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Early Childhood Studies - BA (Hons) *

Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry.

Are you passionate about providing children with the very best start in life? Our Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) course seamlessly combines theory with practical experience, so that you can achieve your career goals and make a positive impact on young children’s lives.

  • Level Undergraduate
  • Study mode Full Time
  • Location City South
  • School School of Education and Social Work
  • Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

Are you passionate about providing children with the very best start in life? Our Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) course seamlessly combines theory with practical experience, so that you can achieve your career goals and make a positive impact on young children’s lives.

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

The well-being of babies and young children is at the heart of this degree, which will prepare you to become a confident and competent advocate for children from birth to 5 years. Studying at our £71 million City South Campus, you will have access to excellent facilities to enhance your understanding and knowledge.

You will gain a complete understanding of young children’s needs, how they learn, develop and grow and how their early experiences are so fundamentally important. You will also explore wider concepts to support your understanding such as social justice, social mobility and social responsibility.

As you progress through the course, you will develop your personal and professional skills so that, after university, you should have gained the skills to influence the development of practice, provision and policy, as well as building the resilience and self-assurance needed to support your career progression.  

Graduating from this course presents many rewarding opportunities for you to explore across a variety of UK institutions, such as schools, nurseries and charities. Our staff are dedicated to preparing you for employment and will help you to decide which role or avenue you want to pursue after graduating.

It will be possible for you to work and learn alongside a variety of professionals delivering services that support the wellbeing, development and learning needs of babies and young children through placement opportunities, which occur throughout the programme.

Graduate Competencies

We also offer you the chance to study Graduate Practitioner Competencies as part of the Early Childhood Studies degree. At the point of enrolment you can opt-in to work towards the competencies, which means you will spend more time in practice, gain experience working with children and practitioners across the birth-eight age range, and you will be assessed by us in practice in each year of your degree. Graduate Practitioner Competencies are most useful if you don’t have a Level 3 qualification in early years/childcare and wish to work in practice with young children after you graduate.

More about ECS Graduate Competencies

“I was surprised how interactive seminars are. Before I came to University, I thought every day would be lectures, but with Early Childhood Studies, most of our learning is through seminars. This is a great way to share ideas, challenge yourself and make friends with people on your course.”
Naomi Evans

Chloe Jones

When Chloe’s sporting career ended abruptly, she tried out multiple career options and realised working with children was her passion. At BCU, Chloe has been able to get real-world experience working with young people, volunteer in Bali and discover her future career.

Read in full

Why Choose Us?

  • Our teaching is based around a strong commitment to social justice and advocating for the rights of babies and young children.
  • You will focus on birth to eight years, recognising the importance of early childhood in setting the foundations for life.
  • We have strong links with industry - we offer a range of placement opportunities in nurseries, children’s centres, schools and health settings, both locally and internationally, to help you develop the skills you need for your future career.
  • A team of expert staff - our experienced teaching team are active researchers, meaning you will always have access to the most up-to-date information and methods of working.
  • The course leads to wide ranging career possibilities – we provide support and guidance to assist and empower you to go into graduate level jobs after your degree.

Similar Courses

Open Days

Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to meet us in person. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.

Next Open Day: 23 March 2024

Register your interest

Entry Requirements

These entry requirements apply for entry in 2024/25.

All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.

We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.

Essential Requirements

104 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level

Please note: If you qualify for our BCU Accelerate scheme, you could receive an offer that is two grades below our normal entry requirements. Find out more about BCU Accelerate.

Level 2 qualifications
GCSE GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) See level 3 entry requirements under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details.
Scottish National 5 English Language or English Literature and Maths at grade C or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.
Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) qualifications

A Level and Advanced VCE

  • BCC / 104 UCAS points
  • A maximum of 3 subjects are considered. These can be other A-levels or level 3 equivalents

Access to HE Diploma

  • Education subjects preferred but other subjects also considered
  • Pass with minimum 18 Merits/Distinctions at Level 3
  • Must include two GCSEs in English and Maths

Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma (2016-present)

DMM

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (2016-present)

D*D

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education (Early Years Educator) (from September 2014)

NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education (Early Years Educator)

B

Considered with A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s)

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce

B

Considered with A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s)

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care

NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care

B

Considered with A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s)

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care (Early Years Educator)

NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care (Early Years Educator)

A*

Considered with A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s)

International Baccalaureate Diploma

  • Obtain a minimum score of 28 overall with English Language or a History subject at Higher level grade 5
  • For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C/4 or above, we will accept Standard Level English Language (not literature) English A - Grade 4 or English B - Grade 5 from the IB Diploma
  • For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above, we will accept grade 5 in Maths (Standard Level) from the IB Diploma

Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers)

  • Pass the Irish Leaving Certificate with a minimum of 104 tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects.
  • This must include English Language and Maths taken at either Ordinary Level (minimum grade O1-O4) or Higher level (minimum grade H1-H7)

Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher

  • Achieve a minimum of 104 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers.
  • Where three Advanced Highers have been taken achieve a minimum of grades CDD
  • Where a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers have been taken, you must achieve grades of DD in two Advanced Highers plus grades of CC in two Highers

Welsh Baccalaureate

  • 104 UCAS points
  • Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications

T-Levels

Merit overall

Other qualifications

Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website.

