Childhood and Youth: Theory and Practice (formerly Working with Children and Young People - UCAS code L520) (2013 entry)

BA, 3 years, UCAS: L520
Typical A level offer: ABB

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Subject overview

Why education, childhood and youth?

A wide variety of careers involve working with children and young people, with rewarding opportunities in the UK and internationally. Career pathways could include direct work with children and young people (for example, in schools or early childhood services, youth work or social work), further study, or policy-oriented employment. With such a variety of potential careers in childhood and youth, and in an increasingly competitive employment market, graduates need to combine a strong academic grounding with a clear professional focus that prepares them for the workplace. This is why we have developed our innovative Childhood and Youth: Theory and Practice BA. 

Why education, childhood and youth at Sussex?

The School of Education and Social Work’s commitment to high-quality teaching and pedagogic innovation is evidenced through league table successes and the number of academic faculty holding local and national teaching awards.

In the last two years, the University has invested in education, childhood and youth through the appointment of additional staff with expertise in this area of work.

The School has an impressive employment record with a high proportion of graduates entering graduate-level employment in a related field within six months of graduation. 

Programme content

The BA is at the forefront of interdisciplinary approaches to applied childhood and youth studies. It offers innovative study, combining crossdisciplinary theoretical perspectives on childhood, youth and family with real-world experience in short observational placements. 

You will look critically at theory, policy and practice underpinning key issues of relevance to children and young people, as well as their education, health and development. You will focus on the study of child and adolescent development; the sociology of childhood and youth; children’s rights and legal frameworks; international perspectives on childhood; social pedagogy (and linked European approaches to work with children, young people, and families); professional roles; social exclusion; health and well-being; families and communities; and research methods appropriate to the discipline. 

Taught by leading researchers and expert practitioners within education, social work and social care, this BA is suitable for those who are considering a career concerned with children and young people, in the UK or internationally. That includes those wishing to enter into the children’s workforce, those wishing to consider professional training in social work, teaching or law at postgraduate level, those considering policy-oriented careers, and those interested in carrying out further study in this fascinating and important field. 

We aim to recruit a diverse intake of students each year and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 

For more information about our BA in Working with Children and Young People, watch the video at Department of Education: Undergraduate study.

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2013 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

How will I learn?

We provide a variety of learning opportunities and you will be encouraged to develop the skills of learning independently and learning in a group, both essential for future professional practice.

Your learning will take place within a framework of lectures, seminars and workshops. You will also gain real-world experience in the workplace, and link theory with professional practice, through supported observational placements, offered in a variety of services for children and young people, such as early childhood, schools, and youth services.

There will be essays, examinations, group and individual presentations and writing, to reflect the different academic, personal and pre-professional skills this course enables you to develop. Our faculty, together with local employers and services across the University, pay careful attention to your employment needs.

Core content

Year 1

You are introduced to key theories and debates, and also learn about ‘social pedagogy’, a theoretical discipline informing work with children and young people in many European countries.

You take the modules Childhood, Youth and Transition • Children’s Rights and Legal Frameworks • Contemporary Debates 1 • European Perspectives: Social Pedagogy (including an observational placement).

You also have the opportunity to choose from a variety of elective options and can use these options to specialise in specific areas of interest. Options include psychology, education, sociology, anthropology, and creative approaches such as music, film and media studies.

Year 2

Teaching builds on the theoretical foundations established in Year 1 with a greater focus on the application of theory to policy and practice, as well as on the nature of professional practice itself. The Introduction to Research Methods module helps prepare you for your dissertation in your final year.

You take the modules Contemporary Debates 2 • Interprofessional Practice • Introduction to Research Methods • Working with Children, Young People and Families (including an observational placement).

You also have the opportunity to choose from a variety of elective options, and can use these options to specialise in specific areas of interest. Options include psychology, education, sociology, anthropology, and creative approaches such as music, film and media studies.

Final year

You consider new theoretical content at an advanced level in relation to prior theoretical and applied learning as you move towards a critical integration of theory and practice. Your learning culminates in the production of a dissertation based on a research project.

You take Childhood Contexts: Parents and Families • Childhood Contexts: Institutions, Communities and Society • Contemporary Debates 3 • Health and Well-Being • Dissertation.

