Childhood Practice, BA

Childhood Practice, BA

Introduction

Study Information

At a Glance

Learning Mode
Online Learning
Degree Qualification
BA
Duration
72 months
Study Mode
Part Time
Start Month
September or January

This is a work-based programme validated by the Scottish Social Services Council for registration as a manager and is designed to meet the needs of a range of individuals involved in working with children. It is offered as a part-time, on-line distance learning programme and is based on course elements detailed in the benchmark statements provided by QAA Education Studies, SCQF and the Standard for Childhood Practice. The degree has been designed to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. Due to its flexibility, it provides a route into degree level studies for participants from non-traditional backgrounds.

What You'll Study

Year 1

At each level, the programme is structured into a study of four key areas, relevant to all childhood practice settings:

  • The child in the sociocultural context
  • Child development and learning
  • The developing professional
  • Personal research and enquiry

Compulsory Courses

  • The Child in Society: Personal and Social Development (ED1065)
  • Child Development and Learning (ED1066)
  • Understanding Personal Effectiveness with Your Professional Role (ED1067)

Optional Courses

Select one of the following:

  • Study Skills (ED1064)
  • Study Skills (ED1564)

Select one of the following:

  • Creating the Child’s Environment (ED1068)
  • Creating the Child’s Environment (ED1568)
Study Skills (ED1064)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on effective learning and academic writing. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Study Skills (ED1564)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on effective learning and academic writing. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Creating the Child's Environment (ED1068)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on different learning environments for the child. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Creating the Child's Environment (ED1568)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on different learning environments for the child. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Year 2

Optional Courses

  • The Child in Society: Living and Learning in Families (ED2012) OR The Child in Society: Living and Learning in Families (ED2518)
  • Principles of Development and Learning (ED2013) OR Principles of Development and Learning (ED2519)
  • Leadership and Management within an Education and Childcare Setting (ED2014) OR Leadership and Management within an Education and Childcare Setting (ED2520)
  • Young Children and Science (ED2016) OR Young Children and Science (ED2521)
  • Supporting the Health and Well Being of Young Children (ED2035) OR Supporting the Health and Well Being of Young Children (ED2507)
The Child in Society: Living and Learning in Families (ED2012)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on family and community learning. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

The Child in Society: Living and Learning in Families (ED2518)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on family and community learning. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Principles of Development and Learning (ED2013)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on extending knowledge and understanding of child development. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Principles of Development and Learning (ED2519)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on extending knowledge and understanding of child development. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Leadership and Management Within an Education and Childcare Setting (ED2014)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on developing leadership and management competencies. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Leadership and Management Within an Education and Childcare Setting (ED2520)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on developing leadership and management competencies. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Young Children and Science (ED2016)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on how children make sense of the natural and physical aspects of their world. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Young Children and Science (ED2521)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on how children make sense of the natural and physical aspects of their world. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Young Children (ED2035)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on exploring the health needs of individual children and examining policy to support the health and wellbeing of young children. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Young Children (ED2507)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on exploring the health needs of individual children and examining policy to support the health and wellbeing of young children. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Year 3

Optional Courses

  • Living, Learning and Teaching in Communities (ED3045) OR Living, Learning and Teaching in Communities (ED3504)
  • Effecting Change in Development and Learning (ED3046) OR Effecting Change in Development and Learning (ED3505)
  • Management of Change (ED3047) OR Management of Change (ED3506)
  • Research and Enquiry: Informed Perspectives (ED3048) OR Research and Enquiry: Informed Perspectives (ED3509)
Living, Learning and Teaching in Communities (ED3045)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on the child in the wider community. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Living, Learning and Teaching in Communities (ED3504)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on the child in the wider community. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Effecting Change in Development and Learning (ED3046)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on utilising new learning to effect change in an Education and Childcare setting. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Effecting Change in Development and Learning (ED3505)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on utilising new learning to effect change in an Education and Childcare setting. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Management of Change (ED3047)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on using relevant principles to develop management competencies and understanding of the impact of change on professional roles and responsibilities within an Education and Childcare setting. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Management of Change (ED3506)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on using relevant principles to develop management competencies and understanding of the impact of change on professional roles and responsibilities within an Education and Childcare setting. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Research and Enquiry: Informed Perspectives (ED3048)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on the need for action research to inform practice, the process of research and a small scale research study in the student’s work setting. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

Research and Enquiry: Informed Perspectives (ED3509)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for students registered on the BA Childhood Practice degree with a focus on the need for action research to inform practice, the process of research and a small scale research study in the student’s work setting. The aim of the course is to promote and encourage the use of workplace based activities as the basis for academic study. This course is designed to meet the continuing professional development of individuals involved with working with children and students must be employed in a relevant educational setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week.

We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to change. Further information about potential changes can be viewed here.

How You'll Study

The programme is studied by distance learning with materials available online. This will be supported by work-based practice on the part of the student.

  • Students are supported by personal tutors with whom they can maintain contact by email, phone or by an arranged visit to the university.
  • Students are actively encouraged to work collaboratively in small cohorts with other students studying the same unit
  • Invitation to unit induction and network sessions on campus

Learning Methods

  • Individual Projects
  • Lectures
  • Research
  • Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

  • coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course;
  • practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and
  • written examinations at the end of each course.

The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study Childhood Practice?

  • BA Childhood Practice is offered as an online distance learning programme
  • The programme improves critical reflection on practise and comes from high quality research and teaching
  • The School of Education focuses on Communities, Partnerships, Professional Learning, Teacher Education,  Pedagogy and Innovation which is interdisciplinary
  • The programme is designed to work with children from 0-16, nursery and out of school care

Entry Requirements

Prospective BACP students will be required to evidence characteristics consistent with the following:

  • HNC Childhood Practice
  • Employment in a relevant setting for a minimum of 12.5 hours per week
  • The ability to engage in online learning and have effective word-processing, email and web search skills

Qualifications

The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Education degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.


English Language Requirements

To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:

IELTS Academic:

OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0

TOEFL iBT:

OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21

PTE Academic:

OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59

Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:

OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Read more about specific English Language requirements here.

International Applicants

Should your programme necessitate a visit to the University you may find the following information helpful.

Fitness to Practice Guidelines

Students undertaking Education, Medicine or Dentistry programmes must comply with the University's fitness to practise guidelines.

Fees and Funding

You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.

Fee information
Fee category Cost
EU / International students £1,180
Tuition Fees for 2023/24 Academic Year Charged on a modular basis. Fee quoted is per 15 credits.
UK £410
Tuition Fees for 2023/24 Academic Year Charged on a modular basis. Fee quoted is per 15 credits.

Scholarships and Funding

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.

Additional Fees

  • In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
  • For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.

Our Funding Database

View all funding options in our Funding Database.

Careers

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.

Accreditation

This degree holds accreditation from

What our Alumni Say

Angela Thomson

Angela Thomson

Angela Thomson

Graduated 2017

I was apprehensive about returning to study, particularly as I worked full time and had a family life to juggle, but my worries soon disappeared. The structure of the course is designed to support; with suggestions of weekly tasks to keep on track, built in suggested reading and a forum between students, which was invaluable. The support of the lecturing team was amazing too. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and would recommend it to anyone looking to progress within childcare and education.

Our Experts

Programme Leader
Catriona Isobel McDonald

Information About Staff Changes

You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time.

Get in Touch