BA in Applied Early Childhood Studies [Advanced Entry to Year 2 Only]

Year 1 / Semester 1

Students get advanced entry to Year 2

Year 1 / Semester 2

Students get advanced entry to Year 2

Year 2 / Semester 1

• Applied Professional Practice 2 
• Creativity and the Arts in Early Childhood Studies 1 
• Developmental Psychology 
• Exploration of Emergent Numeracy and Literacy 

Year 2 / Semester 2

• Inclusive Educational Practice 
• Interactions Hanen Certificate 
• Sociological Aspects of Working with Families and Children

Year 3 / Semester 1

• Applied Professional Practice 3 
• Introducing Evidence Based Practice in Early Childhood 
• Introduction to Supervisory Management for the Early Years Sector 
• Pedagogical Framing: Designing Effective Learning Spaces & Programmes 
• Regulation and Applied Law in Early Childhood 

Year 3 / Semester 2

• Consultation and Evaluation in Early Childhood 
• Early Childhood Physical Activity 
• Teaching Self Regulation 
• The Voice of the Child and Social Policy 

All module titles are subject to change and are for indicative purposes only.

For Stage 2: The course takes place over 2 years, for students who gain advanced entry to stage 2.

The course uses a blended learning approach, whereby learners engage in class contact and online delivery.

Due to the blended learning delivery within this course, students should have access to PC / Mac and a broadband internet connection from home, so as to be able to fully participate in the course.

The programme is now being delivered online on Mondays and Thursdays (18.00hrs to 21.30hrs), with full 3 Saturdays (09.00hrs to 16.00hrs) face-to-face (in either DkIT or CCOC, Cork).

Please note this timetable is subject to change.

In Stage 2, Semester 2 of the course, students will be required to undertake a full time 5-day work placement in a Special Needs setting. The placement site for this mandatory practice is organised by DkIT.

Graduates of this degree may follow a variety of career paths in the education, health and social-care fields. There is an identified skills shortage for well-trained graduates who can quickly move up to more senior roles in Child Care Centres and other early childhood care and education settings.

Employment opportunities include roles as managers, directors, coordinators or leaders in early years settings such as:

• pre-schools
• crèches
• special needs services
• family support centres and community services in the statutory
• voluntary
• community
• private sectors
• government agencies and public agencies

STAGE 2 course fee is €2,500 per year. The fee is payable as follows:

• Payment 1 = Accept Offer Fee (non-refundable) = €100
• Payment 2 = €1,150 (payable by 31st October)
• Payment 3 = €1,250 (payable by 28th February)
  
  

STAGE 3 course fee is €2,500 per year. The fee is payable as follows:

• Instalment 1 = €1,250 by end of October of Semester One
• Instalment 2 = €1,250 by end of February of Semester Two

For Advanced Entry to Stage 2, candidates must have a major award:

• QQI Level 5 AND Level 6 

OR

• QQI (FETAC) Level 6 only (if awarded since 2015)

in Early Childhood Studies or equivalent and have two years’ work experience in a Tusla registered early child care service (minimum of 15 hours per week).

Candidates may be required to attend for interview. Length of work experience and position in employment may be used as ranking criteria in a shortlisting process. 

Work Experience while undertaking the B.A in Applied Early Childhood Studies:

Applicants must have access to a Tusla registered early childhood service (minimum of 15 hours per week) or work in another relevant organisation in the Early Years Sector throughout their course of study to facilitate the integration of theory with practice and to meet the different module learning outcomes. Applications will not be accepted without a written confirmation from the applicant’s organisation covering each of the points below:

• Details of the organisation for which the applicant is working in
• Details of the length of time the applicant has been working in the organisation
• Details of the roles and responsibilities of the applicant in the organisation in the time-frame stated above, including promotions and progressions, clearly indicating the specific nature of the applicants' current role.
• Agreement from their organisation that the applicant, throughout their course of study, will be facilitated to integrate theory with practice to meet the different module learning outcomes, with particular reference to the Applied Professional Practice modules.

Professional practice (fieldwork) is a part of the course.

Professional practice will be assessed in the applicants' own workplace.

In stage 2, semester 2, students will be required to undertake a full time 5-day work placement in a Special Needs setting. The placement site for this mandatory practice is organized by DkIT.

For all applicants, Police/Garda vetting, Hepatitis B vaccination and up-to-date First Aid Certificate will be required as conditions of the course.

Furthermore, students on the programme are subject to fitness to practise regulations.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language must have English level of IELTS 5.5 or equivalent.

Early Childhood generally refers to the care and the education of children aged 0-6 years. The course is suitable for:

• Early year’s educators who are working with young children in crèches, pre-schools, school age childcare services and special education services.
• Managers of crèches, pre-schools, school age services, special education services
• Early childhood practitioners in the Health Services Executive
• County Childcare Committee staff
• Practitioners in the child and family support sector

This course is designed for people who have been working in the early childhood care and education sector for a number of years and who may already hold some qualifications in the early childhood area, but now wish to obtain academic qualifications to degree level.

This programme is approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (instituted to review Level 7 and Level 8 Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care Sector) as meeting the requirements of the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines standards.