Early Childhood Education and Care – BA

CAO Points: 180
Campus: Athlone
years: 3

Course Code US780
Level 7
Course Type Undergraduate – CAO
Study Mode Full Time
Department Social Science

Course Overview

On this course, you will learn to make a difference to the lives of babies and young children by understanding how they develop and learn. You will learn how to meet the needs of children, and to understand the role of the family and society.

The programme promotes a child-centered approach to care and education, taking account of physical, educational and emotional needs of babies and young children.

The aim of the level 7 degree programme is to equip you with the theory and hands-on experience and practical skills required to provide quality support for children’s development (0-6 years). You will experience the variety of the early years’ sector through placements in different early-years’ settings, thus providing the opportunity to link classroom learning with work-based practice. The primary curricula and quality frameworks used in all early years’ settings are Aistear curriculum framework and Síolta quality framework. The programme takes account of wider policy developments, which highlight the importance of both care and education for pre-school children. The simulated early years’ setting in the TUS early years’ lab and module assignments will provide you with opportunities to plan for and supports children’s interests and abilities. You will study the influence of the family and society on child development. Throughout the duration of the course, you will develop knowledge and understanding of the value and ways of working with parents, and of inter-professional collaboration to support the best interests of children.

Additional Information
National Vetting Bureau:

All students on this programme will undertake National Vetting Bureau procedures prior to commencing their work placement. Failure to disclose previous convictions will result in students being dismissed from the programme. Previous convictions, depending on their nature, could result in student dismissal from the programme.

Contact Email: socsci.midlands@tus.ie

Contact Details

Dr. Noelin Fox

Head of Department

Email: Noelin.Fox@tus.ie

What are the entry requirements?

Leaving Certificate

Grade 06 at ordinary level in five subjects in the Leaving Certificate examination. Two of these subjects must be Mathematics and a language (English or Irish). Note: An FL2 in Foundation Level Mathematics will be accepted as meeting the minimum Mathematics requirements for entry to this course. Mature applicants are not required to meet the minimum entry requirements. However, an interview may form part of the selection process.

QQI

Up to 15 places are reserved for FETAC students. Any QQI Level 5 qualification is acceptable. Applicants, however, must hold one of the following awards: 5N1370 Social Studies / 5N1279 Human Growth and Development / 5N1770 Early Care and Education Practice / 5N1765 Child Health and Wellbeing / 5N2705 Care Provision and Practice / 5N1764 Child Development / 5N1773 Early Childhood Education and Play / 5N1786 Special Needs Assisting.

Mature Applicants

Mature applicants are not required to meet minimum entry requirements. However, an interview may form part of the selection process.

International Applicants

International applicants should apply directly to the International Office at TUS, allowing plenty of time for completing the visa process. Applications for September start should be made by 1st June at the latest to ensure visas are processed in time. You should familiarise yourself with visa processing times for your country of origin to ensure you make a timely application. Find out more here.

Course Modules

Year 1

Principles and Practices of the ECEC Sector
Developing Academic Practice and Autonomy
Introduction to Relational Pedagogy in ECEC
Early Childhood Developmental Psychology
Contexts of Early Childhood
Creative Skills for ECEC
Promoting Positive Health & Wellbeing in ECEC
Working Collaboratively with Parents and relevant stakeholders in an ECEC setting
Outdoor Pedagogy
ECEC Social Policy
Introduction to Inclusive Policy and Practice in the ECEC setting

Year 2

Making Learning Visible: Multimodal Approaches to Literacy in ECEC
Introduction to the Regulatory Context for ECEC
Personal Reflection for Practice (PRP)
Applied Pedagogy & Curriculum in ECEC
Preparation for Practice Placement 1
Child Health and Well Being: Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in the ECEC Setting
Children’s Rights and Advocacy
Language Acquisition
Applied Inclusive Practice in the ECEC Setting
Professional Practice Placement 2

Year 3

Professional Practice Placement 3
Introduction to Research Methodology and Practice
Law for the Early Childhood Educator
Therapeutic Recreational and Creative Play Intervention in ECEC
Teamwork and Group Dynamics in an ECEC Setting
Business Management & Enterprise in ECEC

What can you do after this programme?

Career Opportunities

Graduates from this programme are eligible to apply to join TUS’s one year add-on Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Early Years’ Care and Education. As a graduate you can reasonably be expected to work as an Early Years’ Educator (various roles such as Assistant, Room Leader, Assistant Manager, Manager) in full day crèche settings, part-time, sessional (ECCE), afterschool, breakfast club, naíonraí (with Irish language); parent and toddler groups and drop in care settings. Curricula approaches most frequently identified in early years’ settings, which incorporate the Aistear curriculum framework and Síolta quality framework, are Montessori, HighScope and play-based. There may also be opportunities to work in outdoor preschools/Forest Schools. This role may include such responsibilities as the development and evaluation of programmes of care and education which support learning and development; to work as part of a team to develop quality improvement strategies to enhance the quality of experience for all children and staff.

Further Study

As a graduate of the Level 7 programme, students will be eligible to progress to the Level 8 BA (Hons) in Early Years’ Care and Education.

An Honours Degree provides routes, with additional study/experience (in addition to the above) into:

Primary school teaching
Early Years’ Inspectorate
Mentoring