Back to module list

Childhood, Youth & Transition

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module will explore children and young people's development from an interdisciplinary perspective. It takes a holistic and ecological view of developmental trajectories in the context of social relationships, providing an overview of children and young people's bio-psycho-social, cultural and emotional development and the role that relationships with primary carers, significant others, family members and friends play in that development. You will have opportunities to reflect on key concepts in child and youth development, such as attachment, transition (with associated gains, losses, change and risks), identity, risk and resilience.

Locating the child in the context of social and societal relationships, the module will examine key aspects of child development, and theoretical approaches to understanding childhood. It will explore the role of attunement, self-regulation and attachment in emotional and social development; the role of environmental and social factors in the development of speech, language and literacy; the role of play in the development of gender and ethnic identities and moral reasoning; peer and family relationships and the influence of wider social institutions in the development of young identities; the problematisation of adolescence and perspectives on sexual development, risk, crisis and deviance; and major transitions, democratic participation and civic engagement and the governance of children and young people's lives and spaces. The impact of inequality on children and young people's development across differences such as class, race, gender, sexuality and age will be explored, and the module will draw on examples of child and youth development in the context of multi-cultural and multi-lingual family and community contexts, as well as adverse social and political contexts. Children's experiences and points of view of growing up in different social and cultural contexts will also be addressed.

Teaching methods will include a combination of weekly lectures and seminars.

You will have an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key concepts gained from the module through formative and summative modes of assessment. Formative feedback will be provided on a weekly basis through seminars in which you and a fellow student will be required to prepare a short presentation on the week's topic. For the summative assessment, you will give a group presentation (50%) in weeks 11 or 12 and will be given a choice of 3 essay questions and asked to submit an essay of 3000 words responding to one of the questions (50%).

Children's Rights and Legal Frameworks

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module aims to provide a foundation in key legal and policy frameworks affecting work with children and young people in a broad range of contexts. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will be used to structure the module giving a strong focus on the global reach of children's rights and legal frameworks. Example of the construction and consequences of children's rights and legal frameworks will be drawn from national (UK) and international contexts. These will be considered from historical, cultural, political and social perspectives. This module is complemented by the course on Inter-professional Practice in Year 2 which explores these issues at practice level.

Contemporary Debates 1: Childhood and Society

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

The three Contemporary Debates modules run in Teaching Block 1 of each year and provide the course with overall conceptual coherence and progression. The aim of the three modules is to locate experiences and knowledge of childhood and youth theory, policy and practice at a historical, social and cultural interface. The modules will expose you to the ways in which our experiences and knowledge of childhood change over time.

This first of three Debates runs in Year 1 Block 1.

The module focuses on historical views of children and young people and of childhood. It will address developing constructions of childhood, in historical perspective, and critically analyse the emergence of grand theories of childhood (psychodynamic, social learning theories, constructivist theories, and socio-cultural theories) to consider how these theories are themselves socially constructed and historically located.

The module will begin with an historical overview of the 'invention' of childhood, considering its representation in art and literature, in the UK and globally, and its emergence as a field of academic study. The module will go on to chart the development of each grand theoretical tradition, considering the possibilities and limitations of each theory, drawing on a range of research evidence. In doing so, it will consider how such theories have historically and contemporaneously influenced and shaped the development of childhood and youth policy and practice and so have shaped children's lives. Examples of policy and practice will be given from education, health and child welfare.

The teaching strategy for the module will consist of an hour lecture followed by a two-hour seminar. You will also take part in two group tutorials, to support their work towards writing the assignment, and to discuss their progress in (a) understanding the key concepts presented in the module and (b) developing their skills of critical reflection.

Summative assessment for the module will be based on a short Concept Note, with a focus of your choice addressing a topic covered in the module. To support your development of reflective writing, the concept note will be submitted in two stages: an initial 500 word note submitted in Week 6, and a 1000 word note expanding on the earlier work, to be submitted in Week 12. Formative feedback will be provided on one draft of each concept note and through discussion in seminars and group tutorials.

