Introduction:

Do you have a strong interest in supporting and working alongside children and their families? If so, this degree could be for you. You will engage with a broad knowledge base concerned with children and society, which will open up a wide range of opportunities in education, social and health services, community work and other diverse support work.

With a broad subject area covering 0 – 11 years, this course can open the door to a variety of careers with children and young people. Whatever direction you choose to take you will have the solid foundation of knowledge and understanding employers are looking for.

This degree provides a solid foundation in the understanding of childhood and an introduction to the psychology of childhood. It will explore aspects of human behaviour and interaction, and help you to understand why and how children may behave as they do.

Why study Childhood (Psychology) at Nottingham Trent University?

• If you complete your undergraduate degree, you are guaranteed an interview for a PGCE Primary teacher training course at NTU during your final undergraduate year (terms and conditions apply)
• We are supported by over 600 partnerships with local schools, colleges and organisations, ensuring our courses meet the demands of the competitive graduate market
• Many of our students choose to take a placement overseas. Recent placements have been available with a cricket project in Namibia, an international school in Brunei, an orphanage in Mombasa and an English language project in Thailand
• Excellent facilities and experienced and enthusiastic tutors.

Careers and employability

Your career development

What skills will I develop?

A Childhood degree develops specific skills and knowledge around the subject of how children learn and develop. You will learn about the history and culture of childhood, as well as the major theories of social, emotional and cognitive development.

You will develop key transferable skills, including:

• written communication developed through writing essays;
• oral communication skills gained through reasoned debates during seminars and presentations;
• the ability to work as part of a team, though collaborative group work;
• research and analytical skills with the ability to judge and evaluate information;
• organisational and time management skills by prioritising tasks to ensure academic, social and work commitments are completed on time;
• negotiation, informally with peers and formally with staff;
• problem solving;
• IT skills.

How can I boost my career prospects?

Childhood graduates that go on to further study tend to take courses that lead to professional status. The most popular option is the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), as many graduates go on to work as primary or secondary school, early years or special needs teachers.

Other popular professional courses include nursing and postgraduate courses in social work. Employers are often supportive of further study and may support employees by providing funding or time off to complete coursework.

Your future career

A Childhood degree is an excellent foundation for careers working with children and young people in many sectors including health, education and social care.

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Early years teacher
• Family support worker
• Learning mentor
• Primary school teacher
• Special educational needs teacher
• Social worker
• Teaching assistant
• Youth worker

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Child psychotherapist
• Children’s nurse
• Community development worker
• Counsellor
• Educational psychologist
• Speech and language therapist

Typical employers

Childhood graduates enter employment in a variety of sectors with a range of employers including local authorities, local and national charities, state and independent schools, nurseries, and health authorities.

Sure Start Children’s Centres and the National Health Service (NHS) also employ graduates from Childhood degrees.

Links with industry

We involve industry experts in our courses in a number of ways.

• We consult with employers when we design and update our courses.
• We ensure you are prepared to meet the demands of the workplace by continually checking the currency and validity of our courses with employers.
• You will have the opportunity to have a work placement (if not already in paid or voluntary employment).
• Employers may input directly into your course through guest lectures, projects, and other work-related activities.

Learn a new language

Alongside your study you also have the opportunity to learn a new language. The University Language Programme (ULP) is available to all students and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have.

Learning a new language can:

• enhance your communication skills
• enrich your experience when travelling abroad
• boost your career prospects.

Entry requirements

What are we looking for?

For this course, you will need one of the following:

• A-levels – BCC; or
• BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM; or
• CACHE diploma at level C or above in a relevant subject area; or
• 104 UCAS Tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent qualifications; and
• GCSEs – English and Maths grade 4.

We also consider equivalent qualifications and combinations.

 

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for September 2022 entry

Mode of study	International tuition fee
Full-time	£15,600

Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Late Applications

If you missed the UCAS January deadline, it’s not too late to apply to join us in September 2022.

Applying to university after the January deadline isn’t anything to worry about – we accept applications for most of our undergraduate courses until Thursday 30 June 2022.