Students dancing together

Childhood and Youth Studies BA (Hons)

Get ready to change the lives of children, young people and their families. With opportunities to take on multiple placements, you’ll create your own ePortfolio: a personalised website featuring examples of your work and reflections on your practice.

University of Portsmouth Connected Degree - 3 year course with 4th year placement

Key information

UCAS code:

L590

Typical offer:

104-112 UCAS points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent

See full entry requirements
Study mode and duration
Start date

Showing content for section Overview

Overview

Learn the skills and get the workplace experience to support children and young people with equality at the heart of your practice on this Childhood and Youth studies degree.

You'll discover how factors such as the education system, youth culture and social media affect children's development. You’ll also have the chance to explore optional topics such as outdoor education, safeguarding and the role of play in a child’s development, and to focus your studies on a particular specialism - education and teaching, community and youth/family provision, or leadership and enterprise.

Develop the knowledge and skills to support children with special educational needs (SEN) and those from a care background, making sure no child misses out on the educational and development opportunities available to them.

After the course, you’ll be set for a career supporting children and their families in areas such as youth work, social care and education.

Course highlights

  • Get at least 60 hours of experience working with children in your second year
  • Have the opportunity to do an additional work placement year after your second or third year on this Connected Degree - we're the only UK university to offer flexible sandwich placements for undergraduates
  • Learn from lecturers with diverse professional backgrounds – from youth work and policing to teaching and SEN
  • Gain current insights from your lecturers’ research on themes such as child bereavement and the role of digital tools in supporting learning and wellbeing
  • Study the latest techniques in education, including outdoor learning and Forest School
  • Develop relationships with potential employers through events and workshops with organisations such as an immersive theatre company and a charity that helps children develop life skills through sport
  • Build a professional eportfolio featuring examples of your work – essential for standing out in the job market after the course
  • Get ready for a career in social work with our optional Social Pedagogy pathway – you’ll spend more time on placement and graduate as a ‘Social Pedagogy Practitioner’, endorsed by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association (SPPA)
  • Take advantage of our Institution-Wide Language Programme and learn a foreign language for free as part of your degree, choosing from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish

92%

of graduates in work or further study

(HESA graduate outcomes survey 2020/21)

100%

of students said teaching staff were very good or good at explaining things

(NSS 2023)

Endorsed by:

You can choose modules that lead to the exit award BA Childhood and Youth Studies with Social Pedagogy. This pathway is endorsed by the Social Pedagogy Professional Association (SPPA), which means you can graduate as a "Social Pedagogy Practitioner".

This demonstrates that you meet the SPPA's Standards of Proficiency, which are central to developing relationship-centred, dialogic practice that supports children and young people, particularly those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged.

What career could I build with a childhood studies degree?

Want to work with children? Discover the jobs you could gain with a degree in childhood studies.

Jodie Pinnell 

We get students that come to us and say, I really want to work with children. I want to help. I want to make a difference. It's our job to say, here's all the wonderful things that you can do with children.

At the University of Portsmouth, we have a number of undergraduate Childhood Studies degrees. We have Early Childhood Studies and Childhood and Youth Studies either as a single honours course or with the option to have a combined honours with criminology or with psychology.

Cathryn Barty

This course has three specialisms. They are education and teaching, community and youth/family liaison and leadership and enterprise. The three are embedded throughout the course over three years. It helps you to decide which path you want to pursue after you finish your degree.

Anya Manley

The route that I decided to choose was the education and teaching because I have a passion to be a primary school teacher.

Adam Denman

I wanted to take my career further. I was recommended to go on to the Enterprise course, linked at the University of Portsmouth, in addition to my studies. I managed to participate in masterclasses from external speakers and entrepreneurs in residence, that supported me in setting up my own social enterprise in music education.

Anya Manley

The career options you can do with this course are unlimited, there's so many.

Victoria Blay

One of them is teaching. Whether that be primary teaching, early years in a nursery, secondary school.

Adam Denman

Others work within further education through local colleges. Some of them work within the NHS.

