MA Early Childhood Education

About the course

This course is a blend of distance learning and face-to-face teaching. It's open to early childhood professionals anywhere in the world, including early years practitioners, FE and HE lecturers, teachers, nursery nurses, voluntary and independent providers, and inspectors and managers working in areas relevant to early childhood.

Wherever you are in the world, you'll develop the skills you need to carry out high-quality educational research relevant to your own culture.

The course gives you a clearer understanding of the policies, practice and theories that underpin your work as a practitioner. You'll discuss international approaches and educational change with leading experts.

Content

• Early Childhood Education: History and Policy
• Development, Learning and Curriculum
• Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education
• Research Methods and Methodology in Early Childhood Education

Teaching

You'll study mostly at home, staying in contact with your tutor by telephone, post and email. You must attend five residential weekends in Sheffield during the two years of the course.

Assessment

• One 6,000-word assignment per module
• A 15,000–20,000-word dissertation represents one-third of the MA (60 credits out of 180)

On completion, you'll have the opportunity to apply for doctoral study on the Early Childhood Education EdD at Sheffield

Your Career

We offer postgraduate courses that will launch your career in education or aid your continuing professional development. Our graduates work in the UK and overseas in schools, universities, and local and national government. Some deliver education as teachers and lecturers; others use their skills in a variety of careers covering policy development, education, administration, psychology and social work.

About Us

We value creative teaching that challenges inequalities in the education system. We believe in increasing opportunities for education, for everyone. You’ll benefit from this inclusive approach, as a student and as a professional.

You'll be taught by leading academics like Professor Cathy Nutbrown, who was recently commissioned by the government to lead an independent review looking at ways to strengthen teaching qualifications. This year, Cathy won an Outstanding Impact in Society award for her work on literacy.

Specialist resources

Our research seminar programme gives you access to the latest findings, often before they’re published. The University’s library has online catalogues and databases, e-books and e-journals. There’s a wireless network in the department.

Apply now

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It is a quick and easy process.

Postgraduate Online Application Form