Childhood Studies, MA / PGDip / PGCert

Advance your Career Working with Children and Families

childhood studies

Course Overview

Our MA Childhood Studies at Swansea University offers an interdisciplinary exploration of childhood in contemporary society. The programme will equip you with the knowledge and critical skills needed to support children and families across a range of diverse settings.

Through a blend of theory, policy and practice, you will examine child development and health, children’s rights, and the social, cultural, and political contexts that shape childhood.

This master’s level programme fosters reflective practice and research skills, preparing you for roles in children services, including education, social care and policy. With flexible learning options and a strong research foundation, it supports both professional development and academic progression.

Why Childhood Studies at Swansea?

The programme is grounded in a child-centred, rights-based philosophy that values you as an active participant in your own learning. It promotes critical engagement with both global and local perspectives on childhood, ensuring that you can understand how cultural, political, and economic contexts shape children’s experiences.

You will be encouraged to challenge dominant narratives, interrogate structural inequalities and reflect on your own positionality when studying childhood. Anti-racist and inclusive teaching methods are embedded throughout, fostering an environment where diverse voices and experiences are valued. The modules you study will integrate international scholarship and policy frameworks, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to ensure that your learning is relevant across a variety of settings and contexts.

Our curriculum also adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on the subjects of sociology, psychology, education, health and social policy, to explore complex issues such as children’s rights, social justice and the climate emergency.

You will critically examine how climate change and environmental degradation intersect with childhood, health and social justice, exploring the disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities, linking these issues to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and UK policy frameworks.

You will benefit from being part of a diverse teaching and research environment, with many opportunities to make connections across disciplines. We have strong links with a range of research networks and similar departments in universities across Europe and around the world, ensuring your learning is informed by the latest policy and practice developments.

Your Childhood Studies Experience

You will complete 180 credits of modules; comprising 5 compulsory 20-credit modules, one optional 20-credit module, and a compulsory 60-credit dissertation. Themes of study can include international children’s rights, child development, additional learning needs and inclusion, and therapeutic work with children. The dissertation element will enable you to undertake a supervised research project on a unique topic covered by the themes of childhood, play or education, enhancing your specialist research skills.

You will engage in collaborative learning, case-based analysis, and authentic assessments that mirror professional practice. This approach not only develops advanced analytical and reflective skills but also equips you to advocate for equity and sustainability in childhood-related sectors.

Our academic staff are active in a wide range of research fields, offering an unrivalled mix of academic excellence and current policy and practice expertise.

The programme is built on a strong foundation of inclusive learning and teaching practices, ensuring that all students feel welcomed, supported and able to thrive. The programme is grounded in rights-based knowledge and is taught by academics who actively promote a rights-respecting approach.

The timetable structure runs over just two days per week. This flexible approach enables those with caring responsibilities or part-time employment to attend on-campus sessions without compromising other aspects of their lives.

Childhood Studies Careers

Our MA Childhood Studies programme is designed to develop you into a graduate who is reflective, skilled and ready to lead change in diverse professional contexts. It embeds the five Swansea Graduate Attributes (Professional Competence, Innovative Thinking, Global Challenge Awareness, Effective Communication, and Collaborative Leadership) across all modules, preparing you for careers in education, health, social care, policy and advocacy.

 

Each module contributes to your employability and entrepreneurial development through:

 

  • Authentic Assessments: Modules use real-world tasks such as presentations, case studies and research proposals. These assessments mirror professional activities and encourage creativity, problem-solving and strategic thinking
  • Digital Literacy: You will engage with digital tools (e.g. Canvas, Turnitin, generative AI, infographics or vlogs) to enhance your communication and presentation skills, which are essential for most workplaces
  • Collaborative Learning: Group work and peer feedback foster teamwork, leadership and interpersonal skills
  • Critical Reflection: Assessments often include reflective components, encouraging you to evaluate your own learning and professional development
  • Guest Speakers: Experts from professional contexts support your engagement with relevant employment sectors
  • Study Skills Sessions: Delivered with support from the Careers and Employability Team

Graduates from this programme go on to pursue careers in:

  • Education (teaching, curriculum development and early years leadership)
  • Health and Social Care (child health promotion, safeguarding and therapeutic play)
  • Policy and Advocacy (children’s rights organisations, NGOs and government)
  • Research and Academia (PhD study or research assistant roles)
  • Entrepreneurship (developing child-focused services, training programmes and consultancy)

We also offer supervision if you wish to continue your studies in this field at PhD level. 

Modules

We're currently reviewing our curriculum to enhance your learning experience and embed skills that will benefit your future career. This means that some modules may be subject to change.

Entry Requirements

We consider all applicants on their own merits and welcome applications from students with a wide range of qualifications.