University of Essex has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Our four-year BA Childhood Studies (including foundation year), will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your academic skills in order to support your academic performance. This four-year course includes a foundation year (Year Zero), followed by a further three years of study. During your Year Zero, you study three academic subjects relevant to your chosen course as well as a compulsory academic skills module. After successful completion of Year Zero in our Essex Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with our Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies. From year one you will continue developing your academic skills alongside discovering what drives children’s development, what informs their behaviour and what shapes their identity. Children today face a wide range of new and challenging experiences, including unprecedented access to media, wider cultural diversity, online bullying and larger school numbers. Their early experiences of childhood affect them for the rest of their lives. You can make a positive contribution to these formative years. Childhood studies is a vibrant and exciting field which has expanded in recent years to include knowledge from psychology, sociology and psychoanalysis. This course lays the foundations for a career working with infants and children, whether in education, health care or children’s services. You gain a solid understanding of child development, the ecology of childhood (the place of children in different societies) and many other exciting topics including:
- Psychosocial approaches
- Child development and attachment theory
- Understanding ADHD, developmental trauma and Autism
- Criminological approaches
- Play and infant observation
- Children in literature
- Therapeutic work in groups
- Wellbeing and resilience
- Psychodynamics of teaching, learning and group work
Modules
Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- L523
- Institution code:
- E70
- Campus name:
- Colchester Campus
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
International applicants
Please note that this course is not open to international applicants.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 72 points
A level - DDD
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - MMP
Access to HE Diploma - P: 45 credits
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 24 points
For our Essex Pathways courses we will consider your whole application before making a decision, regardless of your educational background and grades. If you need any advice please contact our Admissions team on [email protected].
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Additional entry requirements
Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £5760 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £5760 | Year 1 |
| EU | £20475 | Year 1 |
| International | £20475 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Fees displayed are for the 2025-26 academic year. Fees may increase for each academic intake and each academic year of study.
Provider information
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO4 3SQ