Victoria Blay

There's the prison service, the police service. But obviously through university you understand what your passions are.

Jodie Pinnell

A huge part of their professional practice module is they'll go out and they'll do their placement for a day a week, or they would have done a big extended placement over their summer break.

Victoria Blay

I did two placements. One was within a private prep school and then I worked in another school, which was an alternative provision school. It was really, really enjoyable. It was taking some of what I learnt at uni and putting it into practice and reflecting on that as well.

Ellen Braddick

I think having the placements reassured me that this is something that I definitely want to do. It really helped me a lot to get to the place I am now.

Jodie Pinnell

As part of that, they all inform each other's ideas and co-reflect on their positionality. I can come into this setting and I can make a difference.

Cathryn Barty

What I loved most about the course was the support I received from the lecturers.

Adam Denman

They've had a variety of different backgrounds within their careers. They also have a wide range of contacts within the industry and with local schools and colleges in the Portsmouth region.

Anya Manley

Portsmouth is a good city, you've got a beach five minutes away from the centre of the campus. You've got shops nearby, you've got restaurants. It's a good place to come and study whether you like the culture or just somewhere quiet to sit and just take in the world.

Contact information

Admissions

+44 (0) 23 9284 5566

Contact Admissions

Entry requirements

BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies degree entry requirements

Typical offers

  • A levels - BBC-BCC
  • UCAS points - 104-112 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent (calculate your UCAS points)
  • T-levels - Merit
  • BTECs (Extended Diplomas) - DMM
  • International Baccalaureate - 25

You may need to have studied specific subjects – find full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept

Selection process

Applicants must pass Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting their professional placement working with children and young people.

English language requirements

  • English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

We look at more than just your grades

While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.

Explore more about how we make your offer

When I was looking through the University of Portsmouth website, there were some lecturers in particular that had really done some amazing work with disadvantaged youths. Within my first year I'd already done two voluntary placements.

Phoebe Dolby, BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies graduate

Your facilities

Colourful plastic children's toys

Play room

Explore childhood experiences and approaches to working with parents and families, using equipment found in nurseries, pre-schools and reception classes.

Sensory room

Use a variety of materials for babies and children to explore sensory stimulation, sensory integration, and therapeutic approaches to play, social work and family partnerships. 

Family suite

Simulate family interactions and explore intervention strategies, and use our Therapeutic Play suite.

Careers and opportunities

There will always be a demand for skilled and knowledgeable professionals to work with children and young people.

As well as specialist expertise, this course helps you develop transferable skills valued by all kinds of employers, such as:

  • teamworking
  • leadership
  • people management
  • contextual communication
  • self-organisation
  • time management
  • resilience

What areas can you work in with a childhood and youth studies degree?

After the course, you could work in areas such as:

  • youth work
  • social care
  • educational welfare
  • probation
  • teaching (with further study)
  • policing

Graduate destinations

Roles our graduates have taken on include:

  • nursery manager
  • family support worker
  • training assessor
  • employability coordinator
  • careers advisor
  • teacher
  • schools liaison officer

Ongoing career support – up to 5 years after you graduate

Get experience while you study with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities and work experience. Towards the end of your degree and after graduation, you'll get 1-to-1 support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to find your perfect role.
Female student at computer
Futureproof your career

A global survey of 1000 business leaders by the Harvard Business Review [...] found that the skills most in-demand by employers are those in which Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts graduates specialise – from communication, problem solving and creativity, to research and analysis. 

Ian Diamond, The British Academy

Hear from BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies graduate, Phoebe

Phoebe Dolby graduated in 2018 with a BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies degree from the University of Portsmouth. She is now a Local Authority Education Link Coordinator for the Central Locality in Portsmouth. Find out what Phoebe’s role entails and how she’s applying the skills she learned during her time with us.

Phoebe: My name is Phoebe Dolby and I am the Local Authority Education Link Coordinator for the central locality in Portsmouth. We work to track vulnerable children within Portsmouth and helping those children by ensuring that schools and other services are keeping them safe.

