If you’d like to make a genuine and lasting difference to children’s lives, our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies is an excellent foundation for vital roles in health, education and social care.
There can be few more rewarding professions than working with young children, helping them to reach important milestones and to develop skills that will last a lifetime. Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree is your first step to a successful and worthwhile future.
Our purpose is to inspire you to become forward-thinking advocates of change and become sector leaders in the care and education of children and families.
You will benefit from the expertise of a multi-disciplinary research active academic team who will ensure your learning is relevant, up to date and research-informed.
You can broaden your experiences with opportunities including paediatric first aid training and the opportunity to carry out primary research which could lead to published work. You'll graduate with employability skills that will allow you to pursue further study or to enter a successful career in the early childhood graduate workforce nationally, locally or internationally.
Explore how children develop
You’ll gain a thorough understanding of early childhood from birth to eight years, exploring how children develop, learn and think. You’ll look at the importance of early childhood from a broad range of perspectives.
Our focus throughout is on identifying and meeting children’s holistic needs, so you’ll consider all the challenges and opportunities faced by early years professionals working in a variety of children’s services.
The role of professional and personal development is an important theme for this course. By spending a substantial amount of time on placement, you'll draw on your own practical experiences with young children to advance your knowledge.
Professional credibility
Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies course enables you to gain practitioner recognition if you do not already hold a practical qualification relating to the field. Please note, to gain level 3 or 6 practitioner status, you will need to hold a GCSE or Functional Skills qualification at grade C/4 or above in English and Maths. If this is not the case, we can provide funded options to undertake these, alongside your undergraduate studies.
A contemporary and relevant course, it is included in the Department for Education’s new qualifications list for settings that deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage for children. Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies enables you to gain practitioner recognition if you do not already hold a practical qualification relating to the field. We offer the following routes to the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies:
- BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies, on completion of Stage 3 (360 credits). This is an academic route and is academic only, with no full and relevant practitioner status attached to it. The Level 5 work experience (within the Developing Employability Module at Stage 2) links to the University employability agenda.
- BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies (with Practitioner Options), on completion of Stage 3 (360 credits). This is an academic route which includes the level 3 practitioner status via assessed work placement.
You’ll have a conversation with your personal tutor when you start your studies to decide which of these routes you’re going to take and the practitioner status you’ll graduate with, following completion of your degree.
Information about qualifications and assessed placements can be found on the Department for Education website and the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN) website.
It means that your qualification will be well regarded by prospective employers – and this is reflected in our strong track record for enhancing students’ career prospects. Latest statistics show that 98.2% of our Early Childhood Studies graduates were in employment or further study within six months of completing the course.
You have the opportunity to achieve extra qualifications as part of your studies, such as the British Red Cross Paediatric First Aid certificate which is an important asset for employers.
Practical experience on placement
Whilst studying our degree you will undertake a variety of placements which will allow you to develop your professional identity whilst working within the early childhood sector. Whilst on placement you will be able to apply theory to practice using a critically reflective approach.
There is also the opportunity to go on fieldtrips to places such as the Museum of Childhood, Think Tank Museum and Eureka Children’s Museum.
Broaden your horizons
Thanks to our strong professional links overseas, you’ll have the chance to apply for an international placement. It’s an experience which will build your independence, give you valuable new perspectives and provide an impressive addition to your CV.
Other European fieldtrips have seen our students visit the famous Peto Institute in Budapest to gain insights into its ground-breaking work with children who have complex disabilities.
Be inspired by leading experts
Our course is delivered by a highly experienced team, including influential researchers and published authors. It means your course is shaped by the latest thinking and innovative ideas which are changing the face of early childhood studies.
Our staff have conducted important studies into a wide range of subjects, from creativity for early years professionals to social constructions of childhood, from the pressures faced by new parents to ways of engaging fathers in early years settings.
You may even take part in fascinating research initiatives yourself. Our students have, for instance, worked with school children and community groups to draw up ideas for improving the play and educational potential of various parks in Nottinghamshire.
Our annual conferences also give you the chance to share findings from your own projects with an audience of fellow students and practitioners.