European Perspectives: Social Pedagogy and Work with Children and Young People

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module will introduce you to social pedagogy, a core theoretical and professional discipline for work with children and young people in many European countries. Social pedagogy can be understood as the theoretical discipline concerned with upbringing, or with education in the broadest sense of that word. This module will begin with an overview of the field of social pedagogy, addressing current theoretical understandings and debates. The second part of the module will go on to consider the application of social pedagogic theory and principles to policy and work with children, young people and families across the sector of children's services. The module will explore the relevance of social pedagogy to practice in settings including schools, youth services, early years and out of school provision. Readings will be drawn from a range of English language material, including writing on social pedagogic theory alongside UK-focused material - for example, in the fields of formal and informal education, social work and youth work - to encourage you to identify links between social pedagogy and other complementary approaches to work with children.

Module content will include:

(a) key concepts and principles, and their application to work with children and young people, including:
- understandings of 'education' and upbringing;
- democratic education and educating for democracy;
- 'head, hands and heart' reflective work through relationships;
- a 'life-world orientation' work with the everyday;
- listening and communicating;
- the group as a resource for reflective practice;
(b) the diversity of social pedagogy - cross-national variations in theory and approaches;
(c) social pedagogy in the UK? commonalities and differences with English language approaches to work with children;
(d) the professional role of the pedagogue within children's services;
(e) social pedagogy in practice: supporting children's learning and their education-in-the-broadest-sense;
(f) social pedagogy in policy for children and families; and
(g) current debates and future directions.

Contemporary Debates 2: Connecting Theory and Practice

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The Debates modules run in teaching Block 1 of each year and provide the programme with overall conceptual coherence and progression. The aim of the three modules is to locate experiences and knowledge of childhood and youth theory, policy and practice at a historical, social and cultural interface. The Debates modules will expose students to the ways in which our experiences and knowledge of childhood change over time.

This second of three Debates runs in Year 2 Block 1.

This module addresses connections and disjunctures between theories, policies and practice in relation to work with children, young people and families. It examines the ways in which theoretical constructions of childhood and child development have informed policy and practice across children's services. In particular, it will consider the impact of key theoretical and methodological approaches on the design and development of policy and services, and consider the relative dominance of different approaches.

The module will encompass psychodynamic, social learning, constructivist, and socio-cultural theories. In relation to social learning theory, for example, the course will consider its influence on UK policy and practice in schools and in parent and family support services. Other examples include the influence of systems and critical theories in social work or psychoanalytic theories in therapeutic work with children. At the same time as examining links between theory and professional practice, the module will address the interface between different theoretical approaches and understandings of evidence-based policy and practice in relation to children, young people and families. Examples from a UK and a cross-national perspective, and from education, health and child welfare, will be used to analyse the ways in which the inter-relationship between theory, policy and practice is itself socially constructed and historically located.

Content will build on material covered in the preceding academic year, in Debates 1 and in other core modules including Childhood, Youth and Transition and European Perspectives: Social Pedagogy. At the same time, a focus on policy and practice in children's services, and on their connections with theory and research evidence, will act to provide a critical conceptual link with material to be covered in other Year 2 modules, including 'Working with Children' and 'Research Methods'. In doing so, the module will also support you in building critical and reflective links between theoretical and applied content in the programme as a whole.

Teaching strategy will consist of an hour lecture followed by a two-hour seminar. You will also receive group tutorials to discuss their progress in understanding the key concepts and developing their skills of critical reflection, and to gain further support in writing the assignment.

Summative assessment will be based on a short Concept Note (1500 words), with a focus of your choice addressing a topic covered in the module. Formative feedback will be provided on one draft of the concept note and through discussion in seminars and in group tutorials.

Inter-professional Practice

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module aims to develop knowledge of partnership and inter-professional working, and to sensitise students to the opportunites and challenges offered by collaborative working. Drawing on theory, research and practice in national (UK) and international contexts, the module aims to develop students' conceptual thinking on the topics of interdisciplinary working with children and young people, at the same time as developing their practical skills in collaborative group work.

The module is underpinned by the idea that the "messy interconnectedness" of welfare matters (Hendricks, 2005) calls for multi-professional and multi-agency working. The rights framework provided by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will be used to frame the module's approach to the module content. Detailed reference will be made to cases of inter-professional working in the UK and internationally, and the contexts that enable and constrain succesful partnership working will be considered.

