Childhood & Youth Studies

This diploma will be attractive to anyone with a personal or professional interest in deepening their understanding and practice of children and young people's worlds and who wish to develop critical analysis skills. It is relevant if you're a graduate working with children or young people and want to advance academically and professionally. It would also be suitable if you have a background in childhood and youth studies; youth work; youth justice; sociology; health and social care; social work; nursing; anthropology; psychology; education and the voluntary sector including charities and NGOs. If you are not currently working with children and young people, this diploma may allow you to move into the profession or move between occupations.

Key features of the course

•Covers the theoretical and practice aspects of integrated services for children and young people.

•Explores the changing policy, organisational, personal and professional contexts in which work with children and young people takes place.

•Encourages you to reflect critically on your own and others' integrated practice.

•Gives you the option to count your previous study towards this qualification, helping you pay less and finish sooner.

This diploma is the second stage of a study programme that progresses to a masters degree. You can step off at any point or study the whole programme.

To gain this qualification you need 120 credits as follows:

Stage 1, 60 credits from:

Module Credits
Children and young people's worlds (E808)60

Or, if you have successfully completed either EE806 or the discontinued module E807, you may count any of these modules towards Stage 1 of this qualification.

Stage 2, 60 credits from:

Module Credits
Frameworks for critical practice with children and young people (E809) 60

You should note that the University's unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

You must have a bachelors degree from a UK University (or equivalent) to study this course. Your degree can be in any subject, although childhood and youth studies, sociology, health and social care, anthropology, psychology or education are particularly relevant.

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.

2 - 4 years

How long it takes
The maximum time to complete this qualification is four years.

Career relevance
This qualification will be attractive to anyone with a personal or professional interest in exploring different aspects of children and young people's worlds. It is aimed at those who are graduates and seeking to advance academically and professionally, as well as those with a related degree but not currently working with children and young people. It will enable those with a related degree but not currently working with children and young people the opportunity to move into the profession and will help those people considering a move between professions within the sector. It should also be of interest to people in a managerial or supervisory role, to senior members of the workforce, and those seeking to move into senior or managerial positions.

The content of the qualification will be particularly relevant to graduates working with children or young people for example in early years provision or with a background in childhood and youth studies; youth work; youth justice; sociology; health and social care; social work; nursing; anthropology; psychology; education and the voluntary sector including charities and NGOs. It will be of particular interest to those who have completed the BA (Honours) in Childhood and Youth Studies, BA (Honours) Early Years or Early Childhood, BA (Honours) Education Studies (Primary) or the BA (Honours) in Health and Social Care. You should ensure that you check entry requirements for specific professional areas before embarking on study.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.