Course summary

The MA Early Years leads to both an academic award. This programme engages students in a challenging and high-quality educational experience. Throughout the study period students are able to apply and develop their academic knowledge and understanding to their work practice with babies and young children, families, communities and as part of wider professional networks. This programme of study will provide students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, understanding and practical research skills required to practice effectively, collaboratively and creatively as reflexive and ethically informed research focused practitioners or researchers. The programme maintains the academic underpinning of educational theory and research but enhances the opportunities for contextualising and reflecting on the theory in practice. It is this fusion of theory and practice that has enabled wider dialogue and sharing of professional practice The programme is designed to enable students to simultaneously develop their knowledge and skills and provides opportunities to develop their own scholarship through holistic, inter -disciplinary, critical and rigorous enquiry. Students will be enabled to engage in high level reflection, literature-based and research-based activities. Programme outcomes have been developed in such a way that they emphasise the envisioning and integration of theory and practice; so that students develop as effective, reflective practitioners.