This module builds upon the foundations of the Year One course Rights and Legal Frameworks, through greater emphasis on practice and implementation of child-and youth-focused services. It locates partnership and inter-professional working in an institutional landscape that requires the balancing of rights, risks, and resilience in the practice of promoting children and young people's well-being.

Examples of areas in which partnership and inter-professional working will be explored include:

* introduction to roles and group/team dynamics in interdisciplinary contexts;
* legal and policy frameworks for interagency working(e.g. introduction of the Common Assessment Framework in the UK);
* collaborative working in complex support systems (e.g. Looked After Children, children in residential care, pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs, Pupil Referral Units);
* collaborative working in mixed ecologies of care (e.g. statutory services, charity and voluntary sector support for 'vulnerable' children and young people);
* child protection, with examples from the UK, Europe and from the field of international development;
* the role of language in interprofessional contexts (e.g. across health, education, and social work); and
* inter-professional working with disabled children and with children in the youth justice system.

The assessment will mirror the dual emphasis of the mofule in developing students' understanding of collaborative working alongside their collaboration skills. As such, the assessment will consist of a group presentation (35% weighting) and a short report (2000 words) on collaborative working (65% weighting). You will be asked to choose a collaborative working context on which to present, and your short report will reflect on your collaborative practice, using literature where relevant to support your arguments.

Teaching and learning will be delivered through a combination of weekly lectures and seminars and a tutorial incorporating facilitated group work.

Introduction to Research Methods

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module introduces you to the different ways in which research with children and young people can be conducted, and to the key theoretical and methodological debates about research with children and young people. It provides insights in to different methodologies, methods and applications of research, gives the opportunity to explore a specific research paper in detail, and prepares you for the dissertation in Year 3. It will be taught during Year 3 Block 2.

Social Work with Children, Young People and Families

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module takes place immediately prior to placement and is clearly focused on preparing you for placement in children and family settings. The module follows the principles of problem-based learning in order to help you reflect on critical connections between material covered in the module and your observations and experiences in the observational placement.

This module is designed to enable you to consolidate and develop understanding of the social work role and task in relation to practice in the field of children's services. Through detailed and critical scrutiny of role and task in a range of policy and practice contexts and settings, you will gain a level of knowledge and understanding sufficient to provide you with a foundation for safe practice, under appropriate supervision, in subsequent agency placements. You will be required to pay particular attention to the nature of the emotional and political dynamics in those contexts of ambiguity and conflict that characterise this field of work, and to the impact these have on decision-making and intervention. Topics covered include: the history and current context of children's services; overview of developments in policy in relation to children's services; early and preventive intervention with vulnerable children in community settings; needs and risk assessment and protective intervention where specific questions of harm arise; care planning for children and young people in public care; work with young offenders

The syllabus is constructed in a rapidly changing policy and practice environment and therefore is indicative, designed to respond to local and national changes.

Contemporary Debates 3: Future Directions

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The Debates modules run in Teaching Block 1 of each year and provide the programme with overall conceptual coherence and progression. The aim of the three modules is to locate experiences and knowledge of childhood and youth theory, policy and practice at a historical, social and cultural interface. The modules will expose students to the ways in which our experiences and knowledge of childhood change over time.

This final of the three Debates runs in Year 3 Block 1.

This third and final of three Debates focuses on the current state of the art in terms of knowledge and experience of childhood and youth studies, whilst looking to the future to considering developing agendas in theory, policy and professional practice. The module will consolidate learning from the two previous linked Debates modules, and will build on other theoretical, applied and methodological content in preceding years. More specifically, the module will examine the elements of grand theories and modern theories that hold currency or remain influential today, whilst introducing you to current trends in research on childhood including neuroscientific, post-modern and pragmatic traditions. You will be encouraged to problematise current trends in the same way they have problematised historical trends, to reflect on how the current 'state of the art' can be understood within a social, cultural and historical context. Drawing on relevant material from other modules in the BA (and encouraging you to draw on material covered in elective modules), this final module will actively engage with the inter-disciplinarity of both knowledge and experience of childhood and youth. The module will highlight debates around the social construction and politics of knowledge (e.g. evidence-based practice) and the influence of children's rights on shaping understanding and experience of childhood and youth. As with previous modules, examples will be given of the ways in which contemporary trends are influencing and shaping childhood and youth policy and practice and children's experiences nationally and internationally.

