BA (Honours) Early Years (top up)

Attendance

Part-time

Two years
You attend one day every two weeks from 9.30–4.00pm
Starts September

At a glance

About this course

The aim of this course is to enable you to progress and build on your foundation degree in Early Years or other relevant level 5 qualification that has an early years focus in order to meet the needs for early years practitioners to be educated to degree level. It is designed for early years practioners and professionals with significant experience including managers and advisory staff within all early years related services.

Your study focuses on the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and other current national policy requirements relevant to the early years sector. We use a work-based learning approach to ensure the development of your knowledge, skills and understanding is directly relevant to your role. This means that your projects and assessments use your daily work experiences as the basis for your learning.

This qualification can help you to gain positions with greater responsibility. It also enables you to progress to postgraduate level study.

Associated careers

The skills and knowledge you gain on this course enable you to progress to posts with greater responsibility within the early years sector. This includes supervisory, management and leadership posts in education settings or higher level management and leadership positions within larger organisations such as local authorities and children's charities.

There are also a growing range of opportunities to take on wider responsibilities as graduate managers in more complex multiprofessional organisations, such as children's centres.

Course content

Year one modules

• leadership in early years services • advanced professional learning in early years services

Year two modules

• planning a professional project: early years • extended professional project: early years

Assessment

Continuous assessment including • presentations • essays • portfolios.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements are

• a Foundation Degree in Early Years
• a level two qualification in English or communication and maths or numeracy
• at least three years’ work experience or equivalent, in early years services
• appropriate professional skills, values, attitudes and knowledge of the early years workforce
• to be able to work as part of a team
• to be able to relate to and promote the learning and development of young children
• to be able to fulfil the academic and professional demands of the course including written and oral communication and information and communication technology
• as you work with children, you need to complete health forms and have Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as Criminal Records Bureau) clearance

If English is not your first language you need an IELTS score of at least 6.0.

We consider all applicants on an individual basis.

Fees

Home and EU students

2013/14 academic year

Typically £4,980 for the course

You may be eligible for pre-2012 fees if you are joining directly from a foundation degree. For further information please contact us.

How to apply

To apply for this course download and complete this application form and return it to us.

Contact details

For more information please contact Stephen Coates, The Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, Sheffield. Phone +44 (0)114 225 5352 or email s.a.coates@shu.ac.uk