EU/International students
IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands
International Baccalaureate Diploma (or equivalent, including internationally accredited Foundation courses). 24 points overall
Country-specific entry requirements and qualifications.

 

International students who cannot meet the direct entry requirements can begin their degree studies at Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC).

Please note: successful candidates will be required to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance via the Faculty.

Topping up to a full Honours Degree
If you would like to 'top up' an existing Level 5 qualification we would welcome your application into our Level 6 programme. You'll usually need a Foundation Degree or HND in Early Childhood Studies or similar. We require an average mark of 60 per cent or Distinction/Merit profile for entry at Level 6, as well as Level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics.

We will also consider applicants at Level 5 entry with a lower grade average, or with a Level 4 qualification such as a Certificate in Higher Education in an appropriate subject (for example Childhood Studies, Early Years Education, Children and Families).

Applications at Level 5 or 6 are via UCAS, please ensure you indicate you are applying for entry at Yr 2 or 3.

Teacher Training
Those intending to apply for the PGCE Early Years or Primary course in the future as a route into teaching will need to have GCSE at grade C or above (or equivalent) in English language, mathematics and a science subject.

 

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BA (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BA (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2024

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 3 years
  • £16,085 in 2024/25

Access to computer equipment

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms.

Printing

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment.

Field trips

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees.

Access to Microsoft Office 365

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation.

Key Software

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research.

Key subscriptions

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library.

DBS check

You will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for this course. Your first DBS check is included in your fees.

Placement expenses (mandatory)

Placements are a compulsory element of many health and teacher training courses. You'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home.

Excess printing (optional)

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet.

Books (optional)

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy.

Field trips (optional)

This course includes the option of additional trips that may enhance your experience, at extra cost.

Subscriptions (optional)

You may wish to purchase subscriptions to additional journals and websites.

Accommodation and living costs

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

Guidance for UK/EU students

UCAS

UK and EU students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS
 Register with UCAS
 Login to UCAS
 Complete your details
 Select your course
 Write a personal statement
 Get a reference
 Pay your application fee
 Send UCAS your application

Guidance for International students

There are three ways to apply:

1) Direct to the University

You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.

2) Through a country representative

Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.

3) Through UCAS

If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.

Personal statement

Your personal statement is a highly important part of your application. It gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.

Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:

Course choice

Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?

Career plans

If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.

Work experience

Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.

School or college experience

Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.

Non-accredited skills or achievement

eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.

You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.

Get more information on writing personal statements.

Course in Depth

Year One

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits).

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Year Two

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits).

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Year Three

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits).

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Download course specification

Download now

Course structure

On our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree course, our approach to learning and teaching is designed to develop your confidence, knowledge and skills as you progress through the programme. We will support you in your transition to university through social and group work activities, confidence building activities and scaffolding so you can understand the thinking behind how your university modules and assessments are planned. We continue to support your transition throughout your first year through a core module that supports your developing personal, professional and academic skills.

Some of your modules are shared with students on other programmes from the wider subject area. For example, when thinking about safeguarding and child protection there are common themes and common professional skills required, regardless of the age range you are focusing on. This is one modules that would be shared with students studying on BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families. While we believe that it's good to have a focus on your particular field of study, your learning experience can be enhanced by working with others who are exploring different, but similar contexts. For this reason there are 40 credits of shared modules between BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies and the BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families in each year.

Placement is an integral part of the course. There will be chances in your first year to explore and find out information about a range of Early Childhood settings and to visit and shadow professionals working there; this is so you can not only develop professional skills but can also find out about the wide range of professional careers open to you within the field. It's also an opportunity for you to develop transferable skills that will enhance your employability. These experiences are an integral part of the module ‘Working as a Professional’. Later in the first year you will have a block period of time in an Early Childhood setting so you can develop your observation skills and experience how an early years curriculum is planned, delivered and assessed.

In the second year of the programme you will again have a period of placement to build on your previous skills about how babies and young children develop and learn.

We link the course to the University's Graduate+ scheme throughout, which means you will be able to get credit from positive placement outcomes that will contribute to the Graduate+ award scheme. Some modules relate specifically to placement and in order to complete the assignments set you will need to take a proactive approach to placements and actively engage with the work-based learning aspect of the programme.  This will be the case for ‘Observing and Assessing Babies and Young Children’, completed in your first year. By actively engaging with placement and successfully completing the second year module ‘Reflecting on Play, Learning and Pedagogy’, you will be able to move towards meeting the criteria for Early Years Educator. Early Years Educator is a Level 3 qualification that means you can be employed in an Early Years Setting as a qualified member of staff.

In the third year there is no scheduled placement, although depending on the topic you choose to examine as part of the ‘Researching Professional Practice in Early Childhood’ module, you may choose to conduct your enquiry in an early years setting.