Teaching strategy will consist of an hour lecture followed by a two-hour seminar. You will also receive group tutorials to discuss their progress in understanding the key concepts and to gain further support in writing the assignment.

Summative assessment for the module will be based on a short Concept Note (1500 words), with a focus of your choice addressing a topic covered in the module. Formative feedback will be provided on one draft of the concept note and through discussion in group tutorials.

Contexts of Childhood 1: Parents and Families

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module will be taught in Year 3 Block 1.

The module aims to build and extend knowledge of children and young people's lives in the context of their families, and draws together a number of themes from modules in previous years.

The module continues with an holistic and ecological view of children and young people and explores the micro-and meso-systems of children and young people's development and experiences. A key focus on the module will be the interactions and relationships between children and young people and their immediate familial and care environments. The module will focus on the risks and resilience of these contexts and the role that families and other carers can play in promoting resilience and well-being. Concepts of family and family practices, parenting, care, social and cultural capital will be explored.

Locating childhood and youth in a family and care context, the module will cover a range of topics including the concept of 'family' and family diversity; siblings; parenting; extended families; non-parental child-care; play, leisure and family life; social inequalities; diversity; disadvantaged families. Examples will be given from cross-cultural research and links will be made to current developments in policy and practice for/with children and young people and their families.

The summative assessment will be an individual poster presentation.

Contexts of Childhood 2: Institutions, Communities, and Societies

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module will be taught in Year 3 Block 2.

The module aims to build and extend knowledge of children and young people's lives in the context of the institutions with which they come into contact, in their communities and in society at large. The module builds on the previous "Contexts of childhood" module that focused on parents and families, as well as drawing together a number of themes from modules in previous years.

The module continues with an holistic and ecological view of children and young people, and explores the meso-, exo- and macro-systems of children and young people's lives, development and experiences. The module will focus on the institutions that play a key role in children and young people's lives, including school, communities, medical institutions, the justice system, and the media. The module will consider the risks and resilience opportunities of these contexts and the role that professionals can play in promoting resilience and well-being and in enabling young people. Concepts of rights, responsibilities, systems, participation, social and cultural capital, social meaning & representations, communities, mediated experience, and inequalities will be explored.

Locating childhood and youth in a broader societal and cultural context, the module will cover a range of topics including schooling, formal and informal learning; inclusion/exclusion from education; children and young people's understanding of society, risk and resilience; play, leisure and youth development; social inequalities and communities; children and the media; children's participation in decision-making about healthcare; children and the justice system. Examples will be given from cross-cultural research and links will be made to current developments in policy and practice for/with children and young people.

The summative assessment will be a three hour Unseen Examination where a selection of 7 short essay questions will be given and you will be required to select and answer three questions. Seminars and tutorials will be used to prepare you for the examination, for example with practice exam questions and peer assessment.

Dissertation

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module focuses on guided research enquiry into a topic of your choice. It brings together research and professional practice by providing you with an opportunity to undertake empirical research or a desk-based study in an area relevant to work with children and young people.

Individual and group tutorials will provide: support with the identification of a focus for the dissertation, an appropriate research design and research questions; advice on ethics review; formative feedback on one proposal plan and and one dissertation draft prior to submission.

The module draws on knowledge of research processes gained earlier in the course, specifically in the Research Methods course taught in Year 2.

The module content will include:

How to conduct a small-scale research study - either desk-based or empirical - in an area relating to work with children, young people or families.
Ethics issues relating to research with children and young people, including how to obtain ethics approval for an empirical project.
Issues relating to desk-based studies and use of secondary data.
Approaches to reviewing the literature.
How to develop a research design and to frame research questions.
Input on specific data collection methods such as interviewing, observation and focus groups.
Researcher positionality.
Methods of data analysis, including workshops to introduce the use of ICT for this purpose.
Input relating to the academic skills necessary to communicate and present research findings in an accessible and appropriate format.

Teaching methods will include a combination of weekly lectures and seminars, workshops on data analysis requiring ICT facilities and group and individual tutorials.

Some lectures, seminars and workshops will involve joint learning with the BA in Social Work. The majority of the work will be undertaken through private study but there will also be opportunities for peer presentation to support the initial development of the project focus and design.

