MA Childhood and Youth Studies at University of Sunderland

Programme overview

Are you passionate about working with children and young people and ready to advance your career? This flexible postgraduate degree in childhood and youth studies could be the perfect next step for you. Depending on the pathway you choose, you'll graduate with one of the following MA qualifications: MA Childhood and Youth Studies; MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies). MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Youth Work, professionally validated and recognised by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC)).

Department: Social Sciences | Duration: 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time | Study mode: full-time | Intake: October 2026 | Location: Sunderland, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Core modules; Open All; Leadership in Community Contexts (30 credits)+; In this module, you'll explore the concepts of leadership and management and their application to practice settings within community contexts across the childhood and community and youth work sectors. You'll consider a number of key areas, ranging from theoretical development, societal change and policy initiatives, followed by an evaluation of the tensions and compatibility issues that occur within leadership and management. Negotiated Study (30 credits)+.

Career pathways

The MA Childhood and Youth Studies is ideal for those pursuing careers in: Early years provision; Youth work; Education; Social work; Healthcare; Youth justice; The voluntary sector.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

We usually require at least an upper-second class honours degree (2:1) or equivalent. Experience may be counted towards your application. If you're interested in the MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Early Years Graduate Practitioner Competencies) or MA Childhood and Youth Studies (Youth Work, professionally validated and recognised by JNC), you should have a relevant degree in the area and some experience working with children and youth respectively. An interview and satisfactory DBS will also be essential for entrants interested in either of these two pathways. We welcome graduates from a wide range of areas such as social sciences, psychology, education, and health.

Intake: October 2026

Duration: 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Apply through the official page: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/postgraduate/ma-childhood-youth-studies#apply

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