A new Masters degree course focusing on the development of children from birth to age five has been launched by the University of East Anglia.
The MA in Early Childhood Studies aims to give professionals in the early years sector a chance to develop their knowledge and skills at an advanced academic level.
“We hope that the MA will enable people to make a significant professional contribution to the early years sector, improving the quality of young children’s play and learning,” said course leader Gill Preece. “The part-time course will cover everything from the creative arts and information technology for young children to leadership, management and policy-making in the UK and internationally, and there’s also a strong emphasis on skills to undertake original research.”
The programme has been designed to meet the needs of early years practitioners working in children’s nurseries and day-care centres as well as teachers, local authority staff and Children's Services advisors. The course complements the new Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), a postgraduate status for people working in the early years sector, broadly equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status. The University of East Anglia has been delivering EYPS since it was introduced in 2006.
“We’re excited about this new course,” said Gill, “because it really reinforces the importance of the early years as a key part of the education sector. The University of East Anglia has an excellent reputation for early years education so the MA is a really strong addition to what we offer.”
The course starts in October and there are still some places available. For more information about the programme visit the University of East Anglia website or call 01603 592807.
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