90% overall satisfaction
90% of final year students were satisfied with Bath Spa's Early Childhood Studies course (source: NSS 2022).

BA (Hons)
Undergraduate degree - single honours
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.
On this dynamic course, you’ll develop a critical understanding of childhood, babies, children and families from multi-disciplinary and global perspectives. Informed by the latest research and our Centre for Research in Early Childhood (REACH), you’ll examine current debates and explore concepts such as play, development, ethics, wellbeing, social justice and leadership.
Through 80 days of planned placement activity, you’ll gain essential skills and knowledge of inclusive and collaborative practices to make a positive impact on children’s lives and shape your future career. You might also apply for our Certificate in Global Citizenship or opt for a study visit or international placement.
If you apply for a PGCE during your final year of study, you'll receive a guaranteed PGCE Primary and Early Years interview.
"This experience provided me with the opportunity to explore practice in the early years, which I had never really done before. I was able to participate in lengthy placements, which allowed me to gain substantial experience and develop what I had learnt from seminars."
Jessica Samuels, student
You’ll gain knowledge and understanding of:
In addition to this, you’ll gain skills that will make you attractive to employers. You’ll learn to present your ideas confidently in a variety of forms, use ICT for various professional purposes and work collaboratively.
Year one
Year one will introduce to you contemporary and global issues in childhood, the education and care of young children from birth to eight years, and the importance of reflection as a professional tool. Through your studies and placement, you’ll explore theoretical and research perspectives underpinning how children develop and learn. This includes a focus on children’s creativity, wellbeing, rights and participation.
Year two
During your placement and studies in year two, you'll develop your professional identity as an early childhood educator and gain a deep understanding of the care, development and learning of children between birth and eight years old. You’ll question how current social, political and cultural perspectives impact the lived experiences of children and their families, and critically examine issues such as equity and social justice, diversity and inclusion and digital technologies.
Year three
In year three you’ll continue in placement and gain an understanding of leadership in early childhood settings. Alongside this, experiential learning will support your knowledge of effective ways of leading a team, reflective practice, and working with parents, carers, families and communities. You’ll analyse concepts such as play and playfulness, ethics and democracy. Through balancing independent work with one-to-one support, you’ll carry out research in a chosen, specialist area and prepare for your future career.
You’ll be assessed through coursework. There are no exams.
Assessments could include essays, group presentations, research-based reports and portfolio-based work. We’ll provide you with regular feedback on how well you're doing and give you regular guidance on how to improve your skills, knowledge and understanding.
Teaching is through a mix of lectures, seminars and individual tutorials. Seminars are usually more informal than lectures – they're opportunities for you to discuss, ask questions and get involved in activities and debates.
You’ll be taught by experienced and respected University staff. Throughout the course they’ll introduce you to their specialisms and research interests.
You’ll also benefit from visiting speakers – these include early childhood setting leaders, play therapists, children’s services, educational advisers, specialist researchers and international visitors.
To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.
This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.
Two optional modules, such as but not limited to:
Two optional modules, such as, but not limited to:
As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.
Placements occur in each year of the programme (25-30 placement days/year) in a range of early childhood settings as part of the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. These extended placements also enable you to collect practice-based evidence for the accredited vocational qualification ‘Early Years Educator’.
Optional modules provide further placement opportunities for you to work with young people both locally and internationally. The Institute for Education Partnership Office will arrange each placement for you. We try to ensure you are located within a reasonable distance from where you live; however, you should normally expect to travel using your own or public transport.
Previous students have worked with charities, youth centres and third-sector organisations such as museums, as well as in schools and early years settings.
Early Childhood Studies will provide the basis for you to work with young children in different early years settings and contexts. You may choose to work in educational and training advisory roles in a range of organisations including local community, businesses, local authorities, non-government organisations, charities, museums, art galleries and libraries.
INTL Global CitizenshipIf you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.
You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.
This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.
By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.
Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.
On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.
The Early Childhood Studies degree is taught on Newton Park campus.
You'll have access to a range of excellent facilities including:
You can hire out equipment using SISO, Bath Spa University’s free equipment loan service. We provide a huge variety of equipment, from cameras to laptops.
Please note: Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland are not generally eligible for the UK (Home) fee status. Please refer to the international student rate. Irish citizens and those granted Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are eligible for UK (Home) fee status. There are also other circumstances where this may apply: See UKCISA for more information.
Year 1 | £9,250 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2026 |
Year 1 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2026 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2027 |
Year 1 | £4,625 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2026 |
Year 1 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2026 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2027 |
Year 1 | £15,050 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 1 | Published Jan 2024 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2026 |
Year 1 | Published Jan 2025 |
Year 2 | Published Jan 2026 |
Year 3 | Published Jan 2027 |
During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. Otherwise, fees are the same as for full time study. This applies to UK, EU and International students.
We're looking for critical and compassionate students who are committed to working with and supporting the lives of babies, young children and families.
We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:
English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants
IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.
Course enquiries
For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.
Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.
Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.
Course leaders: Rebecca Digby
Email: r.digby@bathspa.ac.uk
Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk