BA (Hons) Early Years Childhood Studies (top-up)
Course Overview
If you're an early years practitioner who has successfully completed a Foundation Degree in Early Years Childhood Studies, this course is ideal if you want to top up your qualification to honours-level. We'll support you in enhancing your existing knowledge, ready to achieve the status of BA (Hons) Early Years Childhood Studies (top-up) graduate.At the University of Bolton, we believe that linking your course content to real-life situations is crucial to your understanding of early childhood studies. By studying with us, you can develop essential honours-level knowledge and understanding of early years and childhood studies while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus in the heart of the North West of England. Our highly-qualified professional tutors will draw on their wealth of experience from a wide range of settings as they guide you through the theories and research that underpin early childhood practices.
In some modules, you may be taught alongside professionals who work in related services and professions. These connections help promote the multi-agency team approach that is such an important part of the early childhood agenda. We also aim to help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can take ownership of your professional development for the future, maximising your potential for success.
We'll support you as you explore areas such as children's health and wellbeing, management and leadership in early years, and focus on enhancing your research skills and understanding. We aim to help you gain critical, analytical and lifelong learning skills that will support your career development far into the future.
Highlights
- Our Childhood and Youth Studies courses are top in the UK for student satisfaction, according to The Complete University Guide 2024.
- We'll work with you as an individual, giving you access to the help and support you need to succeed.
- Our staff members have a range of specialist areas, such as teaching English as an additional language in primary education and improving children's experience of schooling, particularly for those from migrant backgrounds.
- The course covers leadership and management in the early years, aimed at preparing you for additional responsibilities such as team leading or management roles in the sector.
- Our close links and regular engagement with early years providers, employers and practitioners ensure our course delivery and content are up-to-date and aligned with government policy and guidance.
- Early years practitioners who have successfully completed a Foundation Degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies can take this course before commencing a postgraduate degree.
- Our emphasis on supporting you in developing study and critical thinking skills will help you engage with further learning and prepare you for postgraduate study.
Key Features
- This course is designed to open up higher-level career opportunities in the early years sector or give you an honours-level qualification that will support your application if you wish to train as a primary school teacher.
- Guest lectures from practitioners in the sector provide additional knowledge and alternative viewpoints. Specialist tutors also provide another dimension to your learning. We work hard to ensure the course supports you in developing a multi-agency approach mindset.
- You'll have the chance to undertake a research project focusing on an area of early childhood that particularly interests you.
- You'll have opportunities to learn through role play, which is a great way to develop and practice your skills and understanding.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- You'll have successfully completed a relevant qualification at Level HE5, such as a Foundation Degree (FdA) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in Early Years Childhood Studies, or a professional qualification at an equivalent level.
- You must be employed/secure employment relevant to the early years and childcare sector (paid or voluntary) for a minimum of two days a week.
- This course involves working with children and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
- We’d love to have an informal chat with you about this course, either over the phone or in person. If you wish to meet in person, please contact the programme leader to arrange a mutually convenient time. Our open days are an especially good time to visit us and find out more. (While we reserve the right to interview you or ask you to undergo other forms of assessment to determine your suitability for study, it's not our usual practice for this course.)
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) Early Years Childhood Studies (top-up) course will help you gain knowledge and understanding of a range of issues relating to early childhood, families and society. It provides a solid foundation from which you can progress onto professional training such as teaching, nursing and social work. As a graduate, you'll possess key transferable skills such as communication, time management, teamwork, critical analysis, negotiation, problem-solving, and dealing with challenging situations.
What can I do with this qualification?
BA (Hons) Early Years and Childhood Studies (top-up) graduates often progress to postgraduate study leading to professional statuses such as teaching and social work. The most popular options are the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) and early years teacher (EYT), so many graduates go on to work as primary or secondary school, early years or special needs teachers.
As a graduate of this course, you'll be able to apply for postgraduate courses in teacher education and other related fields, as well as employment opportunities in the field of education, such as family support workers, teaching assistants and learning mentors. Whilst the course does not lead directly to Qualified Teacher Status, it does allow access to career pathways that require a full honours degree.
Previous graduates have taken up posts through Schools Direct and progressed onto postgraduate courses in teacher education and other related fields. Successfully completing this top-up course can support your career advancement in education and professional development or support your application to postgraduate study, including PGCE and other professional master's programmes.
Alternative career options
Graduates can use this qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possibilities include:
- Play therapy
- Counselling
- Child psychotherapy
- School liaison
- Sports and outdoor education
- Student welfare
- Nursing
- Educational psychology
- Speech and language therapy
- Community development
- Consultancy and research
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
| Year of study | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
| 2024-25 | £9,250 | - | £9,250 |
| 2025-26 | - | ||
International Fees
| Year of study | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
| 2024-25 | £15,950 | - | £15,950 |
| 2025-26 | - | ||
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.
A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:
Free of charge to apply
Secure, simple and streamlined
Contact us directly for any admissions queries
Regular updates on your application directly from the University
Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) Early Years and Childhood Studies Top Up - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
-
Apply online: University of Bolton BA(Hons) Early Years and Childhood Studies Top Up - 22 September 2025
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
Our strategy is student-centred, and we use a blended approach to teaching and learning. You'll have face-to-face sessions, sometimes one-to-one, and participate in online learning.
You can expect a mix of seminars, lectures and tutorials, practical demonstrations, critiques, self-directed study, IT and library sessions and guided study. Group-based activities, such as role-playing exercises, workshops, presentations and discussions of case studies and scenarios from practice, also make up some of the teaching time, and there will be practical skills sessions.
Guest lectures and presentations by various visiting speakers from relevant employment areas offer you the chance to develop your knowledge and understanding further.
The University's e-learning portal Moodle supports your online learning. You can also use Moodle to communicate with fellow students studying the same modules.
Our assessment strategy helps to organise and develop your learning and evaluates your achievement of the learning outcomes. You can expect time-constrained exams and coursework, such as essays, reports, presentations, and portfolios.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Theories and Approaches to Learning in the Early Years
- Developing Children's Health and Wellbeing
- Leadership and Management in the Early Years
- Research Methods
- Dissertation
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 77% Placement/study abroad 9% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 14% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
