Overview

Gain skills and experience to become a confident professional, helping children get the best start in life, with career opportunities in areas like education, health, and social care.

Key Information

UCAS Code:

LX53, LX54

Accreditation:

This course is Accredited

Typical Offer:

104-112 UCAS points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent

Course Information

Study Mode and Duration:

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich with work placement
4 years with foundation year
5 years sandwich with foundation year and work placement

Start Date:

September 2025

Course Highlights

Learn different ways to measure children's development from birth to age eight, which you can apply in all kinds of careers
Choose to do a different work placement in every year of study – from local schools, early childcare settings, or health and social care environments that put young children first
Have the opportunity to do an additional work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree – we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
Develop new skills in support of children's social, emotional, and mental health by working with them in our Teacher Education Centre, and in outdoor environments such as forests and beaches
Look at how children are affected by society and politics, and discover what psychology and philosophy teach us about early years
Have the option to work towards achieving Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC) alongside your degree
Be taught by experts and hear from guest speakers, with unique insights into childhood and education based on their lived experience
Help tackle inequality by taking part in local initiatives that make a difference to children and families
Gain transferable skills in psychology, sociology, teaching and learning, leadership and management, and creative thinking
Take advantage of our Institution-Wide Language Programme and learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, choosing from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, or Spanish
Opt to do a foundation year with ICP to get uni-ready ahead of this course, then take up a guaranteed place on this full Bachelor's degree when you successfully finish your foundation year

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements (September 2025 start)

BA (Hons) Foundation year

Typical Offers for BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies

A levels - BBC-BCC
UCAS points - 104-112 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent
T-levels - Merit
BTECs (Extended Diplomas) - DMM
International Baccalaureate - 25

You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs - see full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

Selection Process

Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting their professional placement working with children and young people.

English Language Requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

Your Facilities

Teacher Education Centre

Our Teacher Education Centre is a fun, bright, and inspiring immersive learning space where you'll develop the practical learning experiences you need for careers working with children.

You'll find a suite of enabling environments where children are encouraged to feel safe, calm, and inspired to play, learn, and explore.

Careers and Opportunities

You'll graduate with rewarding career options, including working with children, families, and communities in a variety of professional roles.

This BA Early Childhood Studies degree offers a broad range of skills in professional practice in education, enterprise, and leadership, supporting children's development, working with families, fostering wellbeing, therapeutic practice, and more.

You could also take your studies further on a postgraduate course, such as MA Education Studies or MSc Educational Leadership and Management.

What Jobs Can You Do with an Early Childhood Studies Degree?

Our graduates work in a range of educational roles and settings:

Early years teaching – with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)
Primary teaching – with a PGCE or SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) leading to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)
Pedagogical leadership in early childhood
Early years provision and setting management
Forest school leadership and training
Freelance education and private tutoring
Special educational and disability needs

Our graduates also pursue a variety of careers related to health and wellbeing:

Therapeutic play – further training may be required
Health and wellbeing promotion
Family support
Professional nannying
Play work

Our graduates also become consultants and researchers into early years issues.

Modules

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

In each year, you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, 4 modules worth 20 credits and 1 module worth 40 credits.

Core Modules

Becoming a Researcher - 20 credits
Child and Youth Development - 20 credits
Health and Wellbeing of the Child and Young Person - 20 credits
Perspectives Of Early Childhood Education - 20 credits
Understanding Childhoods - 40 credits

Optional Modules

Children's Literature - 20 credits
Gender, Race and Education - 20 credits
Introduction to Teaching - 20 credits
Children's Social Minds - 20 credits
Development of Learning - 20 credits
Professional Experience - 20 credits
Empire and its Afterlives in Britain, Europe and Africa - 20 credits
Engaged Citizenship in Humanities and Social Sciences - 20 credits
Global Security - 20 credits
Intercultural Perspectives on Communication - 20 credits
Marketing and Communication - 20 credits
Modernity and Globalisation - 20 credits
Nationalism and Migration: Chaos, Crisis and the Everyday - 20 credits
News, Discourse and Media - 20 credits
Principles of Economic Crime Investigation - 20 credits
Puritans to Postmodernists: American Literature - 20 credits
Transitional Justice and Human Rights - 20 credits
Wildlife Crime: Threats and Response - 20 credits

Course Costs and Funding

Tuition Fees (September 2025 start)

BA (Hons) Foundation year

UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,535 a year (may be subject to annual increase)
EU students – £9,535 a year, including our Transition Scholarship (may be subject to annual increase)
International students – £17,200 a year (subject to annual increase)

You won't pay any extra tuition fees to another university for taking part in a study/work abroad activity if you choose to do it for the whole academic year. During a year abroad you'll only have to pay a reduced fee to the University of Portsmouth.

UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £5,760 per year (may be subject to annual increase)

Please note this foundation year with ICP isn't currently open to EU or International students.

Funding Your Studies

Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Tuition fees terms and conditions

Additional Course Costs

These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees. So you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Accommodation and living costs
Recommended reading
General costs
Final year project
Placement year and study abroad tuition fees

Apply

September 2025 start

BA (Hons) Foundation year

To start BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies in 2025, apply through UCAS. You'll need:

the UCAS course code – LX53
our institution code – P80

Apply now through UCAS

If you'd prefer to apply directly, use our online application form.

You can also sign up to an Open Day to:

Tour our campus, facilities, and halls of residence
Speak with lecturers and chat with our students
Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies, and which clubs and societies to join

If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.

To start BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Foundation Year in 2025, apply through UCAS. You'll need:

the UCAS course code – LX54
our institution code – P80

Apply now through UCAS

If you'd prefer to apply directly, use our online application form:

Apply direct for September 2025 entry.

Please note this foundation year with ICP isn't currently open to EU or International students.

You can also sign up to an Open Day to:

Tour our campus, facilities, and halls of residence
Speak with lecturers and chat with our students
Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies, and which clubs and societies to join

If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.

Applying from Outside the UK

As an international student, you'll apply using the same process as UK students, but you'll need to consider a few extra things.

You can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region.

Find out what additional information you need in our international students section.

If you don't meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies

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