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Bachelor of Arts (Child, Youth and Family: Policy and Practice) APP
Course Overview
This programme is designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the key trends and changes in family life and child and youth development, complimented by in-depth sociological and political studies. There are two underpinning beliefs built into the programme, one being that children and young people need to be valued, listened to and enabled to reach their full potential and the other that at some stage, all families, no matter who they are need help and support to function.Given this, the programme places specific emphasis on developing the knowledge and practical skills required to work in the youth work, family support and community development sectors. The policy and practice focus of the programme is enhanced by the study of sociology, which builds knowledge about society and how it shapes individuals and social relationships, and political science, which ensures a solid understanding of key aspects of political life and fundamental ideas such as freedom, democracy and equality.
The core strengths of this programme include: a nine-month work placement in year three; small group teaching delivered in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society, the University’s flagship Institute for applied social science research that informs policy and practice (www.universityofgalway.ie/ilas); and teaching that is led by professionals working in practice, and staff from the School of Political Science and Sociology and the internationally recognised UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (www.universityofgalway.ie/childandfamilyresearch).
Applications and Selections
Who Teaches this Course
Requirements and Assessment
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, and three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.
Additional Requirements
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Duration
4 years
Next start date
September 2024
A Level Grades (2023)
universityofgalway.ie/alevels
Average intake
40
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
21 (More Info)
Closing Date
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
Award
CAO
GY137
Course code
Course Outline
This course is delivered through a series of modules centred around child, youth and family studies. These modules introduce students to the disciplines of political science, sociology, public and social policy, economics, psychology, the creative arts, information technology and law. Many of the modules have a strong focus on personal and professional skills development, equipping students with both research skills and the range of skills necessary to work in the sector.
Year 1
- Introduction to Child, Youth and Family Studies
- Youth Development
- Children and Health
- Introduction to Politics
- Practising Politics
- Introduction to Sociology
- Practising Sociology
- Introduction to Economic Policy
- Community Development
- Social Research Skills
- Personal and Professional Development
Year 2
- Understanding Family and Society
- Youth Work Principles and Practice
- Child, Youth and Family Service Provision in Ireland
- Child Protection and Welfare
- Economics of Family Policy
- Social Issues and Policy Responses
- Sociology of Health
- Politics and Society: Themes and Topics
- Economics of Public and Social Policy
- Methods for Social and Political Science
- Professional Development Skills
Year 3
Professional Work Placement (Sept-June). Examples of placement settings include: community, youth, education, family support or cultural organisations and government agencies.
Year 4
- Research, Policy and Practice
- Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
- Issues in Contemporary Families
- Family Law
- Youth and Society
- Equality, Diversity and Collective Action
- Children and Young People in Families Today
- Key Words in Social Work and Social Welfare
- Introduction to Social Work
Equivalent modules may be substituted from time to time for any of the above under exceptional circumstances and when approved by the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies
Curriculum Information
Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.
Glossary of Terms
- Credits
- You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
- Module
- An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
- Subject
- Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
- Optional
- A module you may choose to study.
- Required
- A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
- Required Core Subject
- A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
- Semester
- Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.
