Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

If you want to help children have the best start in life, there are questions you need to explore. For example: how is their wellbeing affected by factors like digital technologies, race, culture and globalisation? On this course, you'll look for answers across a child's crucial first 8 years.On your BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree, you’ll discover how a child develops physically, emotionally and mentally. And with plenty of opportunities to work with children, you’ll practice how to make a positive difference for them. You can customise your degree and develop specialist skills that are valued in a variety of professions.

- Learn different ways to measure children’s development from birth to age 8, which you can apply in all kinds of careers- Choose to do a different work placement in every year of study – from local schools, to other organisations that put young children first- Develop new skills by working with children in our own play and sensory rooms, and in outdoor environments such as forests and beaches- Look at how children are affected by society and politics, and discover what psychology and philosophy teach us about early years- Be taught by experts and hear from guest speakers, with unique insights into childhood and education based on their lived experience- Gain transferable skills in psychology, sociology, teaching and learning, leadership and management, and creative thinkingYou can follow an optional psychology pathway through this degree by choosing specific modules in psychology. This will lead to a BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Psychology award when you graduate.You can achieve the professional status of 'Graduate Practitioner' for Early Years Practice by undertaking assessed practice in the early years sector in each year of study. This leads to the award BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (Graduate Practitioner). This professional accreditation is recognised by the Department for Education and highly regarded by early years employers.In your final year, you can tailor your studies to include the Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) route, which leads to the award of Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).