I knew that I wanted to go to university and when I was looking through the University of Portsmouth website, there were some lecturers in particular that had really done some amazing work with disadvantaged youths.

When I was at university, within my first year I'd already done two voluntary placements. Second year I was course rep and started working the open days so I really just immersed myself in the experience and I think that's why I ended up doing so well at the end. It really pushed me to know that I definitely wanted to work with kids within school who were finding it challenging.

I went to a local school in Portsmouth. I wasn't particularly engaged with education until my final year, where I fell pregnant with my son, who's now 13. College or further education, I've never really thought about that, but as my son got older I realised that I wanted to support young people and maybe offer that person to talk to that I maybe didn't have, which would have made such a massive difference.

What makes me proud is seeing kids go from right down there to leaving school with four GCSEs and actually feeling super happy. To anyone that would be thinking about going to university, I would say one hundred percent do it. Even if you feel like you might not be able to or you doubt maybe your academic ability, there's all the support available. If someone like me can go and do it, then anybody can do it. 

Placement year (optional)

In addition to your compulsory placements during year two, you can also choose to do a paid work placement year after your second or third year. This lets you put your new skills to work while developing valuable links with employers.

However long you do a placement for, it’s fantastic for your CV and will really help you stand out when applying for jobs after graduation. Mentoring and support throughout your placement will help you to get the most from the experience.

You could also choose to set up your own business, or take a voluntary placement.

Securing a placement

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. We have strong links with a wide variety of placement providers including colleges, schools, other educational institutions, and charities in the UK and abroad. 

Previous placement destinations

Previous students have secured placement positions at organisations such as:

  • Active Communities Network – a sport for development charity
  • Home-Start – helping families through challenging times
  • Pompey Pirates – making reading and writing fun
  • National Citizen Service – personal and social development for 16-17 year-olds
  • Primary and secondary schools
  • Motiv8 South – supporting life chances for young people
  • Barnardos

Studying abroad

You can choose to use your placement year to extend your studies abroad. We have close links with universities in countries such as:

  • Australia
  • China
  • Czech Republic
  • Italy
  • Panama
  • Spain
  • Sweden

Modules

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

In each year, you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, four modules worth 20 credits and one module worth 40 credits.

What you'll study

Core modules

You’ll learn how to carry out research ethically when working with communities and organisations to address real-world issues.

You’ll develop your own research proposal with expert guidance - from forming questions to methodology design.

Build transferable research skills you’ll use throughout your degree, from reflective practice to clear communication of your findings.

You'll explore key theories and research on the ways children and young people develop, including physical, cognitive, social and emotional growth.

By the end of the module, you'll have a better understanding of how to support children's wellbeing and development.

On this module, you’ll explores a myriad of educational contexts including education's development over time, different types of educational establishments in both the private and public sectors, how children learn, the curriculum and assessment, adult, higher, special, alternative and community education and inequalities in education.

You’ll get an overview of British education from earliest time to the present day, comparing this to education in other parts of the world over time.

You’ll identify social issues and build your own understanding of rights and responsibilities, focusing on moral, legal, political rights, freedoms and equalities.

Relating this back to your degree, you’ll explore how to navigate the professional fields you’re likely to enter after graduation, within the areas of social pedagogy, early childhood and youth studies.

You’ll develop skills in independent thinking, teamwork, problem-solving and project work, and get to grips with academic writing, referencing procedures, and the use of technology to enhance your skills.

You’ll also begin developing your ePortfolio, a personal collection documenting your learning journey.

Core modules

You’ll look at the factors that shape childhood and the challenges children face, including the development, differences and successes of different education systems and the impact that has on children, teachers, and communities.

You’ll explore the relationships between education and social understandings with a specific focus on identities, inequality, and constructions of childhood.

By the end of the module, you’ll have developed a critical understanding of the complexities that shape childhood around the world.

You’ll complete your practical placement in an educational or community setting serving children and youth, shadowing experienced professionals to help address learner needs across academic, social-emotional and behavioural domains.

You'll gain essential employability skills demanded by the industry, enabling you to explore theoretical concepts related to professional practice in the context of children and young people.