Year 1 (60 Credits)
Required SP125: Social Research Skills - 5 Credits - Semester 1Required SP1122: Community Development - 10 Credits - Semester 1
Required SP1120: Practicing Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required SP1125: Introduction to Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required SP1103: Introduction to Child, Youth and Family - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required EC1110: Introduction to Economic Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Required SP239: Youth Development - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required SP1121: Practicing Sociology - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required SP1126: Introduction to Sociology - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required SP1101: Personal and Professional Development - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Required CN1100: Children and Health - 5 Credits - Semester 1
Optional PS1101: Developmental Psychology - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional EC132: Applied Economics - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Optional SP129: Social & Political Change - 5 Credits - Semester 2
Year 2 (60 Credits)
Required EC267: Economics of Public and Social Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 3Required SP2205: Professional Development Skills - 10 Credits - Semester 3
Required SP235: Social Issues and Policy Responses - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required SPSK3101: Politics and Society: Themes and Topics - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required SP2116: Sociology of Health - 5 Credits - Semester 3
Required SP220: Methods For Social And Political Science - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required SPL306: Child Protection & Welfare - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required SPL307: Youth Work Principles & Practice - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required EC272: Economics of Family Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required SP2108: Child, Youth and Family Service Provision in Ireland - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Required SP243: Understanding Family and Society - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Optional SP2120: Research Proposal Preparation Skills - 5 Credits - Semester 4
Year 3 (60 Credits)
Optional SP3135: Work Placement - 60 Credits - Semester 5Optional SP3136: Community Based Research Project - 60 Credits - Semester 5
Year 4 (60 Credits)
Optional SP3197: Thinking Politically: The Power of Ideas - 5 Credits - Semester 7Optional SP404: Development And Change - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional SP3208: Contemporary American Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional SP3199: Care, Power, Information - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional SP705.I: Revisiting Violence - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required SP4125: Research, Policy and Practice 1 - 10 Credits - Semester 7
Required SP2112: Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults (Approved) - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required SP240: Family Law - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Required SP3195: Equality, Diversity and Collective Action - 5 Credits - Semester 7
Optional SP3129: Sexualities, Genders and Diversities - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP618: Welfare Words: Key Words in Social Work & Social Welfare - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3193: Introduction to Social Work - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP701: Children & Young People in Families Today - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP705.II: Revisiting Violence - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3101: 'Community' - Significance and Change - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional WS821.II: Thinking Differently: European Women's Studies - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3150: Teaching Methods for the Politics and Society Classroom - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3134: Human Rights Advocacy: Concepts, Law and Practice - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3198: Songs of Rebellion: Power, Resistance, and Affect - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3144: Political Liberty - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3103: European Union: Political Theory and Pol. Economy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3192: Sociology of Religion - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP721: Ocean and Marine Politics - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SPL315.II: Smart & Liveable Cities and Suburbs - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP419: Marxist Theory - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3133: The Northern Ireland Conflict - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3141: Socially-Engaged Art and Relations of Power - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP420: Sociology Of The Environment - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3194: Theories of Nationalism - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3214: Biosociality and Bioeconomy: The Value(s) of Living Things - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3215: Security & World Affairs: People, Planet, Places - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Required SP4126: Research, Policy and Practice 2 - 10 Credits - Semester 8
Required SPL312: Issues in Contemporary Families - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Required SP3137: Youth and Society - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3211: Empathy in Action - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP3209: The Sociology of the Bioeconomy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SPL304: Women, Men & the Economy: Critical Explorations of Theory & Policy - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Optional SP692: Minor dissertation - 5 Credits - Semester 8
Further Education
Upon completion of this programme, you will be eligible to apply for a range of MA courses subject to meeting programme specific entry requirements such as the following
- MA in Social Work
- MA in Family Support Studies
- MA in Child
- Youth and Community
- MA in Public Policy
- MA Politics and Sociology
- MA Gender
- Globalisation and Rights
Postgraduate courses that graduates of this degree will be eligible to apply for in other third level institutions include:
- Masters in Community and Youth Work (NUI Maynooth)
- Masters in Youth Work, Community Arts and Sports Studies (UCC)
- MA in Child, Family and Community Studies (DIT)
- LLM in Child and Family Law (UCC)
- MA in Child, Youth and Community
The BA also provides excellent foundational preparation for the BA in Applied Policing, the programme delivered to Garda trainees by the Garda College in Templemore.
You Might Also Like MA, PDip (Child, Youth and Community)
Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Graduates are well-prepared for employment in youth work, child welfare and family support, educational settings, community development practice, disability services, social work, social policy, civil or public service or research-focused opportunities.
The BA Child, Youth and Family Placement programme in 2023-2024 is supported by the following organisations:
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Transferable Skills Employers Value
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
Fees: Tuition
Fees: Student Contribution
Fees: Student levy
Fees: Non EU
EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy** €140. **Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.
Find out More
Dr. Deirdre Hardiman
Programme Director
E: deirdre.hardiman@universityofgalway.ie
Dr. Helen Casey
Programme Director
E: helen.casey@universityofgalway.ie
T: +353 91 495203
Website: School of Political Science and Sociology