Options with your subject: Childhood studies

Childhood studies is an excellent foundation for a range of careers working with children and young people. It's important you understand your own interests, abilities and skills to get the right career for you...

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Child psychotherapist
• Early years teacher
• Learning mentor
• Primary school teacher
• Secondary school teacher
• Special educational needs teacher
• Social worker
• Youth worker

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Community development worker
• Counsellor
• Educational psychologist
• Paediatric nurse
• Speech and language therapist

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. To find out what jobs would suit you, log in to My Prospects.

Work experience

All employers are impressed by graduates who have some relevant experience, whether gained via paid or voluntary work. This is particularly true for those considering teaching or social work, as competition for places on courses is fierce. Classroom experience can be gained by arranging visits to schools to observe and talk to teachers. You could request to help with non-teaching duties on a regular basis or even try to get some part-time work as a teaching assistant.

You can get experience of working with children in other ways, too, such as through summer play schemes, summer camps, Brownies and Scouts, Sunday schools, youth clubs or tutoring or mentoring. If you wish to go into social work some experience of working with the local community will be helpful. 

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

Childhood studies graduates enter employment in a variety of sectors with a range of employers, including local authorities, local and national charities, state and independent schools, nurseries and health authorities.

In recent years, both Sure Start  Children’s Centres and The National Health Service (NHS)  have employed graduates from childhood studies degrees.

Find information on employers in teaching and education, health and social care, charities and voluntary work, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

All employers will be interested in your personal skills and abilities as well as in the specific subject and technical skills developed through your degree subject.

A childhood studies course helps you to develop a wide range of transferable skills valued by employers. These skills include:

• written communication developed through writing essays;
• oral communication skills gained through reasoned debates during seminars and presentations;
• ability to work as part of a team, through collaborative group work;
• research and analytical skills with the ability to judge and evaluate information;
• organisational and time management skills by prioritising tasks to ensure academic, social and work commitments are completed on time;
• negotiation, informally with peers and formally with staff;
• problem solving;
• IT skills.

Further study

Childhood studies graduates that go on to further study tend to take courses that lead to professional status, with the most popular option being the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), as many graduates go on to work as primary school or special needs teachers.

Other professional courses pursued include nursing and the Masters programme in social work. Employers are often supportive of further study and may support employees by providing funding or time off to complete coursework.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see postgraduate study in the UK and search courses and research.

What do childhood studies graduates do?

Childhood studies has a natural link with work in the social care and education sectors and many graduates opt to stay within these sectors after graduation. Other childhood studies graduates decide to apply for jobs for which any degree is acceptable, competing with graduates from other subjects for roles within, for example, administration and customer service.

A substantial number of childhood studies graduates progress immediately on to further study.

AGCAS

Written by AGCAS editors

Date: 

May 2012

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