Health and Wellbeing

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module aims to provide knowledge and understanding of a range of factors relating to children and young people's health and well-being. It will begin by addressing key areas of health of particular relevance to work with children and young people, whilst critically examining underpinning theoretical constructions of health and of health behaviour. Throughout, the module will incorporate discussion of key facets of health and well-being in childhood with consideration of corresponding health problems (e.g. in linking discussion of emotional health and of emotional and behavioural problems). Discussion of approaches to work with children and young people's health will be embedded throughout the module, both in relation to health education and health promotion, and in supporting and working with children and young people with additional needs. Through this approach, the module will build on aspects of theory and debate covered in earlier parts of the module, including the 'Contemporary Debates' modules, and modules relating to inter-professional practice and work with children, young people and families.

The module content will include:

(a) Critical concepts in health
- Well-being and happiness
- Inequalities in health
- Global perspectives
(b) Diet and health
- Perspectives on food and family
- Childhood obesity
(c) Understanding health risks for children and young people
- Concepts of vulnerability
- Risk and play
- Sexual health
- Drug and alcohol use
(d) Health and happiness
- emotional health and emotional and behavioural difficulties
- mental health in childhood and adolescence
(e) Complex needs and disability:
- Concepts of disability
- Identification and assessment of special and complex needs
- Children with chronic illness
- Children as carers

The module will be assessed formatively by student presentations and summatively by a Long Term Paper, and so teaching will be delivered by a combination of weekly lectures and seminars, with the addition of two group tutorials to monitor progress and provide support with development of the course assigment.

Back to module list

Entry requirements

Sussex welcomes applications from students of all ages who show evidence of the academic maturity and broad educational background that suggests readiness to study at degree level. For most students, this will mean formal public examinations; details of some of the most common qualifications we accept are shown below. If you are an overseas student, refer to Applicants from outside the UK.

All teaching at Sussex is in the English language. If your first language is not English, you will also need to demonstrate that you meet our English language requirements.

Please note: We are not able to consider applications to transfer direct into the 2nd year of the degree in Working with Children and Young People in 2012. Applications will only be considered for 1st year entry.

A level

Typical offer: ABB

International Baccalaureate

Typical offer: 34 points overall

For more information refer to International Baccalaureate.

Other qualifications

Access to HE Diploma

Typical offer: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher.

For more information refer to Access to HE Diploma.

Advanced Diploma

Typical offer: Pass with at least a grade B in the Diploma and A in the Additional and Specialist Learning.

Specific entry requirements: The Additional and Specialist Learning must be an A-level (ideally in a humanities or social science subject).

For more information refer to Advanced Diploma.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma

Typical offer: DDM-DDD

For more information refer to BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.

European Baccalaureate

Typical offer: Overall result of at least 77%

For more information refer to European Baccalaureate.

Finnish Ylioppilastutkinto

Typical offer: Overall average result in the final matriculation examinations of at least 6.0.

French Baccalauréat

Typical offer: Overall final result of at least 13/20

German Abitur

Typical offer: Overall result of 1.8 or better

Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level)

Typical offer: AABBBB

Italian Diploma di Maturità or Diploma Pass di Esame di Stato

Typical offer: Final Diploma of at least 90/100

Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

Typical offer: AABBB

For more information refer to Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers.

Spanish Titulo de Bachillerato (LOGSE)

Typical offer: Overall average result of at least 8.0

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma

Typical offer: Pass the Core plus AB in two A levels

For more information refer to Welsh Baccalaureate.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in each section. Internet-based TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking and 23 in Writing.

For more information, refer to alternative English language requirements.

For more information about the admissions process at Sussex:

Undergraduate Admissions,
Sussex House,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678416
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

Fees and funding

Fees

Home/EU students: £9,0001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £9,0002
Overseas students: £13,0003

1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.

Funding

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.

Care Leavers Award (2013)

Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 31 July 2014

For students have been in council care before starting at Sussex.

First-Generation Scholars Scheme (2013)

Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 13 June 2014

The scheme is targeted to help students from relatively low income families – ie those whose family income is up to £42,611.