You'll also reflect on your own practice to understand personal, ethical and professional behaviour, and how you collaborate with other professionals.

Using existing studies as an example, you'll examine the key issues to think about, such as ethics, protection of the children involved, and data protection. You'll learn how to carry out ethical, meaningful research with children and young people, including quantitative and qualitative research methods that put children first, from observation and focus groups to surveys.

You'll think about how to choose a research area to investigate, and how to design and carry out a research project with children and young people – essential skills that will help you prepare for your dissertation.

You’ll take a historical perspective to compare and contrast various strategies used in different historical and social circumstances.

You’ll examine the role of young people in social change and the extent to which we should become involved in supporting young people in this role.

You’ll also look at a variety of forms of activism, including how we can work within organisations to ensure they remain relevant to young people's needs.

Optional modules

On this module, you'll explore the magical world of children's literature, analysing storytelling techniques and illustrations, moral themes and literary devices. You’ll look at stories for children of all ages, ranging from picture books to young adult (YA) novels.

You'll think not only about the key ideas and concepts that have been published around children's literature, but the role of the child reader too – how they respond to books they read and find meaning within them.

As well as writing and discussion, you'll express your learning through creative activities like art and roleplay.

You‘ll explore how gender, race and other social markers play out within educational settings, practices and outcomes.

By evaluating persisting biases alongside growing diversity, you’ll understand what has to change to create educational environments where all individuals can thrive.

You’ll get familiar with the big issues and contemporary debates in education studies as well as the role and expectations of a teacher.

You’ll develops fundamental knowledge and skills that teachers require, as well as your capability to structure and critique a lesson plan.

On this module, you'll explore the vital role of play in the lives of babies and children up to the age of 12, examining theoretical perspectives and research on the subject.

You'll discover how a child’s age and their individual needs shape the kind of play they engage in. You'll learn how important it is that adults working with children support and join in with them in play, and how to design enriching play environments.

You'll finish the module understanding the cognitive, social and emotional benefits of play, ready to nurture children's growth through purposeful play experiences.

You’ll delve into the interplay of technology, media, peer networks, subcultures and counterculture movements in shaping youth identity expression, from music to activism and more.

You’ll explore pressing issues facing today’s youth, and evaluate innovative youth work initiatives supporting young people’s wellbeing and development.

Deep dive into critical matters like bullying, inclusion and resilience. You'll get insight into Transition Theory and how social factors form perspectives, and have the chance to direct your own learning, with a choice of essay topics and the opportunity to engage in dialogues with special guests.

This combo of theory and personal focus builds essential knowledge of the forces forming children's social development

You'll also apply the ideas and concepts you learn directly to working with young people, and reflect on your own experiences and approaches to learning.

With a minimum 80-hour commitment, you’ll apply what you’ve learned so far on your degree to real-world professional settings within our community of local businesses, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations.

You’ll have support from interactive workshops, tutorials, and guest speaker events, encouraging you to set achievable professional goals and evolve your professional identity.

On this module, you’ll explore the sociological significance of education.

Moving beyond the classroom, you’ll explore how schooling shapes identities and uphold society - for better or worse.

Through iconic texts, you’ll interrogate big ideas around inequality, control and reform, and form your own views taking into account pressing issues like class, gender and race.

You'll examine key theories and research methodologies for understanding personal life, relationships, sexuality and generational change.

You'll have the opportunity to pursue topics matching your interests, whether that's shifts in dating cultures, new family forms, LGBTQ identities, or issues like consent, respect and ethics.

The module develops critical thinking skills by evaluating different frameworks and perspectives on contemporary intimacy and relationships. There is an emphasis on inclusivity, diversity, and social justice throughout.

In this module, you’ll explore European colonisation of Africa, asking questions like - how did they justify colonial rule, and how did African peoples respond to these colonisers?

You’ll learn how, after World War II, colonial rule was increasingly challenged from both within the empire, by growing African demands for political rights, and in the international arena, with the global trend towards trusteeship, development and self-determination.

