Early Childhood Studies BA Honours
Make a difference in young lives as you explore how education shapes the development of younger children in a course taught by experts with real-life experience
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Viewing course details for 2024 year of entry
- Code
- X310
- Attendance
- Full-time
- Start
- September 2024
- Fees
- £9,250 (UK) | £16,600 (INT)
- Duration
- 3 years full-time
- Course Leader
- Jeenal Desai
- Study mode
- On campus
- Location
- Hendon campus
- Entry Requirements
- 96-112 UCAS points
- Placement year
- Optional
- School / Department
- Education
Why choose Early Childhood Studies BA Honours at Middlesex?
Our course provides a rich learning experience that combines placement practice and knowledge from various disciplines.
This course is designed with young children as its focus. It also considers how an increasingly global world affects early childhood development and education.
Our students rate this course highly as shown by our excellent results in the National Student Survey, 2023:
- 94% of students were positive about the way their course developed their knowledge and skills
- 92% of students were positive about the quality of learning resources and facilities on their course
- 91% of students were positive about the learning opportunities, organisation and management of their course.
What you will gain
Early education and care employers are looking for graduates with a broad understanding of social issues, well-developed personal transferable skills, assessed professional competencies, and a sense of personal values.
You will be encouraged to work towards sector-recognised early childhood graduate practitioner competencies and qualify as a Level 6 Early Childhood Practitioner.
Accreditation
Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSCN) Level 6 Graduate Practitioner Competencies as it fulfills the Full and Relevant Criteria in England. This accreditation is highly significant for employment in the Early Years sector, as it allows you to work unsupervised and evidences capability to lead practice.
What you will learn
A team of highly motivated professionals will support you in your learning and assessment. And this is why we scored 94% student satisfaction in the 2023 National Student Survey because “lecturers go out of their way to help and ensure that we are feeling okay with assignments and that makes me feel respected and worthy.”
You will learn how to make a significant and lasting impact on the early years profession. You may also be eligible to apply for Level 6 Graduate Practitioner Competencies status upon graduation.
On this course, your learning will be supported by:
- Highly experienced tutors who will help you understand and apply the material from this course
- A personal tutor and committed student learning and graduate academic assistant who has studied your subject and can support you based on their own experience
- A field trip to one of London's many museums or art galleries to explore concepts of childhood as part of your induction
- A choice of optional models to help focus your areas of interest. These include special needs, digital media, creativity, and the mental health of children.
3 great reasons to pick this course
About your course
You will gain knowledge from interconnected disciplines including sociology, psychology, law, health, and management. You will then build this knowledge and skills in the real world with work placement informing and helping to build this valued sector.
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of diversity in childhood, the key milestones in the developing child. You will look at factors contributing to infant health and well-being, and how theories of child development are reflected in policies and practices. You will also be introduced to the skills and knowledge needed to have a successful first work placement.
This module enables students to observe young children, using different observational techniques, and recognise key milestones achieved in the developing child. Ethical considerations involved with observing young children are examined and key learning and child development theories applied and evaluated.
This module aims to extend students’ knowledge and understanding of factors contributing to infant health and well-being, examine theories of attachment and consider cross-cultural practices aimed at promoting attachment relationships and supporting early development, enabling students to evaluate the impact of early intervention strategies, policies and practices to provide support for parents/carers.
This module introduces students to the historical, social, and global context of the child within the family and community. Students evaluate impact of parents, early years settings, and wider social influences on young children’s childhoods, learning and development, and early years pedagogy. Students explore the role of early years professionals in promoting children’s rights, anti-discriminatory practices, and equality.
This module provides students with the opportunity to prepare and plan for work placement, learning about expectations and responsibilities of the professional working with babies and young children in practice. Students will be introduced to the skills and knowledge necessary for successful work placement and supported to enrich their professional and academic progression with critical reflection on their experiences.
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Teaching
You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience. The course is taught through a mixed learning approach, making use of a combination of online and on-campus activities, as well as directed reading and independent learning activities. You will learn by attending lectures, webinars and seminars. Seminars and webinars are great opportunities to discuss what you have learnt in lectures and through independent study with your peers and tutors. They involve active participation incorporating group work, presentations, role play, encouraging reflection and critical thinking. You'll participate in online problem-solving discussions, critical debates and exercises, online workshops, and in-class activities. Most seminar groups have about 20–25 students.
During your first year, your weekly timetable will look something like this:
- 4 hours of lectures
- 6 hours of seminars
- 1 hour per month of one-to-one meetings
- 1 hour of group work
- 1 hour of support from a Student Learning Advisor
- Additional support as offered
Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams.
Teaching vs independent learning
Here is an indication of how you will split your time.
Year 1
|
Percentage |
Hours |
Typical activity |
|
20% |
240 |
Teaching, learning and assessment |
|
63% |
750 |
Independent learning |
|
17% |
210 |
Placement |
Year 2
|
Percentage |
Hours |
Typical activity |
|
20% |
240 |
Teaching, learning and assessment |
|
63% |
750 |
Independent learning |
|
17% |
210 |
Placement |
Year 3
|
Percentage |
Hours |
Typical activity |
|
20% |
240 |
Teaching, learning and assessment |
|
63% |
750 |
Independent learning |
|
17% |
210 |
Placement |
Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop your skills from research and practical skills to critical thinking. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus.
This degree is 100% coursework. There are no examinations in this course.
Choice, innovation and creativity in assignments are highly valued. You will be assessed through a mixture of essays, case study reports, digital media creations, reflective journals and portfolios, independent and collaborative presentations, placement activity, and research projects.
Assessments
We will test your understanding and progress with informal and formal tests.
The informal tests usually take place at least once per module, from which you’ll receive feedback from your tutor. The grades from these tests don’t count toward your final marks.
There are formal assessments for each module, usually at the end, which will count towards your module and your final marks.
Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.
To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.
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North London campus
Our north London campus is 23 minutes away by underground train, travelling from London Kings Cross.
Learn moreFacilities and support
Our Sheppard Library provides a wide range of resources and support to help you to succeed in your studies.
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Over 1,000 study spaces including rooms for group study and over 500 computers available.
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We have one of London's biggest and best university campuses with everything you need in one place.
Our facilitiesStudent Support
We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.
Additional needs
We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.
Wellness
Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.
Work while you study
Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.
Financial support
You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.
We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.
Careers
How can the Early Childhood Studies BA support your career?
When you complete this course you may seek employment as Level 6 Graduate Early Childhood Practitioners in nurseries, nursery schools and preschools – or apply for the PGCE/QTS Training in Education (Primary and Early Years).
Alternatively, you may seek careers in Special Educational Needs support services, unqualified teaching positions in independent and free schools, teaching assistant roles in Primary and Higher Education, Local Authority Education administration, Parenting Support or other Social Work courses.
Others seeking a more academic or research route may continue to develop their careers studying for master's courses, including our own MA in Education and Childhood in Diverse Societies, or seek employment as research assistants.
MDXworks
Our employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.
Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has been recognised with the following awards:
The top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money, 2023
A top 10 university for producing CEOs – Novuana, 2023.
Global network
You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.
Work placements
Placements greatly improve graduate employment prospects and are a fundamental part of this course.
You will gain hands-on practical skills in placement in an early years setting that suits your interest. Students who do this degree complete take assessed work placements in a broad range of early years settings including schools, or health and social care.
Personal support is provided in securing suitable work placements, and help is given to gather the required evidence that demonstrates your professional competency.
Our specialist employability service will help you find placement opportunities.
Entry Requirements
Our entry requirements provide a guide to the qualifications that you’ll need to study our courses. We have a personalised admissions approach and we make fair but aspirational offers. We want you to aim high and achieve great results.
Qualifications
- 96–112 UCAS Points
- including GCSE Grade C/4 in English
- A-Level
- CCC-BBC
- BTEC
- MMM-DMM
- Access requirements
- UCAS Tariff points from Access to HE Diplomas are accepted. Must include 45 credits at level 3
- Combinations
- A combination of A level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 96 - 112 UCAS Tariff points
At Middlesex, we're proud of how we recognise the potential of future students like you. We make fair and aspirational offers because we want you to aim high, and we’ll support you all the way.
We’ll always be as flexible as possible and take into consideration any barriers you may have faced in your learning. And, if you don’t quite get the grades you hoped for, we’ll also look at more than your qualifications. Things like your work experience, other achievements and your personal statement.
Our general entry requirements page outlines how we make offers where we have given a range (e.g. BBB – BBC in A levels), and how you will be made an offer if you are studying a combination of qualifications (e.g. BTEC and A level). In both cases, we will base this on information you’ve provided on your application. Applications from mature candidates without formal qualifications are welcomed, provided they can demonstrate appropriate levels of relevant ability and experience.
-
Mature students (over 21)
We welcome applications from mature candidates, including those without formal qualifications, provided you can demonstrate relevant experience and ability.
Academic credit
If you have a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex University course in year two or three. Find out how you can transfer courses.
If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements. Find out more about prior learning accreditation.
Interviews
You won’t be required to attend an interview for this course.
We welcome students from the UK, EU and all over the world. Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:
- Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
- Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
- Work placements and networking with top London employers
- Career support to get you where you want to go after university
- Global alumni network and connections
Qualifications
96–112 UCAS points
In addition to qualifications such as A level and International Baccalaureate, we accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more on your country's support page. If you are unsure of the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest regional office.
English language
You'll need good English language skills to study with us. That's usually an IELTS 6.0 qualification (with a minimum of 5.5 in all sections). And, if you need help, we offer an intensive pre-sessional English course.
Visas
To study with us in the UK, you will need a student route visa.
Interviews
You won’t be required to attend an interview for this course.
You can apply now via UCAS using the code X310. Visit the UCAS site today.
Need help with your application? Check out our undergraduate application page.
Fees & Funding
The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year:
UK students1
Full-time: £9,250
International students2
Full-time students: £16,600
Additional costs
The following study tools are included in your fees:
- Free access to resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
- Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
- Free printing for academic paperwork
- Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.
Scholarships and bursaries
To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:
- MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
- Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
- Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.
Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.
Fees disclaimers
1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.
Student testimonials
"I always knew I wanted to work with children. I've found that this course has provided me with a good background to ideas and practices that are taken from various disciplines such as psychology, history, law and management. The course also enabled me to take part in a nursery-based placement and I enjoyed every minute of it!
I am eager to pursue a career as a primary school teacher. I've applied to do the PGCE (Primary Education) with Middlesex and have received a conditional offer. All the tutors are extremely supportive and have been helping me to pass the Skills test which is a requirement for the PGCE. The Early Childhood Studies course has made my desire to become a teacher even stronger and I've already been recommending Middlesex University to other people."
Polly Aktar
Early Childhood Studies BA graduate
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Unistats information
Discover Uni provides applicants with Unistats statistics about undergraduate life at Middlesex.
Please select 'see course data' on the following course option to view the full Unistats data for Early Childhood Studies.