We hope that the following selection of comments from some of our graduates will give you an idea of the careers that students embark on after finishing the programme.
The interdisciplinary nature of the Early Childhood Studies course at Bristol has provided me with a balanced understanding of the many factors that influence child development. It has equipped me with many transferable academic skills and has informed my teaching practice. I have now secured my first teaching post in the Reception class of an inner-city London primary school which will commence in September 2009. I also plan to continue part time at the University of Cambridge to achieve MEd status. It is a very exciting time to be working in the Early Years!
PhD Student in the School for Policy Studies and part-time teaching for Childhood Studies and Social Policy degrees
I was very interested in childhood development, children’s rights and psychology. Early Childhood Studies, due to its multidisciplinary nature, covered these topics in addition to other areas that dealt with many aspects of childhood. The course gave me the opportunity to explore the factors which influence childhood and how these can affect later development. I enjoyed the course immensely and it provided me with an excellent basis for progression onto a Masters degree.
The course was flexible enough to allow me to follow the route that suited my own particular needs and interests. I have found the knowledge and skills that I have gained indispensable in my working life. On graduating I spent a year working in an Albanian state orphanage helping to provide a caring and stimulating environment for the forty children resident there. I am currently involved in working with children and families who are both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.’
I chose this degree course as I had a great interest in child development and psychology and I felt that it would extend my knowledge and interest in these areas, leaving my career options open. The course has a theory based approach and is more academic than other vocational Early Childhood Studies degrees. I am now responsible for developing quality, affordable childcare and improving practice with children from birth to five for a London Borough.’
The BSc in Early Childhood Studies is a fantastic degree for anyone wishing to pursue a child related career which covers numerous fields from health through to social policy. ‘I now work in London for a charity called KIDS and deliver home learning programmes to pre-school children with special needs - I love every minute! The course was ideal for me and also a lot of fun!
Since graduating in 1998 I have worked in a variety of childcare settings including residential homes, schools and nurseries with children from a wide range of backgrounds, of different ages and vastly differing abilities. The ECS course gave me invaluable knowledge about child development and also different types of special needs, a field which I have been fascinated in throughout my employment. I am extremely pleased about my choice of degree and I feel that it has really helped me throughout my career to date.
I chose the degree in Early Childhood Studies because it provided a multi-disciplinary approach to child development. I thoroughly enjoyed the course as it included teaching from a range of excellent departments, including psychology and social policy. I am now a psychology clinic assistant and I collect data from the thousands of children who visit the ALSPAC clinic. I recommend Early Childhood Studies as it provides a comprehensive understanding of child development in a contemporary and cross-cultural context.