Course Title: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education & Care
Choice of Location Guaranteed, Blanchardstown OR Tallaght
2023 CAO Points: 260
Leaving Certificate Requirements
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Minimum Number of |
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|---|---|
|
Subjects |
Higher |
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6 |
2 H5's |
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Minimum Grade in |
|
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Maths |
English OR Irish |
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O6/H7/F2 or higher |
O6/H7 |
QQI/FET Requirements
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QQI/FET Award Required |
Additional Requirements |
|---|---|
| Any full Level 5 or 6 award | A distinction in 3 modules is required |
In addition to the QQI minimum entry requirements, QQI quotas and QQI points apply. The max QQI points awarded is 390. Further details at www.tudublin.ie/qqi
Mature Applicants
Applications from mature students (23+) are welcome. Further details at www.tudublin.ie/mature
Additional Requirements
Garda Vetting through TU Dublin Required – see tudublin.ie/gardavetting
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency as detailed on our website. Applicants for this course should have a minimum IELTS (Academic Version) English Proficiency of 6.0 overall (or equivalent).
If you’re interested in working with children and finding out how they develop and learn, are eager to study different cultures, languages and diversity in the world, and enthusiastic about making a difference in children’s lives, this course will suit you. It explores the varied approaches to early childhood education and care, including child development, child psychology, sociology of childhood, art, drama and music, equality, diversity and inclusion, language acquisition, health and well-being, and safeguarding children. You’ll gain insights into outdoor learning and risky play through our purpose-built outdoor classroom. You’ll be able to apply and adapt your learning in the realistic setting of our dedicated early-childhood practice room. In Year 4, you’ll can specialise in areas such as Creative Interventions; Children's Rights; Curriculum Design, and Leadership, Management and Mentoring.
The course includes practical and creative projects, engaging in the local community, debates, presentations and reflective journals. The course will develop your competencies across key national and international frameworks.
This course is approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (instituted to review Level 7 and Level 8 degree courses for the Early Learning and Care Sector) as meeting the requirements of the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines standards.
Work Placement
There are two 12-week work placements, in Year 2, Semester 1 and Year 3, Semester 1.
IT Requirements
Students on this course will be required to have a medium spec computer/laptop (i.e. able to run Win 10, an AV solution and Office comfortably. It should be able to use Wi-fi and camera in order to attend online classes, and use other software such as SPSS, Adobe Connect; e.g. Latitude 5510; Latitude 5410;
Please search for the TU Dublin offer on the HEA website www.heanet.ie/store
Early Childhood Care and Education Educator in:
- Pre-schools
- Crèches
- Montessori
- Primary Schools
- Community Centres
- Early Intervention Projects
- Establish your own Business
Semester 1
- Child Development 1
- Sociology of Childhood
- Professional Development in the Early Years
- Promoting Wellbeing in Early Years
- Play Based Art and Music
- Early Childhood Curriculum
Semester 2
- Drama, Movement and Play
- Child Development 2
- Social Institutions and the Early Years
- Wellbeing, Identity and Belonging
- Practice Placement 1 *
* Practice Placement 1 will be graded on a Pass / Fail basis and these 10 credits will not be included in the calculation of the GPA for the stage.
Semester 1
- Practice Placement 2 *
- Professional Practice: Supporting Children and Families in Early Years
* Practice Placement 2 will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis and these 25 credits will not be included in the calculation of the GPA for the stage
Semester 2
- Psychology and Learning in Early Childhood
- Childhood and Social Policy
- Literacy and Numeracy through Play
- Curriculum & Pedagogy
- Outdoor Learning & Risky Play
- School Age Care
Semester 1
- Practice Placement 3*
- Professional Practice and Critical Reflection
* Practice Placement 3 will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis and these 20 credits will not be included in the calculation of the GPA for the stage.
Semester 2:
- Language Acquisition and Multilingualism
- Creative Group Facilitation
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Legislative Issues for the Early Years
- Research Methods in Early Years
- Children’s Rights and Advocacy
Semester 1
- Psychological Approaches to Inclusive Practices
- Curriculum Development and Design
- Child Protection: Policy and Practice in Early Childhood
- Research in Practice
Electives
- Creative Interventions for the Personal, Social and Emotional Development of Children
- Second Language Pedagogy
Semester 2
- Collaborating with Family and Communities
- Supporting Positive Interactions with Children
- Dissertation : Early Years Practice Project
- Leadership, Management, Communication and Mentoring
- Social Justice in Early Childhood Education and Care
Please note, there is no advanced entry to this course.
The best thing about this course is the strong link between practice and theory. There is a specific room set up to resemble an early years classroom which is regularly used in different modules. In Year 2 and Year 3 students go on work placement for 12 weeks. During this time students are able to practice what they have been learning and talking about in college. Placement also provides students with the experience of working in early childhood settings in many different areas.
On graduation, you may continue to postgraduate study at TU Dublin or elsewhere.