Overview
If you aspire to be a specialist who leads learning and development in an early years childcare setting, or you have the entrepreneurial ambition to create your own business in this field, this course is ideal. Combining a thorough academic grounding with practical experience, it will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective leader working with children, from birth up to the age of five, and their families.
You will explore a variety of issues relating to early years policy, practice and research, including children's health, safety and wellbeing, and their relationships with families, wider society and the environment. You will also cover the legal, business, financial and ethical aspects surrounding early years provision, as well as developing the leadership skills needed to run your own childcare business.
TEACHING & LEARNING
To help you manage your time while you study, we timetable lectures together on one day of the week. To ensure that our assessments more accurately reflect working in the early years sector, we assess you in your modules using a variety of innovative approaches, such as through professional conversation, the creation of artefacts to use with children, or reporting on your completion of a sector-based intervention. There are no exams.
Find out more about the Carnegie School of Education.
You will hear from a range of guest speakers, each giving their own perspectives on current educational issues. Previous events have covered topics such as social work, employability and enterprise activity.
As well as the opportunity to network with guest speakers at the University, you will benefit from visiting childcare providers in the area, where you will learn about effective methods for operating a business to help you develop your own ideas and plans.
Course Features
- 24/7 Library
- Placements
- Study abroad option
- Expert careers service
- University accommodation
- TEF Silver Award
Entry Requirements
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
GCSEs:
GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C or above (Grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards) or equivalent. Key Skills Level 2, Functional Skills Level 2 and the Certificate in Adult Literacy/Numeracy are accepted in place of GCSEs.Access to HE Diploma:
Pass overall with a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points.Scottish Awards:
Minimum of 5 subjects at Grade B at Higher Level.Irish Leaving Certificate:
Minimum of 5 subjects at Grade C1 or above at Higher Level of which at least 3 must be at B2.Selection Criteria:
Due to the popularity of this course, we may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.Health and Enhanced Criminal History Checks
Satisfactory health and enhanced criminal history checks will be required by all applicants prior to acceptance on the course. For further information on DBS checks, click here.The DBS in the UK is currently not able to conduct overseas criminal record checks. International applicants, those without British Citizenship and British Citizens with a significant period of overseas residency therefore require a criminal records check or certificate of good conduct from their home/overseas country prior to entry on to the course. A UK DBS check will be required after enrolment.
IELTS:
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.Mature Applicants
Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website.
Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
GCSEs:
GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C or above (Grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards) or equivalent. Key Skills Level 2, Functional Skills Level 2 and the Certificate in Adult Literacy/Numeracy are accepted in place of GCSEs.Access to HE Diploma:
Pass overall with a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points.Scottish Awards:
Minimum of 5 subjects at Grade B at Higher Level.Irish Leaving Certificate:
Minimum of 5 subjects at Grade C1 or above at Higher Level of which at least 3 must be at B2.Selection Criteria:
Due to the popularity of this course, we may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.Health and Enhanced Criminal History Checks
Satisfactory health and enhanced criminal history checks will be required by all applicants prior to acceptance on the course. For further information on DBS checks, click here.The DBS in the UK is currently not able to conduct overseas criminal record checks. International applicants, those without British Citizenship and British Citizens with a significant period of overseas residency therefore require a criminal records check or certificate of good conduct from their home/overseas country prior to entry on to the course. A UK DBS check will be required after enrolment.
IELTS:
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.Verify your qualifications
If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.Need to improve your English Language skills?
Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.More questions?
No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.Careers
Careers
MA Childhood Studies and Early Years
“The modules on the MA allowed me to pick areas of study I could apply directly to my classroom practice. The course has given me many experiences to draw upon and it reflects the ever changing world of education.
Modules & learning
- The Holistic Child
- Play as an Approach to Learning
- Curriculum & Pedagogy in the Early Years
- Developing Academic Skills
- Personal & Professional Development 1: Your Practice
- The Context of Early Years Enterprise
- Young Children's Communication, Language & Literacy
- Creative, Confident Children
- Observing, Assessing & Documenting Early Years Outcomes
- Safeguarding, Child Health & Wellbeing
- Personal & Professional Development 2: The Team in Practice
- Business Planning for the Early Years
- Current Issues in the Early Years
- Transitions
- Sector-Based Project
- Personal & Professional Development 3: Leading & Managing Practice
- Nurturing Your Early Years Enterprise
Creative and innovative practice in the early years’ sector is informed by the connections made between theory, research and policy, and brings together care and education in inspiring, evolving settings. Early years’ enterprise involves leading teams, making imaginative use of resources, harnessing indoor and outdoor environments and supporting young children’s exploration of the world.
Life in Leeds
Fees & funding
Additional information
For further information on financing your studies or information about whether you may qualify for one of our bursaries and scholarships, follow the links below:
Facilities
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Library and online resourcesOur Library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, providing you with access to specialist books and journals, learning spaces, computers, multimedia facilities and media equipment hire. Tens of thousands of our Library's digital resources, including ebooks, ejournals and databases, can be accessed online at a time and place to suit you.
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Map
Headingley Campus
Home to our first-rate sporting facilities – Headingley Campus has a rich and diverse history having played to visitors such as Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde. Set in 100 acres of parkland, with easy access to Leeds city centre, many of our buildings look out onto our grassy acre – a perfect place for hanging out, playing games and catching up with friends on long summer days. Headingley Campus has modern sport science laboratories, animation and music studios and the latest computing labs, as well as one of our libraries, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
