Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Education Studies with Early Years (Top Up)

Overview

This course is subject to validation.

If you have a Foundation Degree or a similar qualification in Education, Early Childhood Studies, or Teaching and Learning Support, you can expand your knowledge and advance your career with a BA (Hons) in Education Studies with Early Years.

This one-year top-up course will enhance your understanding of key topics in education, with a particular focus on early years practice. You’ll apply early years theory and knowledge through practical placement modules and explore both national and international perspectives on early years education. The course also examines current issues in the field, including social justice, policy, and leadership and management.

Course Structure

What you will learn

This programme will develop useful skills for a future working in a range of education and early years settings, including roles such as a nursery assistant, nursery nurse, nursery manager, pre-school assistant/leader or play-work assistant/leader. Alternatively, if you want to become an Early Years school teacher, you can top up your qualifications with a one-year PGCE course to gain Qualified Teacher Status, subject to application.

Year one

This course is a one-year Top-Up. As such, the following modules are taken over the academic year of study.

• Professional Studies and Work-based Contexts in Early Years Further develop your professional understanding of early years working environments including schools and non-school settings.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Develop a critical understanding of the concepts of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Educational Leadership and Management in Early Years Develop an understanding of the perspectives of leadership and management in the early years, making links between education management theory and practice.
• Current Issues and International Perspectives Develop an awareness of national and international issues within all sectors of education.
• Special Study in Early Years Undertake and communicate findings of a reliable and valid small-scale research project into an appropriate aspect of early years education.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

Modules will be delivered through a combination of webinars and tutorials supplemented with independent directed activities, reading and ‘e-tivities’. Blackboard Ultra is used by the programme team to support students. Even though this is a distance learning programme, you will have regular contact time with your tutors via webinars and tutorials. Electronic discussion boards are also used to encourage communication between students from different parts of the world.

How you will be assessed

Modes of assessment will be closely aligned with the programme modules and will encourage the development of breadth and depth of intellectual and practical skills. Methods will include:

• Essays
• Video presentation/podcast supplemented by individually-produced supporting papers
• Mock interviews
• Portfolios

Students will also be required to undertake a Special Study at level 6.

Career Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will have had the opportunity to complete up to 50 days of placements gaining insight into a range of educational processes and contexts thus, enhancing your employability and professional development as a reflective practitioner.

Upon completion of the programme, you will have acquired graduate skills and experience useful for employment in a range of early years educational settings and roles such as:

• nursery assistant
• nursery nurse
• nursery manager
• pre-school assistant/leader
• play-work assistant/leader

Alternatively, if you want to become an Early Years school teacher, you can top up your qualifications with a one-year PGCE course to gain Qualified Teacher Status, subject to application.

Entry Requirements

• 96-112 UCAS Tariff points
• A foundation degree or HND in a relevant subject

Qualifications

Entry Requirements

• GCSEs: GCSE English Language at grade 4/C or above

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

• £9,535 - UK
• £14,900 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

Funding

In addition to any student finance allocation, you may also be eligible for additional funding. We offer a range of grants, scholarships, and bursaries to support low-income students, students from partnered organisations, those who go on to study a PGCE course, and more. You can learn more about these on our Fees and Funding Pages.

Additional Costs

You may need to purchase stationery, course books and personal equipment. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover travel to placement and the university campus, parking and/or accommodation at placement/university campus (if required).

Books and Journals

All core text books are available via the University's library and e-library, however students may wish to buy copies of any texts used to support their learning on their course. This could cost between £50 - £100 per year.

Stationery

Students should budget for stationery and consumables for their own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes during webinars. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.

Clothing and Equipment

Students will require their own computer or laptop to engage in webinars, access our Virtual Learning Environment and writing assignments. For this course, an entry-level laptop would suffice, £300 - 400.

Other

Students will need to fund their own transport to their placement. Students are expected to complete at least 50 hours of placement during the course. The student can arrange their own placement close to home, and it can be in the student’s place of work if this is an appropriate setting, such as a school. Therefore, students should budget for these travel costs. Placement will require sensible, professional clothing and footwear as appropriate to the setting.