First-Generation Scholars Scheme EU Student Award (2013)

Region: Europe (Non UK)
Level: UG
Application deadline: 13 June 2014

£3,000 fee waiver for UG Non-UK EU students whose family income is below £25,000

 

Careers and profiles

Career opportunities

This degree will prepare you to work in a range of exciting settings and roles within the field of working with children, young people, and their carers and families. These roles are many and varied and their specifics are subject to change and development according to changes in policy and Governmental priorities but the demand for a more highly skilled and research-aware workforce is clear and likely to remain so for many years to come.

The flexible professional focus of this BA ensures that our graduates will be prepared for a wide range of employment and educational opportunities, including:

  • direct employment in children’s or young people’s services such as nurseries or children’s centres; mentoring in schools; working in a Pupil Referral unit; youth work; residential care work; parenting or family support in mainstream or social care services
  • further training to practise as a teacher, social worker or lawyer
  • further study, for example the MA in Childhood and Youth Studies or the MA in International Education and Development
  • employment within UK or overseas charitable organisations working to support children and young people
  • policy-oriented employment opportunities, whether working within independent or charitable organisations, nationally or internationally, or through local government or the civil service.

Careers and employability

For employers, it’s not so much what you know, but what you can do with your knowledge that counts. The experience and skills you’ll acquire during and beyond your studies will make you an attractive prospect. Initiatives such as SussexPlus, delivered by the Careers and Employability Centre, help you turn your skills to your career advantage. It’s good to know that 94 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study (Which? University).

For more information on the full range of initiatives that make up our career and employability plan for students, visit Careers and alumni.

Janet's faculty perspective

Janet Boddy

‘I am delighted to be leading the  BA in Childhood and Youth: Theory and Practice. It builds on cutting-edge international research, and is informed by my own cross-European studies of “social pedagogy” – a model of work with children and young people that is attracting much interest in the UK because of its key role in other European countries.

‘Our innovative course will introduce you to social pedagogy, combining crossdisciplinary theoretical perspectives on childhood, youth and family with “real-world” understandings of policy and practice.

‘Supported by highly experienced professionals and world-leading researchers, you will gain experience through observational placements and have opportunities to take a variety of specialist options. This creative mix offers an exciting course, but also ensures a stong academic grounding for a wide range of future careers involving children, young people and families.’

Janet Boddy
Reader in Child, Youth and Family Studies,
University of Sussex

Contact our School

School of Education and Social Work

The School of Education and Social Work combines two very strong departments with excellent reputations, and serves the needs of its students as well as those of the wider community.

How do I find out more?

For further information, contact:
E eswenquiries@sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 872595
Social Work Admissions, Essex House,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9QQ, UK
Department of Social Work and Social Care
Department of Education 

Visit us

Campus tours

We offer weekly guided campus tours.

Mature students at Sussex: information sessions

If you are 21 or over, and thinking about starting an undergraduate degree at Sussex, you may want to attend one of our mature student information sessions. Running between October and December, they include guidance on how to approach your application, finance and welfare advice, plus a guided campus tour with one of our current mature students.

Self-guided visits

If you are unable to make any of the visit opportunities listed, drop in Monday to Friday year round and collect a self-guided tour pack from Sussex House reception.

Go to Visit us and Open Days to book onto one of our tours.

Hannah's perspective

Hannah Steele

'Studying at Sussex gave me so many opportunities to really throw myself into university life, and being taught by enthusiastic academic staff who are involved in ground-breaking research meant that the education I received was second to none.

'Coming to an Open Day gave me a great insight into both academic and social life at Sussex. Working here means that I now get to tell others about my experiences and share all the great things about the University. And if you can’t make it to our Open Days, we’ve other opportunities to visit, or you can visit our Facebook page and our Visit us and Open Days pages.'

Hannah Steele
Graduate Intern, Student Recruitment Services

Aaron-Leslie's perspective

Aaron-Leslie Williams

'Leaving home to study at Sussex was an exciting new experience, and settling in came naturally with all the different activities on campus throughout the year. There are loads of facilities available on your doorstep, both the Library and the gym are only ever a short walk away.

'My experience at Sussex has been amazing. It's a really friendly campus, the academics are helpful, and Brighton is just around the corner. I now work as a student ambassador, and help out at Open Days, sharing all the things I've grown to love about Sussex!'

Aaron-Leslie Williams
BSc in Mathematics


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