You’ll also explore European relations with Africa in the post-colonial era, looking at themes which may include ideas about civilisation, universalism and race, modern attempts to 'rehabilitate' empire in the media, and the legacies of colonialism in Britain, Europe and Africa.

You’ll collaborate with students on other courses to explore and address societal and environmental challenges faced by local and global communities. You’ll choose projects from a range of topic areas aligned with the university's Civic Strategy.

With input from local organisations, you’ll think about your topic from multiple perspectives, developing your interdisciplinary thinking and ability to work with others.

You’ll analyse the essence of security, exploring how security needs are addressed around the world and on a national level, down to a community and even an individual basis.

You’ll explore different forms of societal risk and insecurity, and approaches to dealing with security threats, taking into account the nature and impact of economic and political developments.

You'll learn how to think critically about the key concepts that link language, culture and communication, considering the benefits and limitations of these ideas.

You'll explore the different ways in which communication intersects with culture across themes such as identity, education, gender, and the media.

Alongside what you learn, you'll improve your skills in analysis, research and intercultural awareness.

You'll learn about consumer behaviour and brand strategy, and spend time examining real-world marketing campaigns. You'll also think about how social, political and technological forces can affect the way businesses approach marketing their products and services.

Skills you'll develop include carrying out market research and learning how to use what you learn, crafting targeted messaging across different marketing channels, and presenting your ideas verbally and in writing.

You'll learn about major economic, political and cultural changes in Western Europe over the nineteenth century, and how these affected the rest of the world as time went on.

You'll explore the big ideas that have shaped the modern world, and weigh up the benefits and perils of globalisation. Skills you'll develop on this module include independent research, critical thinking and effective communication.

You'll also learn to understand the opportunities and challenges of today's world from an informed, global perspective.

You’ll look critically ideas of nationalism historically and today with a focus on the everyday, intimate and embodied boundaries of nation-states and how these shape our lives, including those of us living in the most privileged parts of the world.

You’ll explore real-world cases to understand the individual and societal impacts on human lives, developing your analytical skills and imagining more compassionate alternatives.

You’ll unpack the language of tabloids, broadsheets and online news, analysing how journalists shape public understanding of current events.

Develop your critical thinking by confronting moral panics and polarised politics in reporting.

Create your own news stories and gain real insight into mass communication in a rapidly changing landscape.

You'll analyse major cases of economic crime and weigh up their wider societal implications.

You'll also learn how to recognise disciplinary perspectives, become familiar with the key investigating organisations, identify investigative techniques, and gather and analyse real case information.

You’ll analyse American texts against the backdrop of intellectual, social and political change, evaluating how writers grappled with emerging ideas around national identity, race, gender and more.

By honing skills for contextual analysis and independent thought, you’ll form your own interpretations of iconic works that reflect the American experience.

You’ll analyse diverse transitional justice approaches balancing community healing and judicial accountability after mass atrocities.

Comparing mechanisms like war crimes tribunals, truth commissions and reparations programmes, you’ll evaluate effectiveness in restoring dignity and preventing recurrence.

With case studies from Europe to Africa, from Latin America to Asia, you'll examine tensions between western models and local cultural perspectives, assessing what ‘justice’ means to vulnerable peoples.

Throughout, you'll trace incremental human rights legislation advances, assessing global institutions’ roles protecting civilians from authoritarian regimes and wartime abuses.

Through interactive lectures with academics, speakers and professionals, you'll discuss, debate and complete practical exercises exploring wildlife crime alongside your classmates.

You'll spend time examining wildlife crimes and the factors behind them, as well as environmental justice and sustainability.

Core modules

You'll examine the key theories and ideas behind helping children who develop challenging behaviours, and learn how to weigh up and deal with complex situations effectively and compassionately.

You'll also think about the possible causes behind children's challenging behaviour, and how understanding these causes can help us better support children and help them thrive.

You'll evaluate contemporary support themes, analyse young people's relationships, and learn how theory relates to practical social work.

This module prepares you for the complexity of helping young people with more advanced needs.

