Child & Youth Studies - Athlone

Graduates of the programme will have a specialised knowledge of child development and risk and resilience; have advanced knowledge of the legislative framework affecting children and youth; appreciate and advocate the rights approach to the practice of child and youth work; have specific training in management of child and youth settings; and be prepared to conduct, and to evaluate, research in relation to children and youth.

Course Modules

Year 1

Research Methods

Models of Care

Child and Youth Law

Therapeutic Approaches and Interventions

Children’s Rights

Management in Child and Youth Settings

Research Dissertation

Minimum Entry Requirements:

Students are expected to have a minimum of an Honours Bachelor degree (level 8) at grade 2.2 in child/ youth studies, social care or cognate discipline. Candidates with qualifications in social disciplines and relevant work experience will be eligible for the programme.

This course is offered as a 1 Year Full-time and 2 Years Part-time course.

Course Commencement Date: September

What opportunities might it lead to?

Graduates of the programme can reasonably expect to rise to advanced positions within the child and youth sector and to be in a position to consider a more diverse range of career opportunities than those available to Bachelor degree level graduates. For example, in addition to the traditional roles of child and youth workers, graduates of the programme will be well equipped to take on professional roles in child and youth advocacy, in developing intervention based programmes, in conducting research and evaluating the effectiveness of programmes and in managerial, advisory and policy-development roles within the sector.



It is expected that graduates of the programme will be at the forefront of the development of the child and youth sector, in particular, in the context of its increasingly rights-based, legislative and research-based framework.



Further Study

Upon successful completion of this programme, graduates have the opportunity to complete Level 9/10 programmes here at TUS or elsewhere.