Degrees and courses for international students
You are viewing information for England.  Change country or region.
Adult and child drawing

Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies

Interested in how social, cultural and psychological influences impact on the lives of children and young people? This engaging and wide-ranging interdisciplinary certificate is for anyone working with children and young people or with a general interest in the field. You’ll investigate policies, practices and issues affecting the lives of children and young people across a range of settings – developing your knowledge, your analytical skills and improving your practice.

Key features of the course

  • Spans the entire childhood age range from early years to youth
  • Topics include child development and child psychology, international childhoods, learning and development
  • Explores children and young people’s lives from different perspectives alongside students studying and working in different settings
  • Relevant to a wide range of careers in childcare, education, health and social care

Course Summary

Certificate

Certificate

  • Widely recognised qualification.
  • Equivalent to the first third of an honours degree.
  • Study for interest or career development.
  • Shows that you can study successfully at university level.
  • Count it towards further qualifications such as a foundation degree, DipHE or honours degree.
Course code
T43
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
Part time – 2 years
Full time – 1 years
Time limit – 7 years
Study method
Distance learning
Enquire about this course
Register now
Course details Entry requirements Fees and funding Careers

Course details

This qualification has one stage, comprising 120 credits.

  • It includes a compulsory 60-credit module.
  • You’ll also choose an optional 60-credit module.

Prepare for OU study with an Access module

We offer two starting points depending on how confident you are or how long it’s been since you last studied. Choose to dive straight in at Stage 1, or if you’d prefer some extra preparation, you can get started with an optional Access module. See Entry requirements for more details.

Stage 1 (120 credits)

You’ll study a module that brings together perspectives on the development and lived experiences of children and young people – from psychology, anthropology and sociology. You’ll also choose a complementary module that fits your needs and interests.
ModulesCredits
You'll study the following:
Introduction to childhood studies and child psychology (E102)60
You'll choose one from:
Exploring perspectives on young children's lives and learning (E109)60
Investigating psychology 1 (DE100)60
Learning and teaching in the primary years (E103)60

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 23 September 2020.

Accessibility

We make all our qualifications as accessible as possible and have a comprehensive range of services to support all our students. The Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies uses a variety of study materials and has the following elements:

  • studying online – some modules have a mixture of printed and online material and others are entirely online. Online learning resources may include websites, audio/video media clips, and interactive activities such as online quizzes
  • Face-to-face tutorials/day schools/workshops and/or online tutorials
  • working in a group with other students
  • undertaking practical work
  • finding external/third party material online.

For more detailed information, see the Accessibility Statements on individual module descriptions. If you feel you may need additional support, visit Disability support to find more about what we offer.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increases as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; elearning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Read the detailed learning outcomes here

Credit transfer

If you’ve already completed some study at another university, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification – reducing the number of modules you need to study.

You should apply for credit transfer before you register, at least 4 weeks before the registration closing date. Just tell us what you studied, where and when, and we’ll compare this against the learning outcomes for your chosen course.

For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.

On completion

On completion of this undergraduate course, we'll award you the Certificate of Higher Education in Childhood and Youth Studies.

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

There are no formal entry requirements to study this qualification.

However, two of the Stage 1 option modules do have requirements:

  • Learning and teaching in the primary years (E103) – you’ll need to observe practice in a formal educational setting for children aged 3–12
  • Exploring perspectives on young children’s lives and learning (E109) – you’ll need practice experience in a setting for children aged 0–7

See the module descriptions for more information.

How much time do I need?

  • Most of our students study part time, completing 60 credits a year.
  • This will usually mean studying for 16–18 hours a week.
In this section:
How much will it cost?
Ways to pay for your qualification and other support

How much will it cost in England?

We believe cost shouldn’t be a barrier to achieving your potential. That’s why we work hard to keep the cost of study as low as possible and have a wide range of flexible ways to pay to help spread, or even reduce, the cost.

  • Fees are paid on a module-by-module basis – you won't have to pay for the whole of your qualification up front.
  • A qualification comprises a series of modules, each with an individual fee. Added together, they give you the total cost.
  • If, like most OU students, you study part time at a rate of 60 credits a year, you'll take six years to complete an honours degree.
  • Our current fee for 60 credits is £3,096*.
  • Our current fee for 120 credits – which is equivalent to a year's full-time study – is £6,192*.
  • At current prices, the total cost of your qualification would be £6,192*.
    • .

*The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2021. Fees normally increase annually in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees.


Skills for career development

This certificate provides an effective foundation for a wide choice of career paths. It emphasises independent thinking, develops analytical and communication skills and will help you become a clear and confident writer – all attributes that are highly valued by employers. Specific skills you’ll develop include:

  • analysing, critically evaluating and effectively communicating information to others
  • competence in team and project work, supporting and/or supervising others
  • organising, synthesising and questioning opinions and arguments
  • evaluating the appropriateness of different approaches to problem-solving
  • managing and organising time, resources and information to support decision-making
  • reflecting on your own learning and performance and taking steps to improve it
  • using ICT effectively and being able to interpret data.

Career relevance

A certificate in childhood and youth studies gives you skills and knowledge relevant to many careers in childcare, health, education, working with families, playwork, or working with young people. It will develop your understanding of research, practices and policies that affect children, and introduce you to many new aspects of the subject – helping you make informed choices about future career paths. This certificate is not a professional qualification, so many of our graduates choose to undertake further/additional training before progressing to employment in specialist fields.

In addition to improving your career prospects, studying with the OU is an enriching experience that broadens your horizons, develops your knowledge, builds your confidence and enhances your life skills.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice – including online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime, if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant employment areas as a starting point (note that some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree):

  • Teaching
  • Counselling
  • Early years work, including play therapy and hospital play
  • Speech therapy
  • Voluntary sector work
  • Youth work
  • Education support and welfare
  • Social work
  • Probation work
  • Personal and careers guidance
  • Sport and fitness
  • Learning mentorship
  • Research and policy
  • Psychology
  • Youth justice.

Register

It is not possible to register for this qualification at the moment. We expect to open for registrations on 18 March.

Download a prospectus

Our prospectuses are your essential guide to studying with us, covering courses, fees and funding, career prospects and more.

Download prospectus