Overview

If you’re an early years practitioner who has successfully completed a Foundation Degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies and you want to top-up to achieve an Honours-level qualification, the Early Years Childhood Studies (Hons) (Top up) course could be just what you’re looking for. We’ll support you to enhance your existing knowledge, ready to achieve the status of BA (Hons) Early Years and Childhood Studies (Top-up) graduate.

At the University of Bolton, we believe that making the link between your course content and real life situations is crucial to your understanding of early childhood studies. Using their wealth of experience from a wide range of settings, our highly-qualified professional tutors will guide you through the theories and research that underpin early years practice and legislation. In some modules, you may be taught alongside professionals who work in related services and professions. Such connections help promote the multi-agency team approach that is such an important part of the early years childhood agenda.

We’ll support you as you explore areas such as children’s health and wellbeing, and management and leadership in early years, and focus on enhancing your research skills and understanding. We aim to help you gain critical, analytical and lifelong learning skills that will support your career development far into the future.

Highlights

• This is a time of expansion for the early years’ sector with more funding available and further settings needed. Patrick Hayes, Director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), said in 2016: ‘It is therefore realistic to expect, that at least 500 new nurseries will open in England, to cope with the need for extra places’.

• Our staff members have a range of specialist areas, such as the teaching of English as an additional language and the improvement of children’s experience of schooling.

• The course covers leadership and management in the early years, aimed at preparing you for additional responsibilities such as team leading or management roles in the sector.

• Our close links and regular engagement with early years’ providers, employers and practitioners ensures our course delivery and content are up-to-date and in line with government policy and guidance.

• Early years practitioners who have successfully completed a Foundation Degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies can take this course before commencing a postgraduate degree.

Alternative career options

• Play therapy

• Counselling

• Child psychotherapy

• School liaison

• Sports and outdoor education

• Student welfare

• Nursing

• Educational psychology

• Speech and language therapy

• Community development

• Consultancy and research

• Media and journalism

• Information and legal services

• Libraries

• Museum and gallery education