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Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Practitioner Competencies with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons) *

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

Designed to support you to develop the skills, knowledge, and experience to work effectively in meeting the needs of babies and young children from 0 – 8 years old, and their families. The course covers theoretical and practical aspects of early childhood, with a strong commitment to social justice and promoting equity.

  • Level Foundation
  • Study mode Full Time

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Practitioner Competencies is a course designed to support you to develop the skills, knowledge, and experience to work effectively in meeting the needs of babies and young children from 0 – 8 years old, and their families. The course covers theoretical and practical aspects of early childhood, with a strong commitment to social justice and promoting equity.

As you progress throughout the course, you will develop the skills and confidence needed to be an agent for change, discovering and building on your passion in advocating for children to make a positive contribution both to their lives and to the early childhood sector.

Through both course modules and on placement, you will work towards Graduate Practitioner Competencies, gathering knowledge and practical experience in understanding the fundamental aspects of working with babies and young children. This is part of our commitment to supporting you in preparing for the world of work. This course can open doors into a variety of professions related to Early Childhood, and we will support and guide you as you discover the role that suits you best. Placement opportunities across all three years of the degree will enable you to work and learn alongside a variety of professionals delivering services that support the wellbeing, development and learning needs of babies and young children.

Student placements can include early years settings (nurseries), primary schools, and health and social care sectors (so can include hospitals, home visits). Opportunities may include charities such as Barnardo's, children and family hubs, museums, family support centres, Action for Children, Children's Quarter (an organisation for inclusion), SEND settings, playgroups, and libraries among many other organisations.

We also draw on employers and professionals who provide some guest lectures, offering insight into their experiences alongside our own tutors. Our tutors on the programme come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and are research active, understanding the demands of study, work, and family life. They are committed to the same agenda of social justice, social mobility and social responsibility that forms the underpinning philosophy of the programme.

Foundation Year

The BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with a Foundation Year course has been specifically designed to support your transition to degree-level study in Education. As a student, you will undertake a foundation year situated at level 3 study, which has been designed as a prelude to your chosen degree course, providing opportunities for you to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding. Your learning journey through your foundation year will provide a secure platform on which you can build throughout your academic career in higher education.

As part of the foundation year, you will explore and develop number of essential academic, interpersonal and professional skills that will help you succeed in your future degree level studies. Your foundation year includes four core modules and two subject pathway modules.

On successful completion of your foundation year, you are guaranteed to progress on to the first year of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree. If you are interested in progressing on to one of our other Education and Social Work degrees, this will be subject to space available on those courses and on meeting the relevant entry requirements, which may include passing an interview.

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

Gaining knowledge and understanding of babies’ and young children’s developmental, wellbeing and learning needs is a common theme throughout the course. You will build the skills and knowledge necessary to enable you to meet those needs and discover how you can respond in creative, reflective and analytical ways to issues relating to early childhood, being mindful of the need to adopt a resourceful approach. As well as learning about policy, practice, and provision within the field of Early Childhood, we will encourage you to become a graduate who is outward-looking with an awareness of global issues that relate to the field of Early Childhood.

We will support you to develop your personal and professional skills, including your resilience, to become self-assured and assertive so that you can be influential in developing practice, policy, and provision in your future career. We provide you with a supportive and nurturing learning environment, which will enable you to take risks as you explore and find out new things about early childhood, as well as yourself.

Our aim is for you to be confident to meet the challenges of a changing society, and competent as a researcher in gathering and analysing data to evaluate and plan for change. You will have the opportunity to become a graduate who can demonstrate a real commitment to the youngest and sometimes most vulnerable citizens in our society, with the ability to manage change and lead others effectively to make a positive impact on babies, young children, and their families.

Why Choose Us?

  • Strong commitment to social justice 
  • High employability rate 
  • Located in the heart of Birmingham
  • Study in our brand new £41 million City South Campus 
  • Experienced staff 
  • Accreditation is available for Early Years Educators 
  • Enjoy a diverse and flexible learning environment

    Open Days

    Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.

    Next Open Day: 24 November 2024

    Book your place

    Entry Requirements

    These entry requirements apply for entry in 2025/26.

    All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.

    Essential requirements

    80 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.

    If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

    Fees & How to Apply

    Please select your student status to view fees and apply
    • UK Student
    • International Student

    UK students

    Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

    Award: BA (Hons)

    Starting: Sep 2025

    • Mode
    • Duration
    • Fees
    • Full Time
    • 1 year foundation followed by 3 year degree
    • £9,250 in 2025/26
    • Apply via UCAS

    International students

    Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

    Award: BA (Hons)

    Starting: Sep 2025

    • Mode
    • Duration
    • Fees
    • Full Time
    • 1 year foundation followed by 3 year degree
    • £17,690 in 2025/26

    Access to computer equipment 

    You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms. 

    Printing 

    You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment. 

    Field trips 

    All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees. 

    Access to Microsoft Office 365 

    Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation. 

    Key software 

    You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research. 

    Key subscriptions 

    Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library. 

    DBS check 

    If you are required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for this course, the cost for your first DBS check is included in your fees. 

    Excess printing (optional) 

    Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet. 

    Personal stationery and study materials (optional) 

    Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £30 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. 

    Field trips (optional) 

    This course includes the option of additional trips that may enhance your experience, at extra cost. 

    Books (optional) 

    All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy. We suggest budgeting approximately £120 for this. 

    Memberships (optional) 

    You may wish to pay for a membership/subscription to TACTYC, costing £30 per year.  

    Accommodation and living costs (optional)

    The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

    Guidance for UK/EU students

    UCAS

    UK and EU students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

    The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

    Applying through UCAS
     Register with UCAS
     Login to UCAS
     Complete your details
     Select your course
     Write a personal statement
     Get a reference
     Pay your application fee
     Send UCAS your application

    Course in Depth

    Foundation Year

    In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).