Optional modules

It's up to you what your dissertation or project is about – this will be your chance to showcase your passion for childhood studies by choosing a subject area or topic that most interests you.

You'll draw on everything you’ve learned so far to investigate, analyse, craft and refine your dissertation or project, using existing texts, sources and artefacts to support your arguments and give them context. You'll have the support of a dedicated dissertation tutor to guide you throughout this module.

This real-world, project-based module lets you address an identified need or gap by designing an innovative product, service or resource.

With support from university staff and external partners, you'll demonstrate critical thinking, ethical awareness and project management abilities.

Your final project and presentation will showcase your employability and capacity for high-impact solutions.

You’ll get familiar with the big issues and contemporary debates in education studies as well as the role and expectations of a teacher.

You’ll develops fundamental knowledge and skills that teachers require, as well as your capability to structure and critique a lesson plan.

You’ll focus on the role of the environment and adults, assessing how these factors support young learners to become confident and capable.

You’ll reflect on the impact of your previous experiences and how they have shaped personal values and beliefs, recognising how these can shape your practice.

Focusing on childhood and child development, you'l cover ethics in practice with children and young people. You'll also apply psychological theory to the lived experiences children, families and young people. This module will help you bring together core concepts within health and education-based approaches which encompass psychological theory.

You’ll evaluate how personal experiences shape your values and biases within professional educational roles.

You’ll reflect on your emerging role as a leader and manager and think about the forms these may take in your future career, making sure you’re ready for leadership and management when working in people centred environments.

You’ll reflect on your experiences in the outdoors and how these experiences shape our approaches to education.

You’ll learn how to carry out effective risk benefit analyses and how to frame your approach to risk as enabling children, young people and adults.

You’ll also take part in debate about the ecological challenges facing us and how we might shape educational practice and policy as a step to action.

With a minimum 80-hour commitment, you'll apply what you've learned so far on your degree to real-world professional settings within our community of local businesses, social enterprises, and third-sector organisations.

You'll have support from interactive workshops, tutorials, and guest speaker events, encouraging you to set achievable professional goals and evolve your professional identity.

They may appear isolated, anxious and fearful, or they may seem unhappy or disturbed. As part of this module, you’ll look at the characteristics of these problems, as well as some of the explanations that have been offered about how these problems arise.

We will also be discussing ways in which we can support children and young people facing mental health difficulties across a variety of settings.

You'll gain insight into current care policies and trauma theories while evaluating approaches that are most successful for meeting the needs of children in care.

With compassion and understanding, you can help create the nurturing environments these children need to heal and thrive.

Optional modules

During your study abroad year, you’ll expand your global perspective and develop additional skills to boost your future career, as well as making memories, new friends and career contacts.

You could also improve your foreign language and intercultural communication skills. This is an amazing opportunity to expand your horizons and set yourself up for your future career by studying abroad and becoming a student ambassador for our university.

We'll help you find and secure a work placement that inspires you in a destination you can explore and make home during your placement year.

You'll have the chance to try out skills and gain experience that'll help you clarify your next career steps, while building capabilities employers seek and applying what you've learned on your degree so far to a real-world working environment.

Return feeling confident and re-energised for your final year or first year of your career, ready to make an immediate impact in whatever you choose to do next.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

"Lecturers are supportive as well, if you've got any questions or worries..."

Discover Samantha's highlights of studying a BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies degree, and her favourite part of Portsmouth's beachside location.

Samantha: I love studying my course because I look after all different age ranges so I'm not constricted just to one age range.

The lecturers are supportive as well, so if you've got any questions about assignments or any other worries they're just really supportive.

The one thing I love about Portsmouth is that when things do get a little bit stressful, you've got the beach, and for me that is really relaxing because it's just a place you sit down sometimes and you just look out and you can see the Isle of Wight and it's really lovely and relaxing.

Teaching

Teaching methods on this course include:

  • group-based activities
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • individual and group presentations
  • projects
  • e-learning
  • interactive lectures

You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a Web connection.

For more about the teaching activities for specific modules, see the module list above.

