Start date
22 September 2025
12 January 2026
18 May 2026
Duration
1 year full-time
2 years part-time (Sept. only)
About the course
Reasons to study
- Develop your career within the specialist field of early childhood education.
- A broad range of module options means you can tailor your studies to suit your current role or future career ambitions.
- 91.3% of our postgraduates are in work and/or further study fifteen months after graduating*
*HESA Graduate Outcomes 21/22, UK domiciled graduates from the School of Business, Education and Law.
If you’re looking to develop your career within the specialist field of early childhood education (0-7 years), then this course could be for you.
Why Education (Early Childhood Studies)?
- In this course you’ll reflect on a range of international attitudes to early childhood education. You’ll also consider the relationship between theoretical perspectives and aspects of practice in early childhood education.
- You’ll have the opportunity to focus on current issues faced by early years professionals and you’ll study early childhood education in international contexts. Themes include children’s rights, sociology of childhood, psychological perspectives on childhood and international approaches to early years education. The course combines knowledge about practical aspects of the early years curriculum with the opportunity to bring a theoretical understanding to help to deepen and challenge your thinking.
- The course is tailored around you. You can expand on your early years focus by choosing from a range of options to match your role, experience or organisation to help you progress as an informed, reflective and inspirational practitioner.
- On this course you’ll have the opportunity to develop an understanding of critical reflection and how to employ independent learning strategies to enable you to evaluate and inform your professional practice.You’ll also develop and deepen your knowledge and understanding of educational research and be able be able to use these skills in researching an aspect of early childhood studies for your dissertation.
- You’ll be taught by an outstanding team of teachers, and will have access to our extensive professional and academic network which feeds directly into course design and delivery and to excellent facilities and specialist equipment.
Course detail
Core modules:
International Approaches to Early Childhood Education
The module will help you to reflect on a range of international perspectives on early childhood education. It will emphasise the relationship between theoretical perspectives and aspects of practice in early childhood education. You'll critically engage with debates about early childhood education and will focus on the education of children in a range of settings.
Methods of Enquiry
Introduction to Action Research
Dissertation
You will study either ‘Introduction to Action Research or ‘Methods of Enquiry’.
Option modules:
In addition, you choose two modules from the ‘Option modules’ tab below.
Please note: If you start your course in September, you will complete four modules and then your dissertation. If you start your course in January, you will complete two modules, then your dissertation, then the remaining two modules.
One module in each of the September, January and May terms:
Core modules:
International Approaches to Early Childhood Education
The module will help you to reflect on a range of international perspectives on early childhood education. It will emphasise the relationship between theoretical perspectives and aspects of practice in early childhood education. You'll critically engage with debates about early childhood education and will focus on the education of children in a range of settings.
Methods of Enquiry
Introduction to Action Research
Please note you will study either ‘Introduction to Action Research or ‘Methods of Enquiry’.
Option modules:
In addition, you choose one module from the ‘Option modules’ tab below
One optional module from the list below in the September term, and from January to July/Aug
Dissertation
This module seeks to deepen your knowledge and understanding of educational research. You'll learn about traditions of educational research; positivism, interpretism and action research and the strengths and challenges of carrying out research in these traditions. This module provides you the opportunity to carry out a piece of research based on a contemporary or work-related issue or problem.
Exploring Teaching and Learning
This module will develop your understanding of the ideas of curriculum: what is taught, how it is taught and why it is taught. You'll explore elements of the hidden curriculum, including hierarchy, power, values, confidence, stereotypes and labelling. The module will also help you to understand how a teachers’ role is constructed. What are teacher identities and how do these shape the role of teachers? Is teaching a professional activity? What are the ideas around this aspect? What is a reflexive/reflective teacher and how does this enhance professional development? You'll also consider some learning theories and their practical application within your setting.
Children, Childhood and Society
Education, Society and Development
Comparative Approaches to Learning
Mentoring and Coaching
Managing Learning and Development in Organisations
Developing Effective Leadership
Critical Social Policy in Education and Public Services
Education, Extremism and Community Cohesion
Special Educational Needs and Disability: Evaluating Policy and Practice
Understanding E-Learning
E-Tutoring
On this course you’ll have the opportunity to develop an understanding of critical reflection and how to employ independent learning strategies to enable you to evaluate and inform your professional practice. You’ll also develop and deepen your knowledge and understanding of educational research.
The full-time route starts in either September or January and takes 12 months to complete. The modules are normally taught in weekly seminars and workshops. Some modules may take place on Saturdays.
The part-time route starts in September and takes 24 months to complete. The modules are normally taught at Saturday Day Schools.
You'll also use our Virtual Learning Environment and online library facilities which provide access to a wide range of high-quality learning materials.
The course is normally assessed through course work. The assessment on the course allows you to demonstrate your practical knowledge and skills alongside developing your critical and theoretical understanding of the subject.
The assessment builds on your particular interests and context and is likely to have outcomes that will be of benefit to your professional life and to your employer.
You’ll be provided with guidance to help you develop your assignment work by module tutors and specialist learning support staff. For international students, we provide a weekly academic study skills support workshop to help you get the most from the main modules.
Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback is available after the publication of results.
On average 13%* of the study time on this course is spent with your tutors (either face to face or online) in lectures, seminars, workshops etc. Study and assessments will be based on your choice of modules. Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.
*based on 22/23 programme specifications
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Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.
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We are joint first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 23 since 2008 (2024 data).
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We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).
Read more about academic staff at the University of Huddersfield
Entry requirements
You should have an honours degree in a relevant subject at 2:2 or above, or a professional equivalent.
The University will determine whether a degree can be recognised as UK equivalent.
If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.
Facilities
Student support
At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.
Important information
Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons