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Postgraduate Diploma in Childhood and Youth Studies

If you work with children and young people and wish to enhance your knowledge or would like to move into this field, this postgraduate diploma will deepen your understanding and develop your practice. While there is no work-based requirement, you will get the most out of the qualification if you have access to an appropriate setting. You will explore a wide range of issues within a global context, with featured case studies linking theory to practice, including: the family; the law; children’s rights; politicised childhoods; participation and voice issues; consumerist childhoods; education; ethnicity and religion; child criminology; child sexuality; and multi-cultural childhoods. There is a strong focus on multi-agency working and inter-professional practice, and you will learn to use critical tools to analyse policy and to reflect on practice in ways that enable you to develop professionally and meet the diverse and changing needs of children and young people.

Key features of the course

  • Covers the theoretical and practice aspects of integrated services for children and young people
  • Explores the changing policy, organisational, personal and professional contexts in which work with children and young people takes place
  • Encourages you to reflect critically on your own and others’ integrated practice

Diploma

Course code
E93
Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
120
How long it takes

2–4 years
Read more about how long it takes

Study method
Distance learning
Find out more in Why the OU?
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements

Find out more about entry requirements.

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Course details

Modules

To gain this qualification you need 120 credits as follows:

60 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Children and young people’s worlds (E808)

This module provides a broad theoretical overview of some of the key contemporary issues in the global study of childhood and youth.

See full description

Register
 60 02 Oct 2021
Or, the discontinued module E807

60 credits from:

Module Credits Next start
Frameworks for critical practice with children and young people (E809)

This masters-level module aims to enable those working with children and young people to progress professionally and academically, and to develop as critical, reflective practitioners.

See full description

Register
 60 02 Oct 2021

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 17 March 2020.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes.

Credit transfer

For this qualification, credit transfer is only available against the module E808.

On completion

On successful completion of 120 credits’ worth of required modules you can be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Childhood and Youth Studies entitling you to use the letters PG Dip CYS (Open) after your name.

You may also claim the Postgraduate Certificate in Childhood and Youth (K32) if you wish to do so, but not if you have used credit transfer.

Recognition in your country

If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Read recognition in my country.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 

Entry requirements

You must have a bachelors degree from a UK University (or equivalent) to study this course. Your degree can be in any subject, although childhood and youth studies, sociology, health and social care, anthropology, psychology or education are particularly relevant.

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see their website for details.

How long it takes

The maximum time to complete this qualification is four years.

Career relevance

This postgraduate diploma will be attractive to anyone with a personal or professional interest in exploring different aspects of children and young people’s worlds. It is aimed at those who are graduates and seeking to advance academically and professionally, as well as those with a related degree but not currently working with children and young people who are looking to move into the profession, and people considering moving between professions within the sector.

The content of the qualification will be particularly relevant to graduates working with children or young people, for example in early years provision, education, social work, nursing, healthcare, youth work, youth justice or the voluntary sector.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.