For any queries or questions outside scheduled teaching, you can reach teaching staff by email and get a timely response. Most also allow you to drop by their office at set times of the week or by arrangement.

Teaching staff profiles

Jodie Eleanor Pinnell Portrait

Miss Jodie Pinnell

Education and Childhood Subject Area Leader

jodie.pinnell@port.ac.uk

Read more
Simon Leslie Edwards Portrait

Dr Simon Edwards

Senior Lecturer

simon.edwards@port.ac.uk

School of Education, Languages and Linguistics

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

Read more

Assessment

The way you’re assessed may depend on the units you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:

  • Year 1 students: 100% by coursework
  • Year 2 students: 100% by coursework
  • Year 3 students: 100% by coursework
  • Year 4 students: 100% by coursework

Your coursework may include:

  • essays
  • exams
  • presentations and projects
  • a dissertation or major project

We review assessment methods regularly to make sure the way you’re assessed aligns with the latest educational policies and initiatives.

We also put emphasis on allowing you to develop transferable and creative skills through assessment, which you can use in your career – for example by developing your own website or producing a video.

You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

How you'll spend your time

One of the main differences between school or college and university is how much control you have over your learning.

We use a blended learning approach to teaching, which means you’ll take part in both face-to-face and online activities during your studies.  As well as attending your timetabled classes you'll study independently in your free time, supported by staff and our virtual learning environment, Moodle.

A typical week

We recommend you spend at least 35 hours a week studying for your degree. In your first year, you’ll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures, seminars and workshops for about 11 hours a week. The rest of the time you’ll do independent study such as research, reading, coursework and project work, alone or in a group with others from your course. You'll probably do more independent study and have less scheduled teaching in years 2 and 3, but this depends on which modules you choose.

Term dates

The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.

See term dates

Supporting you

The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Types of support

Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.

As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.

You'll have help from a team of faculty learning development tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.

They can help with:

  • Improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
  • Delivering presentations (including observing and filming presentations)
  • Understanding and using assignment feedback
  • Managing your time and workload
  • Revision and exam techniques

As well as support from faculty staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University's Academic Skills Unit (ASK).

ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:

  • academic writing
  • note taking
  • time management
  • critical thinking
  • presentation skills
  • referencing
  • working in groups
  • revision, memory and exam techniques

If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.

They'll help you to

  • discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
  • liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
  • access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
  • liaise with external services

Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.

The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.

If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.

Course costs and funding

Tuition fees

  • UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 a year (may be subject to annual increase)
  • EU students – £9,250 a year, including our Transition Scholarship (may be subject to annual increase)
  • International students – £17,200 a year (subject to annual increase)

You won't pay any extra tuition fees to another university for taking part in a study/work abroad activity if you choose to do it for the whole academic year. During a year abroad you'll only have to pay a reduced fee to the University of Portsmouth.

Funding your studies

Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Additional course costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Additional costs

Our accommodation section show your accommodation options and highlight how much it costs to live in Portsmouth.

You’ll study up to 6 modules a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module.

You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.

We recommend that you budget £75 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.

 

If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.

There may be occasional trips for which you will be asked to contribute £25 a trip.

If you take a placement year or study abroad year, tuition fees for that year are as follows:

  • UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 a year (may be subject to annual increase)
  • EU students – £1,385 a year, including Transition Scholarship (may be subject to annual increase)
  • International students – £2,875  a year (subject to annual increase)

Apply

How to apply

To start this course in 2024, apply through UCAS. You'll need:

  • the UCAS course code – L590
  • our institution code – P80

Apply now through UCAS

If you'd prefer to apply directly, use our online application form.

You can also sign up to an Open Day to:

  • Tour our campus, facilities and halls of residence
  • Speak with lecturers and chat with our students 
  • Get information about where to live, how to fund your studies and which clubs and societies to join

If you're new to the application process, read our guide on applying for an undergraduate course.

Applying from outside the UK

As an international student you'll apply using the same process as UK students, but you’ll need to consider a few extra things. 

You can get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region.

Find out what additional information you need in our international students section

If you don't meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.