Childhood and Youth Studies (English-medium course) BA (Hons) Undergraduate - September 2023/24* Entry

At the heart of this course is a view of 21st Century children and young people as social actors: people with something to say, with resilience, with complex lives that are experienced amidst all the cultural, social, educational and political shifts that happen in the world around them. It can lead to a wide range of careers including teaching, social work, counselling and law where you’ll make a real difference to the lives of young people.

This dynamic, multidisciplinary degree at Bangor University offers you the opportunity to study a diverse range of topics. These can support you in pursuing careers within a variety of areas including teaching, social work, counselling and law. Our teaching team have expertise and backgrounds in psychology, sociology, children’s rights, linguistics, education, forensics, health and welfare. This rich and diverse learning environment is a unique trait of our course, and gives you the opportunity to study childhood and youth from multiple perspectives.

The 3-year course is designed around three pathways, with modules relating to psychological, sociological and educational perspectives on issues relevant to childhood and youth in theory and in practice. The first year is designed to provide you with a strong foundation in all three strands. The second year continues to build upon these strands and to develop effective practice by working with employers in the fields in order to develop working knowledge and to make important connections with future employers and service providers. This leads up to year three, where you can study at least four topics selected from the range of modules that are currently available across the pathways. In this final year you will also complete a major research project which enables you to deepen your expertise and knowledge in your chosen area. This course also includes guest speakers as well as opportunities to study abroad and opportunities to present at conferences helping you develop both your academic and employability skills. Every year you’ll have the opportunity to undertake placements to develop your understanding of aspects of children’s needs and development and to carry out research into current issues and practice.

This Childhood and Youth Studies degree aims to address the present demand for well-qualified specialists able to work with children, young people and their families in a range of contexts, in the community and in institutions. The programme combines sound academic grounding with a practical and active dimension that will produce professionals well able to address the challenges of a contemporary, active society in a bilingual country.

This is the English-medium course. The UCAS code for the Welsh-medium course is different.

Why choose Bangor for this course?

• 1st for Career Prospects (Guardian Good University Guide 2022).
• Top 10 for Research Quality (Times Good University Guide 2022).

• Work placements to develop your understanding of children’s needs and development.
• Professional and academic expertise across a diverse range of areas such as children’s rights, family law, bilingualism, education, social care, mental health, literacy, additional learning needs and inclusion.
• Study all or part of your course through the medium of Welsh.

Additional Course Options

You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, seminars, use of digital resources and practical workshops. Lectures and seminars make creative use of a variety of different digital resources and media in order to help you plan, record and to support your progress. An integral element of the programme is the range of guest speakers and educational visits that enrich and reinforce your learning.

The majority of our modules are offered both through the medium of Welsh and English. You can choose to have a Welsh speaking personal Tutor and complete assignments through the medium of Welsh. The assessments vary from module to module and range from essays, presentations and film making to MCQ tests and exams.

In your third year, you’ll carry out a major research project within an area of your choice. Depending on your research field, you might be involved in school-based projects, nursery-based projects or projects with practitioners within the childhood and youth industry. Your project will be individually supervised by one of our experts, giving you the opportunity to further your knowledge and skills and develop an in-depth understanding of the area.

What will you study on this course?

The first year provides a foundation in key areas such as academic and professional skills, socio-cultural, historical and psychological perspectives on childhood, and explores topics such as play, rights and diversity. The second year provides further grounding in research methodology, theoretical perspectives across areas such as mental health, literacy, global childhoods and inclusion. In your final year you are supported to consolidate and refine your knowledge via a research dissertation, alongside specialist modules spanning topics such as children and crime, gender and race, families and substance abuse, children and communication issues, and multilingualism. You’ll also work alongside employers and service providers in the field of childhood and youth services in building experience of working practices and making important connections.

All modules in the 1st year are compulsory; in Years 2, and 3, depending on availability, you will have a choice of modules in addition to core Research modules. Each year you will study a total of 120 credits, giving you breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding by the time you graduate.

Your Research

Research is an important aspect of this course. As part of your Research Methods modules, you’ll be taking part in practical sessions where you’ll learn how to design studies, run your own experiments, gather and analyse data and report your findings. These skills will give you a firm foundation ready for year 3 when you’ll conduct your own research.

Modules for the current academic year

Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Childhood and Youth Studies (English-medium course) BA (Hons) Modules page.

Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

• Workshops on issues as diverse as children’s literacy, children and technology and children’s rights supported by specialists in the fields.
• Use of digital media and resources to teach, to support research, to help record progress and to share work.
• Involvement with meetings and conferences on a range of issues relating to the course, including children’s voices and the role of childhood and youth within decision-making processes.
• Regular guest presentations by specialists in the field in areas related to the different Childhood and Youth pathways.
• Educational visits to the local area, to places of national significance and, in some cases, to international locations.
• Opportunities to work alongside employers and service providers in fields relating to childhood and youth, including education, care services and agencies that support provision for young people.
• Regular contact and support with institutions which are important to the field, including schools, social care organisations, children’s rights organisations. Maintenance of contact with these institutions to help develop ideas and pathways linked to individuals’ career aspirations.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,000 per year (2021/22 entry and 2022/23 entry).
• The fee for all placement, international, and sandwich years is £1,350 (2021/22 and 2022/23).
• More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

Offers are tariff based, 80-120 tariff points from a Level 3 qualification* e.g.:

• A Levels
• BTEC National/Extended Diploma: MMP - DDM
• Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMP - DDM
• City & Guilds Advanced Technical/Extended Diploma: MMP - DDM
• International Baccalaureate Diploma
• Access to Higher Education Diploma
• NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 80 - 120 points from a minimum of 4 Higher Subjects
• Welsh Baccalaureate

Applicants are required to undergo an enhanced DBS check for the child workforce including a check of the children’s barred list. Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK are also required to undertake a criminal records check in their countries of residence . 

International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here. 

We also welcome applications from mature applicants.

*For full details go to our website and for a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.   

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

The multi-disciplinary approach of the degree prepares students for a broad range of career choices in education, psychology and sociology and allied professions in the public and private sector, including health, social care, youth and community work. Alternately, some students continue their studies on a masters programme or apply for a place on a PGCE Primary course. Should you decide to apply for the PGCE Primary course at Bangor, you will be offered an interview, if you meet the entry requirements.

This BA Childhood and Youth Studies is suitable for students who want to follow a career relating to any of the three main pathways that underpin the course: Education, Psychology and Social Science. As this course includes perspectives from all three strands, it allows the students the opportunity to discover their main area of interest, which then leads on to various professions within that field. The depth of knowledge gained on our course provides a very strong foundation from which to go on to specialise in various fields. These include, for example, careers in children’s services, management, teaching, social work, counselling, therapies and the law.

Employability is a key theme within the Childhood and Youth programme and we have embedded a large number of opportunities within our degree to ensure our graduates have a strong CV. For example, students are given the opportunity to enrol on a Makaton course, become ambassadors for various charities and partake in voluntary work. In fact, many of our students have been so impressive on placements they have been offered work once they have finished their degrees.

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. 

The Bangor Employability Award (BEA) 

The BEA is a comprehensive online course that you can work through at your own pace, taking you through all the steps you need to take to explore, prepare and apply for your dream career.

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments. 

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.