Course Overview

This programme is designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the key trends and changes in family life and child and youth development, with a specific focus on Irish society. There are two underpinning beliefs built into the programme, one being that children and young people need to be valued, listened to and enabled to reach their full potential and the other that at some stage, all families, no matter who they are, need help and support to function. Given this, the programme places specific emphasis on developing the knowledge and practical skills required to work in the youth work, family support and community development sector.

The core strengths of this programme include: a nine-month work placement in year three; small group teaching delivered in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society, the University’s flagship Institute for applied social science research that informs policy and practice (