CHILD & ADOLESCENT STUDIES UoB BA (HONS) (TOP UP)

This course is for applicants with a related Foundation Degree or Higher Education qualification wishing to top up to the full BA degree.

The BA (Hons) Child & Adolescent Studies is a level 6 top-up award intended principally for students who have been awarded an FdA in Child & Family Studies or any student eligible to transfer into Level 6 from a Child & Adolescent Studies related degree (i.e. who has successfully studied Levels 4 and 5 in a Child & Adolescent Studies related degree).

Or

Evidence of two years of successful related study at degree levels 4 and 5 and potential to progress to Level 6. Entry to the course will be through negotiation to ensure that applicants have the appropriate pre-requisite knowledge and skills.

Additionally, for applicants where English is not their first language, you must have IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

This course is delivered in-person at the Bedford College site and involves both structured teaching and guided and independent study. You will attend the college one day a week (9:00-18:00) and devote about 35 hours a week engaging in wider reading, independent study and research. You will be assessed through a range of methods and receive regular verbal and written feedback on your progress and the quality of your work.

As part of the course, you will be required to work or volunteer in a course-relevant setting for a minimum of 14 hours a week.

The course is enhanced with relevant trips, guest lectures and visits, and you will be strongly encouraged to participate in events and activities designed to enrich your learning experience and prepare you for the next steps in your educational and/or professional journey.

The BA (Hons) Child and Adolescent Studies course is highly relevant and up to date with current practice and expectations of employers within the field of working with children and young people. This course explores how and why we work with children, young people and their families in a multiagency context.

Modules

• Independent Project in Child and Adolescent Studies
• Child Protection and Safeguarding: the context of vulnerability
• Special Educational Needs and Challenging Behaviour in Schooling: Exploring Tensions Between the Individual and the Structural Organisation
• Youth Justice: Models and Approaches
• The Lived Experiences of Children and Young People in Diverse Family and Social Circumstances

A range of appropriate and effective assessments will enable students to demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge and skills. These will include case studies, proposals, in-class tests, presentations, reports, portfolios and a dissertation.

Further information:

• Written assignments – these will vary in style and will include essays, reports, reflective accounts as well as other written tasks that we will prepare you for.
• Oral and Poster presentations that demonstrate verbal and presentation skills through sharing information and knowledge with others in innovative ways.
• The Dissertation allows you to undertake a complex research project and communicate knowledge, findings and recommendations demonstrating your ability to implement and deliver a self-directed, complex and solution focused task.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Child and Adolescent Studies.

On successful completion, typical graduate destinations for Child and Adolescent Studies students include:

Direct work with service users in areas such as:

• children and families
• drug and alcohol misuse
• young people
• youth offending services
• working with disabled and/or special education needs

Work in other areas of human services such as:

• policy development
• welfare
• community development

Graduates will be well-equipped to take advantage of the many career opportunities that exist in direct work with service users, as well as the opportunity to enter social work training at Masters level or apply for entry to a variety of postgraduate options at the University of Bedfordshire, for example, MA Childhood and Youth: Applied Perspectives and MA in International Social Work and Social Development.

While most recommended readings are available through Bedford College’s and University of Bedfordshire’s libraries, some students opt to purchase their own copies of the textbooks. The course does not require any specialist equipment or uniforms although small contributions towards trips and events may be needed.

If you would like to find out more about this or other courses, please use our Livechat or email us at info@bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk