Available in Clearing
Top up your foundation degree to full Honours level while building practical skills on this one-year course for practitioners.
This degree is designed to meet the exact but changing needs of employers in the early years sector. You’ll study learning theories with a focus on 0-8s, developing your knowledge and understanding of working with babies and young children.
Taught in the evenings, you’ll be able to balance volunteering or work alongside your studies. You must be in a paid or voluntary work role throughout the course.
About this course
This course gives you the chance to progress your professional pathway in the early years sector. You’ll develop the essential skills and attributes that employers in the sector value while gaining experience in an academic background.
We combine academic rigour with fun and creative ways to encourage the 0-8s to take part in learning. You’ll examine global perspectives in early childhood education and care and analyse alternative learning environments.
Build practical skills while you train, carrying out part of your learning in your own workplace. You could access our simulated early years learning environment and study for an accredited Forest School certification. This gives you a valuable extra qualification and prepares you to work outside with children, taking into account a range of needs.
We’re proud to be part of the Early Childhood Degree Network, where you'll benefit from events and profile-raising activities. You’ll have the opportunity to achieve Graduate Practitioner Status and graduate ready for postgraduate study.
By teaching, we learn
Module options
Each year, you’ll study modules worth a certain number of credits, and you need 120 credits per year. Most modules are 20 credits – so you’ll study six modules each year. Some longer modules, such as a dissertation, are worth more. In these cases, you’ll study fewer modules - but the number of credits will always add up to 120. Some modules are compulsory, some are optional, so you can build a course that’s right for you.
Filters
International Perspectives in Early Childhood Education and Care
Explore a range of contemporary early years aspects of provision, care and education, including current international trends and how they impact on children and families.
compulsory
20 credits
Enabling Environments
Explore, critically analyse, and justify alternative environments for learning which promote health, well-being, safety and nurturing care for all.
compulsory
20 credits
The Graduate Practitioner
Engage with the multiple perspectives on the roles and responsibilities of graduate practitioners leading practice in the early childhood sector. Explaining, Analysing and reflecting upon your own professional practice and personal development, this module will provide you with an opportunity to bring synthesis to your academic and practice based journey and personal progression.
compulsory
20 credits
Voice of the Child
Explore beyond the traditional creative themes of art and music to investigate the impact and role non-traditional subjects can have in supporting children’s developmental journeys. You'll reflect on the building of positive relationships with peers and adults alike whilst you also take a critical look at you and your settings role in this journey.
compulsory
20 credits
Dissertation
Choose a topic you are passionate about and make an original contribution to research by designing, carrying out, and delivering a 10,000-word thesis. Over the course of the year you will conduct independent research, supported by an academic supervisor.
compulsory
40 credits
Our facilities
Our academics
Our team of highly respected and experienced tutors are all experts in their specialisms.
Taught by a team of experts in the fields of education, social care, health, inclusion and therapeutic approaches, you’ll gain real, practical knowledge that will be invaluable in your future career.
Kerrie Lee
Lecturer
An experienced early years practitioner, Kerrie's research focuses on how environment, space and place interact and shape the lives of young people. She is working on a consultation for new projects to support early years in museums and galleries.
Dr Cathy Kilburn
Programme Director
Having recently completed her Doctorate in Early Childhood Education, Cathy is an experienced early years practitioner, and draws on her many years of experience to help her students make links between theory and practice.
Entry Requirements
Fees & Funding
How much is it?
Future prospects
Our degrees reflect the high demand for well-trained professional practitioners. The range of opportunities for graduates in children’s services is varied and wide.
You could also go on to support children with additional needs or secure community, social or family support work, or progress as an early years practitioner or work in community services.
This course is also a stepping stone to further postgraduate study.
Become part of the next generation of futuremakers
Like what you've seen? Then it's time to apply.
The standard way is to apply through UCAS. This will give you the chance to showcase your skills qualities and passion for the subject, as well as providing us with your academic qualifications.
Not ready to apply yet?
Visit our next Open Day, and see all that Hull has to offer for yourself. Talk to our lecturers about your subject, find out what university is really like from our current students, and take a tour of our beautiful campus and amazing facilities.
You may also be interested in...
94.9% employability (Education Studies) UK domicile full-time first degree leavers; Higher Education Graduate Outcomes statistics, for the academic year 2021/22, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency June 2024.
Childhood and Youth Studies: 1st in the UK for academic support. National Student Survey (NSS) 2025, HEIs only.
All modules presented on this course page are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.