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Being involved in the educational and personal growth of children can offer a highly fulfilling profession. This course provides you with the opportunity to gain recognition as an early childhood development graduate practitioner, subject to meeting placement and assessment criteria.
Course option
Year of entry
Location
CU Coventry (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Part-time
Sandwich
Duration
4 years sandwich
3 year - Degree
2 year - HND
1 year - HNC
Flexible part-time
UCAS codes
X300 / X301 / X302
Start date
September 2025
November 2025
January 2026
March 2026
May 2026
June 2026
Success in this field demands a combination of creativity, empathy, logical thinking and extensive knowledge, coupled with the capacity to draw upon personal life experiences. Given the dynamic nature of this industry, this course emphasises the exploration of policies, procedures, exemplary approaches and hands-on learning to provide a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental aspects of child development.
As a successful graduate of this course you will meet the Graduate Practitioner Competencies which are considered full and relevant training by the UK Department for Education standards.
By studying this course, you'll get:
*Subject to meeting all the competencies set out by The Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN), which includes securing and passing work-based assessed placements2,5. Successful completion of all modules (across all three levels), work-based placement criteria, will lead to an Early Childhood development and Learning BA Hons Degree certificate and an additional Graduate Practitioner Competency certificate. Please check the ECSDN website for further information.
Memberships are reviewed on an annual basis and are not guaranteed. Applicants and students will be informed of any changes as soon as possible.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
This course is available as a full-time three-year course without placements, a full-time three-year course with local placement in the first, second and final years or an optional four-year sandwich course where you undertake a work placement or study year in a related field2,5.
This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about the part-time study.
Students who undertake the Early Childhood Development and Learning degree will undertake assessed placements at each level (levels 4, 5 and 6)2,5. Upon successful completion of your placements, you will obtain a licence to practise, in line with best practise in the early childhood sector.
If you choose degree with placement route, you will have to complete your compulsory ECDL placement modules. You will also need to complete an enhanced DBS check and attend a meeting with a placement coordinator. Students will be subject to satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure. Please refer to the full requirements in the disclaimer section5.
You will then start your placement days alongside your studies. Your placement could be in schools or nurseries that are Ofsted registered as "good" or above. The placement days can be scheduled in different ways, such as in weekly blocks or daily, for example every Wednesday, accumulating the required placement days over the year.
For your ECDL placement modules, you need to complete 25 days in Year 1 (Level 4), 30 days in Year 2 (Level 5), and 25 days in Year 3.
As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.
Teaching hours
Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.
Guided and Independent study
Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.
Online learning
As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods may include:
Assessment for ECDL placement module include:
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Development and Learning degree is your first step to a successful and worthwhile future. It aims to provide theoretical and practical learning modules that underpin knowledge and understanding of concepts of early years, education and teaching, and are relevant to both current practice in early years and the changing context of the sector.
Angela Bonehill, Course Leader, 2023
Typical entry requirements:
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | 2025/26 fees TBC* 2024/25 fees-£7,950 per year |
Request fee information |
EU | 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - as UK per year with EU Support Bursary** 2025/26 fees TBC* 2024/25 fees -£18,300 per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
International | 2025/26 fees TBC* 2024/25 fees -£18,300 per year |
Not available |
If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 of £1,250 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year.
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Fees and funding page and see the university’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.
For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
We offer a range of international scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our international scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.
Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.
The modern CU Coventry Mile Lane campus has been designed to promote collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Facilities include:
CU Coventry students also have access to facilities located on the Coventry University campus. These include the Lanchester Library and The Hub.
Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.
Upon successful completion of the Early Childhood Development and Learning degree, BA (Hons) graduates will possess a wide range of knowledge, skills, and abilities that will enable them to make a meaningful impact in the field.
Successful completion of this course can equip graduates with the Graduate Practitioner Competencies they need for employment within the early years sector.
Obtaining practitioner status can help graduates advance to postgraduate study or higher-level professional employment, as well as improve their employability in the field of childhood studies.
These key areas include expertise in Child Development including cognitive, social, emotional, and physical aspects. You should understand how to create engaging and inclusive learning environments that foster holistic development and cater to the diverse needs of children. You will have a repertoire of effective teaching strategies and techniques tailored to early childhood education. You will be adept at using play-based learning, hands-on activities, and inquiry-based approaches to facilitate children's learning and promote their curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
You will be proficient in assessing children's progress and learning outcomes. You will be able to use various assessment tools and strategies to gather data, track individual progress, and make informed instructional decisions to support each child's development. You will possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, enabling you to effectively collaborate with families, colleagues, and other professionals in the field.
You should uphold high ethical standards and demonstrate professionalism in your interactions and practices.You will understand the importance of ongoing professional development.
There are opportunities to progress in your career during and beyond the course, with your study with us opening up a number of avenues for future career development in areas such as:
Graduates from previous Early Childhood Development and Learning BA (Hons) degree have gone onto work in:
Previous graduates have progressed into successful careers within industry, for a number of organisations such as Busy Bees Nursery and Angels Childcare Recruitment.