, reflecting upon issues that relate to education and community issues in the widest context. The course is designed to develop the transferable skills that will allow you to operate creatively in an increasingly complex world.

It is this ability coupled with the transferable skills that are taught, such as the ability to evaluate and analyse information, people skills, computer literacy, oral and written skills and the ability to work effectively in demanding contexts, that make our graduates highly employable.

Teaching on the course is via a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, use of ICT, online activities, placement experience and independent learning.

Work-related Learning

The course has a strong element of work-related and research related learning and you will have plenty of opportunities to visit a variety of early childhood related settings, including traditional, non-traditional, informal, creative and culturally diverse experiences. You might also want to get an international perspective on your future career through work experience within education, social care or health.

Work experience is a vital element of your studies as it gives you a chance to put into practice what you have learnt during the course, and gain new skills as well. It will also add real value to your CV, giving you a head start when you come to negotiate your way around the competitive job market.

Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support

You will be assigned a personal tutor who will support you with your academic and personal progress throughout the course. This kind of one-to-one support is particularly useful for discussing course-related issues or concerns you may have during your studies.

Library Services teams also offer a fantastic range of support and guidance services, including online help guides, online chat facility and on-site help.

Our dedicated Student Advice and Wellbeing (SAW) team provide a wide range of services including accommodation advice, disability support, counselling and money matters.

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

We recognise that all students perform differently depending on how they are being assessed, which is why we use a combination of assessment methods. Coursework may therefore include essays, reports, presentations, newspapers, posters, diaries and a dissertation. Exams are limited to some main core modules.

Constructive feedback is important in helping you to identify your strengths and areas where you may need to put in more work, so this will be provided regularly as you progress through each module.

Where you will study

Based in the Education Building in the heart of the Mount Pleasant campus, the School of Education features a wide range of cutting-edge facilities, including a pedagogy room, lecture rooms, computing facilities and a nearby outdoor learning zone. Students also benefit from independent study spaces, a close-by cafeteria and library, and access to student welfare and support.

Career paths

Local authorities, health authorities, charities, housing associations, children's centres and day nurseries have all employed LJMU graduates in positions such as childcare project managers, family support workers, nursery officers, play coordinators, out-of-school project managers, residential care workers, researchers, disability coordinators and early years officers.

Many of our students also apply for further postgraduate study towards professional qualifications in, for example, social work or within the early years sector.

Early Childhood Studies together with a PGCE also provides an alternative route into teaching.

Postgraduate Teacher Training

LJMU graduates who meet the entry criteria are guaranteed an interview for your chosen PGCE course.

Our PGCEs carry Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), so after successfully completing the one-year course, you will be qualified to teach the age range of students covered in your programme.

As well as our Core PGCE courses, we also offer salaried and non-salaried school-led courses with our partner schools across the North West.

Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service

A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.

Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.

Tuition fees and funding

Home

• Foundation first year: £5,760
• Second and subsequent years: £9,535

International

• Full-time per year: £17,750

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

• Grades/points required from qualifications: DDD-CDD (72-80)

Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.

GCSEs and equivalents

• Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy.

GCSE Equivalences accepted:

• Key Skills Level 2 in English/Maths
• NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
• Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
• Higher Diploma in Maths/English
• Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
• Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number

A levels

• DDD-CDD

BTECs

• Extended Diploma: MMP

Access awards

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications. Pass overall with a minimum of 72 points

International Baccalaureate

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

OCR Cambridge Technical

• Extended Diploma: MMP

Irish awards

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

T levels

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications.

International requirements

• IELTS: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.

Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.

How to apply

Securing your place at LJMU

UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here

A DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service - formerly CRB) will be required after you start the course for placements that involve working with children and/or vulnerable adults.