    Year One

    In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all of the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

    In order to complete this course, you must also successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:

    Year Two

    In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all of the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

    In order to complete this course, you must also successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

    Year Three

    In order to successfully complete the course with Honours and Graduate Practitioner Competencies, you must successfully complete all of the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits):

    In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

    Download course specification

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    If students intend to successfully complete the course with Honours but without the Graduate Practitioner Competencies, they should successfully complete all modules as outlined above but do not need to complete Placement modules at Levels 4, 5 and 6.

    Course structure

    On the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Practitioner Competencies course, learning and teaching is designed to develop your confidence, knowledge and skills as you progress through the programme.

    We are passionate about the importance of Early Years education, and the role of graduate practitioners within the workforce. Our Early Childhood Studies (ECS) students are a community of learners and practitioners who value young children and their families, have a love of play and are interested in promoting children’s rights.

    We will support you in your transition to university through social and group work activities, confidence building activities and scaffolding, so you can understand the thinking behind how your university modules and assessments are planned. Throughout your first year, core modules will continue to support your developing academic and professional skills.

    Completing your Graduate Practitioner Competencies is an integral part of the course. We will support you to complete placements in practice during each year of study, enabling you to develop your expertise working with children and families, alongside your academic progression.

    You will have opportunities to develop your observation, assessment and planning skills in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. Your  practice placement are also a good time to work on the transferable skills that will enhance your employability.

    We link the course to the University's Graduate+ scheme throughout, which means you will be able to get credit from positive placement outcomes that will contribute to the Graduate+ award scheme.

    Some modules relate specifically to placement and in order to complete the assignments set you will need to take a proactive approach to placements and actively engage with the work-based learning aspect of the programme.  This will be the case for ‘Observing, Assessing and Planning for Babies and Young Children’, completed in your first year, and placement modules across all three years of the degree.

    As well as learning through practice, a variety of approaches to teaching are used.  We are committed to offering engaging, practical, and academically rigorous learning experiences. These include:

    • Workshops
    • Lectures
    • Seminars
    • Group projects
    • Guest speakers
    • Visits to settings and services
    • Field work – for example, visits to art galleries and museums 

    Trips and Visits 

    We aim to plan for visits to settings and services to support your learning and development. These vary from year to year but may include museum and art galleries, nurseries and early years settings.

    Employability

    Enhancing employability skills

    A BCU Graduate is professional and work-ready, a creative problem solver, enterprising and has a global outlook. Transferrable skills are considered very highly throughout the programme should you decide not to work directly with children and young people in the future.

    We have embraced the Graduate+ scheme and there are opportunities throughout the programme for you to receive credit for developing your employability skills. We have a commitment to learning for life and actively encourage you to develop your own research skills and to pursue your learning journey by building on your first degree to Master's level and beyond.

    From induction through to your final module your tutor team will support you in exploring career pathways linked to young children and their families.

    Graduate stories

    Adam Nickels

    Adam Nickels talks about the variety of roles he could go into with the modules on offer on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies course. 

    Read Adam's full profile

    Claire Fitzgerald - ECS

    Claire Fitzgerald secured a job at Busy Bees Training Academy which delivers bespoke training to early years staff. 

    Read Claire's full profile

    Placements

    Placement is an integral part of the course and you will complete placements during each year of study. This is so you can develop professional skills, find out about the wide range of careers open to you within the field and develop transferable skills that will enhance your employability.

    The balance of academic achievement and practical experience is a fundamental element of our approach. We embed the Graduate Practitioner Competencies into the placement experience to add value, structure and an additional evidence-informed qualification.

    More about our placement opportunities

    International

    Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

    The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

    Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

    Facilities & Staff

    Our facilities

    Our School of Education and Social Work is based at our City South campus in leafy Edgbaston.

    We’ve spent £41million expanding the education facilities at City South. These facilities offer hands-on practical experience, replicating the spaces you will come across in professional practice. Alongside classrooms and lecture theatres, we also have a range of specialist teaching and learning spaces for specific subjects including science, design and technology, drama and physical education.

    As well as subject-specific rooms, our facilities include the Primary Innovation Lab, which houses £24,000 worth of LEGO. This room is a special resource for our education students, offering an innovative and creative way to approach subjects across the curriculum – from computing to English, mathematics to art. The lab responds to research that children and young people learn best from practical experience.

    Our Social Work students have access to a home environment room and mock hospital wards which offer an opportunity to gain experience of working with service users in different situations.

    Computer facilities

    The Seacole building has two open-access IT Suites which offer PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. There is also an IT Helpdesk for quick and easy help with your computing or internet issues.

    Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:

    • Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
    • Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
    • Microsoft Office software
    • Research and statistical software
    • Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home

    Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.

    In addition to desktop PCs, we also offer a laptop loan facility, allowing students to borrow a laptop for up to six hours while on campus.

    Our staff

    Julie Davis

    Foundation Year Lecturer

    Julie joined the ADD (Academic Development Department) in 2018 as a Lecturer on the HELS Foundation Year programme. Prior to joining Birmingham City University, she worked at a number of local FE and HE institutions where she developed and delivered a range of Early Years and Education programmes.

    More about Julie

    Jessica Lowe

    Foundation Year Lecturer

    Jessica joined the ADD (Academic Development Department) in 2019 as a Lecturer on the HELS Foundation Year Programme. Her role is to lead and develop modules to support students on their journey on the Foundation Year Programme. Prior to joining BCU, she has worked in a FE and HE institution teaching students on a range of courses in Early Years...

    More about Jessica