Awarded by Birmingham City University
Course Overview
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Early Childhood Studies (BA ECS) is a degree in early childhood education that is designed to enable and equip students to become confident, competent and reflective practitioners in the early year’s field.
It is important that, through a carefully constructed programme, students gain a depth of understanding about early childhood and the factors that impact on, and influence the lives of young children and their families.
It is through building an understanding of how children develop and learn; the development of skills to work with families; an insight into the importance of multi-agency working along with a knowledge of the theories that underpin work with young children, and how these translate into practice that students will be prepared for professional work with young children.
Additionally, this degree in early childhood education provides opportunity to develop key employability skills valued by employers; skills of teamwork, independent work, presentation, role play and an ability to articulate effectively in a variety of contexts.
However, the degree programme goes beyond preparing students for the early childhood education workforce; it is our belief that students should explore wider issues regarding the holistic nature of early childhood studies, including health and well-being of young children.
Our Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Early Childhood Studies (BA ECS) degree programme ensures that the students acquire and strengthen transferable academic skills that will establish them as reflective, critical and analytical graduates who are prepared to access and contribute to scholarly discourses in the early years field.
Programme Aims
The aims of the early childhood education programme are to:
- Enable students to become confident, well-educated and reflective early years practitioners with the skills to respond to developments in the field of early childhood studies;
- Develop student’s intellectual capabilities specifically related to early childhood and early childhood education;
- Enable the development of critical reasoning and analytical skills in relation to philosophical, sociological, historical, cultural, and psychological concepts within the context of early childhood and early childhood education;
- Equip students with skills, knowledge and understanding of how theory relating to early childhood development and learning influences and informs current early years provision;
- Incorporate theoretical principles and knowledge of leadership, working with other professionals; working with families to meet needs of young children;
- Prepare students for their professional development and post graduate career choices.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Identify and reflect on how young children develop and learn, and be able to articulate the theoretical concepts which underpin and influence decisions regarding provision for young children and their families; from which students can formulate and articulate their own personal, professional philosophy;
- Be cognisant with, and evaluate factors that affect and impact on children and their families within today’s multi-cultural society;
- Appraise and analyse contemporary early years issues both nationally and internationally;
- Recognise and demonstrate skills required to work both independently and as part of a team in a personal and professional context; valuing the work of other professionals in the early years field.
Entry Requirements
Academic Requirement:
- GCE ‘A’ Levels with minimum 2 subject with Grade C or better; or pass Polytechnic Diploma with an overall Grade C or 60% minimum
Language Requirement:
- IELTS 6.0 or GCE ‘O’ Level English Language Grade B4 or better; or GCE ‘AO’ Level General Paper Grade B4 or better
*Candidates with WSQ Specialist Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (WSQ SDECCE) and WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (WSQ PDECCE) or its equivalent will be given advanced standing/exemption on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval by the university.
About Birmingham City University, UK
Birmingham City University Website: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/
Birmingham City University was established according to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 as University of Central England in Birmingham approved by the Privy Council on 16 June 1992. The university was renamed on 01 October 2007 as Birmingham City University.
In The Guardian University Guide, a prominent national league table, Birmingham City University is ranked 29th of 77 institutions in the ‘Education’ subject area.
The university has a large number of Collaborative Partnerships overseas mainly in the following countries – China, Malaysia, India, Middle East, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
Other Rankings, Accreditations and Membership:
- Ranked Top 90 in the Guardian University League Table (2016)
- Member of AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
- Member of The Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)
- Member of European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)
- Member of Universities United Kingdom (UUK)
- Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
- Accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) for the Marketing Related Programme
- Listed Center by CIPD to provide Human Resource Management related degree programme
- Approved institute by Joint Academic Stage Board offering Qualifying Law Degree
- Recognised by Bar Council of India
- Authorised Legal Practice Course Provider by Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
- Full-time: 24 months (8 months per level)
- Part-time: 36 months (12 months per level)
The award of Bachelor’s Degree with Honours will be made if you satisfy the requirements for the award. The award is governed by a Standard Undergraduate Regulations (SUAR) and in order to achieve the honours degree you must gain 360 credits. Each module carries a specified number of credits and the course is designed to give you 120 credits at each level of study.
The final award is classified as follows:
- First Class an average mark of 70% or above
- Second Class Division 1 an average mark of 60% or above but below 70%
- Second Class Division 2 an average mark of 50% or above but below 60%
- Third Class an average mark of 40% or above but below 50%
The award of BA in Early Childhood Studies will be awarded if you gain a minimum of 300 credits with at least 60 at level 6.
This course is not accredited by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Graduates who wish to work in the local early childhood sector will need to submit an application to ECDA for Teacher Registration via a preschool. Approval by ECDA will be subjected to the applicant meeting the requirements for Teacher Registration.
The course is delivered through a variety of engaging, interactive and hands-on modes, which include face-to-face sessions, small group discussions, directed tasks/individual study.
The close links between teaching, learning and assessment will be emphasised throughout the course. The development of a variety of assessment tasks integrated with the learning and teaching programme will ensure that you are given relevant and meaningful activities with specific outcomes. Many of your assessments will expect you to draw on your experience and work in placements.
Examples of assessment include:
- e-portfolios
- Reflective accounts
- Group Poster presentations
- Observational notes
- Case Study reports
- Seminar presentation
- Essays
- Digital presentations
Students will be given a university’s access to Moodle virtual learning environment. Students will be able to access to wide range of e-books and journals.
Year 1 (UK-NQF Level 4):
| Module Number | Module Title | Credits |
| Principle module | Introducing Professional Practice | 45 |
| Core 1 | Introduction to Child Development | 30 |
| Core 2 | Children's Play | 30 |
| Specific options: | a) The Child's Learning Environment | 15 |
| b) Principles of Inclusion |
| c) Children and Childhood |
| | 120 credits |
Year 2 (UK-NQF Level 5): | Module Number | Module Title | Credits |
| Principle module | Developing Professional Practice | 45 |
| Core 1 | Further Child Development | 15 |
| Core 2 | Safeguarding Children | 15 |
| Core 3 | Researching Early Childhood | 30 |
| Specific options: | a) The Child as a Creative Learner | 15 |
| b) Developing Inclusion through Communication |
| c) Children and their Families |
| | 120 credits |
Year 3 (UK-NQF Level 6):
| Module Number | Module Title | Credits |
| Principle module | Researching Professional Practice | 45 |
| Core 1 | Managing Transitions | 15 |
| Core 2 | Contemporary Perspectives of Childhood | 30 |
| Core 3 | Towards Employment | 15 |
| Specific options: | a) International Perspectives of Children's Learning | 15 |
| b) Politics of Inclusion |
| c) Children and their Worlds |
| | 120 credits |
Please click
here for module synopsis.
Please click here for the course fee details.
Course fees are subjected to changes without prior notice. For a full schedule of the miscellaneous fees, please click here.
