Applied Childhood & Youth BA (with Foundation Year)
UCAS Code: L902|Duration: 4 years|Full Time|Hope Park|UCAS Campus Code: L46Work placement opportunities|International students can apply|Study Abroad opportunities
ABOUT THE COURSE
Studying Applied Childhood & Youth will enable you to develop important skills and knowledge relating to working with and alongside children and young people. You will learn about relevant social policies and legal frameworks, including child protection, safeguarding and the criminal justice system, as well as ethical and practical issues related to working with children and young people with specific requirements and interests. The course will also allow you to develop key personal and professional practice skills by providing you with an opportunity to engage in Work-based Learning.
Topics studied include: key social, economic and policy developments that provide the background to working with children and young people; current policy and practice frameworks related to work with children and young people; personal and professional practice skills; issues and challenges of working with children and young people.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars comprising 15-20 students, and tutorials that typically have no more than 10 students. You will also have the opportunity to meet regularly with your personal tutor.
In your first year of study there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 10 teaching hours in your second and third years. Additionally, you are expected to spend a number of hours each week studying independently or in groups undertaking readings or preparing for learning tasks. This degree also has a compulsory Work-based Learning element comprising 50 hours.
ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK
In each year of study, you will have a number of written assessments and an end of year exam. You may also be asked to give a presentation, present an academic poster and produce a portfolio. In your second year, you will be also required to complete a Work-based Learning portfolio and submit a research proposal in preparation for your final year dissertation.
You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.
FOUNDATION YEAR
The Foundation Year is a great opportunity if you have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualifications required to enter directly onto our degree programmes. A significant part of the Foundation Year focuses upon core skills such as academic writing at HE level, becoming an independent learner, structuring academic work, critical thinking, time management and note taking.
Successful completion of the Foundation Year will enable you to progress into the first year (Level C) of your chosen honours degree. Further details can be found here.
YEAR ONE
Introduction to Applied Social Sciences
In your first year you will develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the social, economic, political and cultural contexts of children and young people’s everyday lives. You will learn about a range of social inequalities, including class, gender and ethnicity, and how these impact the everyday lives of those living in Liverpool. You will also explore a number of important social issues such as climate change, drug-use, and knife crime and consider a range of explanations for these. You will investigate aspects of politics and government, learning about political movements, parties and ideologies as well as how government in the UK ‘works’. Finally, you will learn about how social issues are constructed and framed through a variety of cultural and media practices.
Key topics studied include:
- Understanding Social Inequalities in Liverpool
- Exploring Social Issues
- Introduction to Politics and Government
- Introduction to Political Economy
- Ways of Seeing.
YEAR TWO
Explorations in Childhood and Youth
In your second year you will start to learn about important aspects of working with children and young people such as: child protection and safeguarding (including online safety); principles of youth work; anti-oppressive practice; resilience building; equality and anti-discrimination frameworks and the criminal justice system as it applies to children and young people. You will also start to develop core skills required for working with children and young people such as: leadership; professional practice; reflective practice; multi-agency work; ethical issues; anti-oppressive practice; conflict resolution; working for social justice; and managing sensitive information. You will also have the opportunity to develop some of these skills through engaging in 50 hours of Work-based Learning (subject to DBS clearance).
Key topics studied include:
- Policy and Practice relating to working with children and young people
- Personal and Professional Development
- Work-based Learning
YEAR THREE
Advanced Studies in Childhood and Youth
In your final year you will investigate in-depth policy and theoretical debates relating to a variety of challenges faced by children and young people in society today. Topics may include: social exclusion and marginalisation; working with children and young people living with a disability; working with young offenders and those engaging in drug or alcohol misuse; supporting troubled families; working with refugees and asylum seekers and promoting sexual health. You will also study two Advanced Research Courses led by academic staff from across the School of Social Science which reflect their respective research interests. Finally, you will undertake an 8000-10000 word Integrated Dissertation which will allow you to investigate in-depth an aspect of childhood and youth that is of special interest to you.
Key topics studied include:
- Key issues in working with children and young people
- Advanced Research Courses
- Research Dissertation
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There may be some flexibility for mature students offering non-tariff qualifications and students meeting particular widening participation criteria.
CAREERS
With a degree in Applied Childhood and Youth, you will be able to enter a number of careers, including youth and community work, local government, housing, health or educational sectors and the criminal justice and legal system as researchers, administrators or managers.
Successful graduates will also be able to study for postgraduate degrees that give them a specific expertise in a field of Childhood and Youth. Childhood and Youth graduates will also be particularly well qualified to apply for MA in Social Work or MA in Youth and Community Work.
ENHANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Work Placement Opportunities
In your second year of study, there is a compulsory Work-based Learning component to allow you to gain valuable experience and develop core skills. This may be in a youth work or school setting but may also be a cultural setting or community-based voluntary organisation.
SALA
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
Study Abroad
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
TUITION FEES
The tuition fees for the 2021/22 academic year are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,250.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Along with your tuition fees, you also need to consider the cost of any core textbooks that you need. This will be approximately £200. The School currently pays for any fieldtrips, but you may be required to pay a small, refunded deposit of £5 to secure your place on a trip. If there are any fieldtrips which would require you to pay, you would be notified of this well in advance.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation pages for further details about our Halls of Residence.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
INTERNATIONAL TUITION FEES
The International Tuition fees for 2021/22 are £11,400.
Visit our International fees page for more information.
COURSE COMBINATIONS
With Foundation year, this degree is only available to study as a Single Honours course.
Email our enquiries team
enquiry@hope.ac.uk