Early Childhood Studies

Early childhood studies draws on education, psychology, sociology, and health to examine the most formative period of human life, from birth through to around eight years of age. The discipline asks how children develop physically, cognitively, linguistically, and emotionally; how families, communities, and institutions support or hinder that development; and what policies and practices best serve children's wellbeing and rights. It is a field with direct relevance to early years education and care, social work, health visiting, family support, and policy-making.

This four-year full-time degree at Teesside University includes a foundation year that builds the academic and research foundations you will need before progressing to the degree itself.

You will engage with social science theory and research methodology, learning how to evaluate evidence, understand interdisciplinary approaches, and apply scholarship to the real-world contexts in which children grow up. The programme covers child development, early education frameworks, the sociology of childhood, safeguarding, play, language development, and the policy landscape that shapes services for young children and families. The foundation year is designed to develop your academic skills and confidence, introducing you to the standards and protocols of higher education study and preparing you thoroughly for the demands of the degree years.

An entry tariff of 88 points reflects a programme that is inclusive in its admissions approach, welcoming students from a range of backgrounds who have genuine motivation to work with young children and families. Graduates from early childhood studies programmes move into careers in early years education and care, social work, family support, health and development visiting, educational psychology, community development, and policy and advocacy roles. Many pursue further professional qualifications, including qualified teacher status or social work registration, using their undergraduate degree as a foundation.