Early Childhood Studies
BA (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS code
X315
Start dates
September 2023 / September 2024
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Part time: a maximum of 8 years
UCAS Tariff Points
104
Overview
Children today face complex futures - and an uncertain world. Technology is rapidly changing children’s lives - and their rights. Perceptions of gender identity are shifting. And austerity has impacted children’s development across the UK and the world.
Early Childhood practitioners with specialist skills and professional knowledge are needed - now more than ever - to support children and families with the challenges of the 21st Century.
And when you study Early Childhood Studies at Oxford Brookes, you’ll explore the most significant issues facing children today - like:
- digital technologies and children’s understanding of the online world
- inequality, and its impact on children and families
- children’s emotional health
You’ll also build sought-after practitioner skills for a career working with children, families and communities. You’ll build hands-on experience through your placements. And you’ll graduate with convincing experience on your CV, ready to progress into fields like:
- Teacher training
- Play therapy
- Special educational needs
- Social work and more

How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104
A Level: BCC
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88
A Level: CCD
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
The course welcomes a wide range of students with many different academic backgrounds. You may have studied either arts or science subjects at school, and you may have a mix of A and AS-levels, hold vocational qualifications or have completed an access course. Above all, enthusiasm and a keen interest in human development and children's learning are the key attributes of our students.
Applications are also welcomed for consideration from applicants with European qualifications, international qualifications or recognised foundation courses. For advice on eligibility please contact Admissions: admissions@brookes.ac.uk
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
Screening
All applicants will be screened for fitness to practise and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be made.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.
If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Application process
Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Compulsory costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) initial check | £54 |
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
Travel and associated costs if relevant when undertaking work placements. | £30-700 per year |
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) top-up check (to keep up to date) | £13 |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Learning and assessment
In your first year, you’ll learn about how children develop. You’ll explore outdoor learning and play. You’ll examine children’s rights. And you’ll investigate the pressures of growing up in the 21st Century. You’ll also get hands-on experience with children and families, through your first placement in an early years setting.
In your second year, you’ll start pursuing your interests. You might explore gender in childhood. Or you could examine how technology impacts children. You might learn about special educational needs, or children’s literacy. You’ll also carry out your second placement - strengthening your practical skills.
In your final year, you’ll start building specialist skills and knowledge. You might explore how inequality impacts childhood. Or look at education systems across the world. You’ll also carry out your final placement, where you’ll finesse your practitioner skills.
You can also develop more specialist knowledge throughout your degree, in areas like:
- Gender
- Literacy and reading
- Outdoor learning
- Special educational needs

Learning and teaching
You’ll learn at our Harcourt Hill campus, home of our School of Education, where you’ll have access to specialist education teaching spaces. You’ll explore forest school approaches in our outdoor learning spaces and be able to borrow teaching resources from our Education Resources Centre. You can choose to live at Harcourt Hill - or apply for a space in any of our other halls across Oxford.
You’ll also spend time every year out on placement. On placement, you’ll apply your knowledge as a professional and build sought-after practitioner skills. We can support you in finding a placement and actively encourage you to be proactive to source an early years setting that suits your personal interests.
Many of our students work part-time as private tutors, nursery school bank staff or in after school clubs, you can use this as your work placement and your timetable is designed to accommodate this.
Field trips
Study abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Oxford Brookes. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
After you graduate
Career prospects
You’ll graduate with valuable professional skills and knowledge - and a convincing CV. You’ll be a strong communicator and problem-solver - essential skills in the 21st Century workplace. And your placements will build your confidence working with children and families from all types of backgrounds and communities. You’ll finish your degree equipped to progress into fields like:
- teacher training
- social work
- play therapy
- family support
- special educational needs
- or pediatric nursing.
Students also progress on to postgraduate study in education as well as psychology, sociology, law and professional qualifications like teaching and social work.
Further study
The course can lead to a PGCE (Primary), also offered at Oxford Brookes. You may continue your studies at master's level, perhaps following a specialist Post Graduate Certificate in Challenging Behaviour or Children's Literature. We also offer a range of MA Education courses, including the MA Education: Childhood and Youth Studies.
Student profiles
Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Related courses
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.