Successive governments have shown a commitment to developing the early childhood care and education workforce into a graduate profession and first-class professional body, equipping those at the frontline to support and enhance children’s development and learning. You develop relevant and specialist knowledge within sociology, psychology, education, health, legislation and policy. And you develop theoretical and practical skills that can be applied to leading early years' practice, supporting learning and further training in various disciplines including social work, nursing and teaching. Your studies include child development, understanding how practitioners support children's learning and language development, and developing transferable professional skills. This programme introduces you to ideas about teaching and develops emerging skills as a critical and reflective practitioner.

Graduates are likely to enter careers with families and young children in a range of different roles. For example as support workers and assistants in education and care settings; working in school nurseries, daycare centres and children's centres; supporting families through parenting classes; health and well-being sessions and developing the skills of parents to support their own children; roles in registration and inspection, and multi-agency work which assists social work and community care. With a good honours degree, some students may continue in higher education to gain further postgraduate qualifications such as a PGCE for Primary or Early Years, qualifying as a teacher. With sufficient early years experience, graduates can gain the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), a postgraduate certificate which demonstrates professional ability to lead practice, train others and provide first-class environments for children. Some recent graduates have progressed into the fast track MSc Social Work to develop their careers.