As well as learning through practice a variety of approaches to teaching are used.  These include:

  • Workshops
  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Group projects
  • Guest speakers
  • Visits to settings and services
  • Field work – visits to art galleries and museums 

Trips and Visits 

We aim to plan for visits to settings and services to support your learning and development. These vary from year to year but may include museum and art galleries, nurseries and early years settings.

Accreditation or professional associations

Successful completion of the programme, including the level 5 module ‘Reflecting on Play, Learning and Pedagogy’ and the linked placement, will enable you to meet the criteria for Early Years Educator (EYE). The Programme as a whole is matched to QAA Benchmarks Statements for Early Childhood Studies, this together with the required GCSE in English and Maths (already a requirement for entry the programme) meets the criteria for Early Years Educator as determined by DfE.

Employability

Enhancing employability skills 

A BCU Graduate is professional and work-ready, a creative problem solver, enterprising and has a global outlook. Transferrable skills are considered very highly throughout the programme should you decide not to work directly with children and young people in the future. We have embraced the Graduate+ scheme  and there are opportunities throughout the programme for you to receive credit for developing your employability skills. We have a commitment to learning for life and actively encourage you to develop your own research skills and to pursue your learning journey by building on your first degree to Master's level and beyond. From induction through to your final module your tutor team will support you in exploring career pathways linked to young children and their families. 

Graduate stories

Adam Nickels

Adam Nickels talks about the variety of roles he could go into with the modules on offer on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies course. 

Read Adam's full profile

Claire Fitzgerald - ECS

Claire Fitzgerald secured a job at Busy Bees Training Academy which delivers bespoke training to early years staff. 

Read Claire's full profile

Placements

Placement is an integral part of the course. There will be chances in your first year to explore and find out information about a range of Early Childhood settings and to visit and shadow professionals working there; this is so you can not only develop professional skills but can also find out about the wide range of professional careers open to you within the field. It's also an opportunity for you to develop transferable skills that will enhance your employability. These experiences are an integral part of the module ‘Working as a Professional’. Later in the first year you will have a block period of time in an Early Childhood setting so you can develop your observation skills and experience how an early years curriculum is planned, delivered and assessed.

In the second year of the programme you will again have a period of placement to build on your previous skills about how babies and young children develop and learn.

We link the course to the University's Graduate+ scheme throughout, which means you will be able to get credit from positive placement outcomes that will contribute to the Graduate+ award scheme. Some modules relate specifically to placement and in order to complete the assignments set you will need to take a proactive approach to placements and actively engage with the work-based learning aspect of the programme.  This will be the case for ‘Observing and Assessing Babies and Young Children’, completed in your first year. By actively engaging with placement and successfully completing the second year module ‘Reflecting on Play, Learning and Pedagogy’, you will be able to move towards meeting the criteria for Early Years Educator. Early Years Educator is a Level 3 qualification that means you can be employed in an Early Years Setting as a qualified member of staff.

In the third year there is no scheduled placement, although depending on the topic you choose to examine as part of the ‘Researching Professional Practice in Early Childhood’ module, you may choose to conduct your enquiry in an early years setting.

More about our placement opportunities

International

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

Facilities & Staff

Our facilities

Our School of Education and Social Work is based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.

We’ve spent £41million expanding the education facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice. Alongside classrooms and lecture theatres, we also have a range of specialist teaching and learning spaces for specific subjects including science, design and technology, drama and physical education.

As well as subject-specific rooms, our facilities include the Primary Innovation Lab, which houses £24,000 worth of LEGO. This room is a special resource for our education students, offering an innovative and creative way to approach subjects across the curriculum – from computing to English, mathematics to art. The lab responds to research that children and young people learn best from practical experience.

Our Social Work students have access to a home environment room and mock hospital wards which offer an opportunity to gain experience of working with service users in different situations.

Computer facilities

The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.

Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:

  • Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
  • Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Research and statistical software
  • Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home

Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.

In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.

Our staff

Shannon Ludgate

Senior Lecturer & Course Leader, BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies

Shannon completed her BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education Studies at Birmingham City University in 2014. Her studies focused on understanding and meeting the needs of the youngest children, with a focus on play, pedagogy and theory. While studying for her degree, Shannon gained Early Years Professional Status, her training funded by Best...

More about Shannon

Dr Eleni Kanira

Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education Studies

Eleni Kanira is a PhD graduate of the University of Warwick and a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Birmingham City University. She trained and worked as an Early Years teacher, co-ordinator and consultant in various Primary schools and Early Years centres and as a drama teacher in schools and Theatre spaces. Her research interests...

More about Eleni

Dr Paola Pedrelli

Senior Lecturer

Dr Paola Pedrelli teaches on the MA Education, AIC, Singapore programme, focussing on Leadership and Management; Coaching and Mentoring and dissertation modules as well as supervising MA dissertation students.

More about Paola

Vina Patel

Senior Lecturer

Vina has worked with children and their families in the private and public sector. She has developed, led and managed early years teams for a large chain in the private sector. Vina also area managed the Midlands region where she worked with host companies running childcare, including those in the car industry.

More about Vina