Top-up BA (Honours) in Early Childhood Open University

This top-up route enables experienced early years practitioners to gain our BA (Honours) Early Childhood in just one or two years. With an existing Foundation Degree, Higher National Diploma or Diploma of Higher Education in Early Years/Early Childhood, you’ll advance your professional development by completing two modules that cover working with children, and how research contributes to our understanding of children and young people.

Key features of the course

• Offers a fast-track route to gaining our BA (Honours) Early Childhood
• Encourages critical understanding and reflection on contemporary issues and debates in early childhood
• Prepares you for further research, study, enquiry and practice

Accessibility

We make all our qualifications as accessible as possible and have a comprehensive range of services to support all our students. The Top-up BA (Honours) in Early Childhood uses a variety of study materials and has the following elements:

• studying online – some modules have a mixture of printed and online material, and others are entirely online. Online learning resources may include websites, audio/video media clips, and interactive activities such as online quizzes
• face-to-face tutorials/day schools/workshops and/or online tutorials
• using mathematical and scientific expressions, notations and associated techniques
• working in a group with other students
• using and/or producing diagrams and/or screenshots
• practical work
• finding external/third party material online
• using technology for research purposes involving access to catalogues and databases online
• continuous and end-of-module assessment in the form of essays, short answer questions, and in some cases an examination
• using feedback: continuous assessment involves receiving detailed feedback on your work from your tutor and using this feedback to improve your performance
• engagement with learning and assessment within a pre-determined schedule or timetable – time management will be needed during your studies and the University will help you to develop these skills throughout your degree.

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increase as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; e-learning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Course details

This top-up degree has one stage, comprising 120 credits.

• You’ll start at Stage 3, where you’ll study two modules – one that focuses on the development of a multidisciplinary professional workforce for children and one that will introduce you to a range of research methods and analytical techniques.