COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA Childhood Studies program is a three-year course designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of childhood from psychosocial, psychoanalytic, historical, and social perspectives. In the first year, students develop foundational knowledge through core modules in childhood studies, perspectives in child development, and observation and reflective practice, complemented by modules on research writing and an introduction to psychodynamic concepts. This combination equips students with both theoretical understanding and practical skills in observing and analysing child development. In the second year, the curriculum builds on this foundation with advanced study in infant observation, the social history of childhood, safeguarding and ethical practice, professional practice in careers with children, and psychoanalysis of the child. Optional modules allow students to tailor their learning to individual interests. The third year focuses on applied and research-based learning, including modules on childhood wellbeing, play, socialisation, resilience, and teaching and learning from a psychosocial perspective. Students also complete a dissertation, enabling independent research, and explore the global cultural context of childhood through modules such as Childhood Inc.: Disney and the Globalization of Childhood. Optional modules provide further flexibility. Across all three years, the program integrates theoretical study, practical observation, and research skills, preparing graduates for careers in education, child welfare, and related professional fields while fostering critical, reflective, and analytical thinking about childhood and development.