A vibrant learning experience
We pride ourselves on offering a friendly, welcoming learning environment where you will receive plenty of encouragement and guidance. Our tutors are approachable, dedicated and passionate about their subjects.
You’ll learn in our Kirtley Building which offers first-rate facilities for our Education and Childhood Studies students. It includes specially designed collaborative learning spaces and a large hall for practical activities and observing learning in action.
Students will also learn off site which includes opportunities to learn off site e.g. forest school sessions.
Flexibility and choice
If you already have appropriate qualifications and experience, you could start this course at stage two or three.
We offer a variety of optional modules so that you can tailor your studies to match your personal interests and career aspirations. These could cover themes as diverse as children’s literature, family dynamics, leadership, ISEND, health and inequality, child protection and children across the world.
Guaranteed interviews for our PGCE Primary
If you complete this degree and meet the entry requirements for our PGCE Primary, we will guarantee you an interview during your final year of undergraduate study (subject to places being available).
Places on our PGCE are highly sought after, so we recommend you apply as early as possible once UCAS opens.
Terms and conditions:
- There are a limited number of places on the PGCE Primary. Once the course is full, applications will close and no further interviews will be held
- Interviews are guaranteed for students who meet the entry requirements for the PGCE Primary, including GCSE grades, degree classification, experience and successful completion of the Skills Tests
- An interview does not guarantee an offer to study on the course
Graduate level practitioner competencies
The University of Derby offers graduate level practitioner competencies for students studying BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies from Stage 1 of the degree.
The Competencies have been developed by members of the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN) in consultation with students and employers, with an aim of ‘strengthening a graduate-led Early Childhood workforce that is responsive to workforce needs and improves outcomes for children’ (ECSDN, 2018).
Students that achieve the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner competencies will meet the nine competencies through assessed observations of practice, practice-based tasks and academic assessment.
The Early Childhood Graduate Competencies are:
- Advocating for young children’s rights and participation
- Promote holistic child development
- Work directly with young children, families and colleagues to promote health, well-being, safety and nurturing care
- Observe, listen and plan for young children to support their well-being, early learning, progression and transitions
- Safeguarding and child protection
- Inclusive practice
- Partnership with parents and caregivers
- Collaborating with others
- Professional development
'We are delighted to have been part of the development of these competencies and to be able to offer our students this important opportunity. These developments will enhance reflective practice, graduate employability and the progression onto post-graduate study. The Early Childhood Competencies will not only serve to strengthen the practice of our students and their critical application of theory to practice but will also make an important contribution towards meeting our on-going aim of building a graduate led workforce for children and families.' Carol Fenton, Senior Lecturer: BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
You’ll be taught through lectures, seminar activities and tutorials to support you through your assessments and group work.
How you're assessed
You’ll be assessed using case studies, essays, independent research, online tests, posters, presentations and reports. There are no exams.
This degree is your chance to shape and influence many young lives. Early childhood roles are a rapidly growing area of employment in the UK – opening doors to stimulating careers in the independent, private, public or voluntary sectors.
Well qualified and dedicated early childhood professionals are in demand across health, education and social care settings. Our graduates are now enjoying successful careers as early years practitioners and managers. You’ll also find there are ample opportunities for promotion and progression to leadership positions in children’s services.
Our degree is an excellent platform to broaden your career scope by taking additional qualifications. Some of our graduates have, for instance, gone on to train as children’s nurses by undertaking a shortened two-year Paediatric Nursing qualification. You can also consider our exciting range of postgraduate courses, including the MA Education or MA Social Work.
Please note that this course does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status. However, if you’d like to train to be a teacher, you will be guaranteed an interview for our PGCE Primary if you meet the entry requirements.
You could also apply to study our PGCE Post-14 (Education and Training).
2025 entry
These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.
may apply to students who meet certain criteria.
| Requirement | What we're looking for | | UCAS points | 104 |
| A Level | BCC |
| T Level | Merit |
| BTEC | DMM |
| GCSE | GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification |
| Access to HE | Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6 |
| English language requirements | IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area) |
Additional entry requirements
Teaching hours
Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.
Course updates
The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.
If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.
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