Childhood Studies - BA (Hons)

University of York

Our BA Childhood Studies centres the voices - and the rights - of children and young people and explores conceptualisations and experiences of childhood and youth, and how they differ across cultures and contexts.  You will focus on understanding their rights and amplifying their voices in a range of real-world contexts.

Throughout your studies you will build up a substantial body of expertise in what it means to be a child, and how children and young people are best nurtured by their immediate caregivers as well as wider society, along with a toolkit of skills for critical thinking, data analysis and communication. This expertise will help you become well prepared for careers in social work, health, education, policy, and the voluntary sector, among others.

The Department of Education at York is home to world-leading experts on childhood and youth, with specialist expertise that enables a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exploration of the field. You will be exposed to key research and have opportunities to critically engage with some of the researchers who designed and conducted it and to explore, with them, what it means for children and young people. 

During your degree you will have opportunities to gain relevant work experience through initiatives such as York Students in the Community (YSIC) and York Students in Schools (YSIS). You can also increase your experience through our optional placement module and/or a year abroad that will add to the skills and knowledge developed through this degree.