In a world where children’s futures are uncertain, qualified early childhood graduates with specialist practitioner skills and professional knowledge are needed more than ever.

On this final year course, you’ll enhance the learning you’ve already completed. You'll gain a solid understanding of the theory underpinning your practice. You’ll learn and master different pedagogical approaches - and you’ll know when, why and how to use them.

You'll have the support and guidance to develop your professional knowledge. You can also take the opportunity to make your own area of interest an important issue in Early Years through your dissertation. You’ll graduate ready to take a professional and leading role within the early years sector.

How to apply

Entry requirements

Specific entry requirements

Students will usually have achieved a Higher National Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care or an equivalent relevant Early Years related level 5 qualification of 240 credits subject to individual credit rating by Oxford Brookes University.

Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

English language requirements

Please see the University's standard English language requirements.

International qualifications and equivalences

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Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Credit transfer

Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.

Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.

Application process

Full time Home (UK) applicants

Apply through UCAS

International applicants

Apply direct to the University

Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note

Home (UK) full time

£9,250

International full time

£15,950

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25

Home (UK) full time

£9,250

International full time

£15,950

2025 / 26

Home (UK) full time

£9,535

International full time

£16,750

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our 2025-26 tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Optional costs

Additional costs
Additional costs	Amount (£)
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.	From £30
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand.	£20-60 per book
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills)	£94-265 per week
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs)	£122-180 per week
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41.	Typically £0-200
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey.	From £10

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

Oxford Brookes Bursary for home students Undergraduate maintenance loans for part-time UK students Undergraduate maintenance loans for full-time UK students Undergraduate tuition fee loans for UK students Oxford Brookes Bursary Scheme

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Learning and assessment

On the course, you’ll be able to focus on your interests, and grow in the areas you care about most. You might explore how inequality impacts childhood. You might compare education systems across the world. You might examine child development. Or you might analyse children’s literacy - and how to build a love of reading.

You’ll emerge with a solid understanding of both teaching pedagogy, and practitioner techniques. This means you’ll fully understand how different approaches work, and you’ll know when, where and how to use them. You’ll ultimately be better equipped to support any child, in any situation.

Study modules

Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 4 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.

Final Year Modules

Final Year Modules

Compulsory modules

Dissertation Preparation

This module gives you the skills and knowledge to excel at your dissertation. You’ll gain a thorough knowledge of topics that will prepare you for every stage of your dissertation. You’ll learn how to plan your dissertation, analyse research and write up a powerful argument. You’ll gain a valuable critical awareness of yourself as a researcher, as you get to know the processes involved. You’ll also understand the key ethical procedures of fieldwork, allowing you to work successfully in the field.
International Contexts and Comparisons

You’ll examine core policies and practices in education. You’ll gain important analytical skills for your degree as you consider the differences in education policy between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You’ll analyse how international evidence in education impacts services in these four UK countries.
Team Around the Child
You'll learn about different jobs that help and speak up for children, especially those who may be in difficult situations, have less, feel left out, or have no support. You'll study how professionals play important roles in caring for children and their families. These professionals include:
- caregivers
- teachers
- various health professionals
- social workers
You'll also look at how professionals communicate, collaborate, and work together in partnerships. You'll gain an understanding of how these individuals, from different fields, can come together in order to support children's well-being and growth, making their lives better.
Dissertation

You’ll undertake independent research on a topic in Early Childhood Studies which fascinates you. You’ll have the support of an expert supervisor who will help you negotiate a key issue in Early Childhood Studies and develop it into a dissertation.

Optional modules

Care and Compassion in Practice

In this module you'll build upon what you've learned before about inclusive teaching methods. You'll focus on ways to help others grow and develop, showing kindness, understanding, and strength when providing care.

You'll look at compassion and care practice, considering different theories and ideas. You'll then explore how these concepts apply to various professions. You'll also learn about the current policies in the UK and study educational approaches that emphasise compassion and care. Throughout the module, you'll use research to gain knowledge and understanding, building your critical thinking skills in exploring these topics.

Representations of Childhood

In this module, you'll become more aware of the portrayal of childhood in different:

cultures
media
throughout history.

You'll look at how people have understood and depicted childhood. including the depiction of schools, teaching professionals, and children themselves. You'll also have the opportunity to choose a specific topic that interests you, so you can dive into researching it.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Learning and teaching

You’ll learn at our Harcourt Hill campus, home of our School of Education, where you’ll have access to specialist education teaching spaces. You will gain specialist skills and knowledge. You might explore how inequality impacts childhood. Or look at education systems across the world.

You’ll be supported through your study by leading researchers in education, and the latest research and developments in education will directly inform your learning.

You will join a vibrant learning community, becoming part of a wider group of learners and educational professionals. You’ll learn through engaging seminars, online resources, and discussion-based workshops. You’ll also take part in collaborative activities, being part of an interactive approach to learning and teaching.

Assessment

Assessment methods used on this course

Your modules will be 100% assessed by coursework. These could be presentations, essays and/or project reports.

Assessment for some modules includes group assignments that encourage collaborative and team working skills.

After you graduate

Career prospects

You’ll graduate as a confident and self-aware educational practitioner who can decisively employ the right techniques in your day-to-day practice.

You’ll be equipped to enter a range of careers - like:

teacher training
play therapy
special educational needs
educational psychology
social work.

Related courses

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.

Early Childhood Studies (final year entry)

Find a course

Key facts

UCAS code

Start dates

Location

Course length

School(s)

Overview

How to apply

Entry requirements

Specific entry requirements

English language requirements

International qualifications and equivalences

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

Credit transfer

Application process

Full time Home (UK) applicants

International applicants

Tuition fees

Questions about fees?

Tuition fees

Questions about fees?

How and when to pay

Additional costs

Optional costs

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

All financial support and scholarships

Learning and assessment

Study modules

Final Year Modules

Compulsory modules

Optional modules

Care and Compassion in Practice

Representations of Childhood

Learning and teaching

Assessment

Assessment methods used on this course

After you graduate

Career prospects

Related courses