Child Studies

Course detail Description

The Child Studies MA is a demanding course that concentrates on an academic and analytical approach to modern-day issues of childhood. The course features a range of modules that are highly relevant to those who are working or intending to work with vulnerable children. We welcome graduates from a variety of disciplines and professions including medicine, education, law, social care, psychology and sociology.

The course combines a range of required and optional modules to a value of between 180 and 190 credits. In addition to a required dissertation, you will take required modules covering Children’s Rights and Child Protection, and then choose from a wide range of relevant optional modules, such as Global Childhoods, Child Health & Development, and Psychology & Learning.

Teaching

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. A significant proportion of teaching on the course is delivered by expert external lecturers, both academics and practitioners. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

The teaching contact time for each 30-credit taught Child Studies module is typically 30.5-32 hours. In addition each module will involve one hour of supervision/Q&A time. The typical teaching contact time for each 30-credit taught ‘Education’ optional module is 20 hours. Teaching sessions will usually include lectures, and teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study.

There are 12 hours of teaching for the internship module; this is supplemented by the support of Careers and Employability and mentoring through the internship itself. Students also complete at least 160 hours of employment. Each 30-credit taught module has 267-280 (or 288 for the internship module) hours of self-guided learning time.

For the dissertation module, you will receive 22 hours of research methods training. You may also choose to take research methods as an optional module. You will also receive six to eight hours of dissertation workshops, and you are entitled to up to 9 hours of individual dissertation supervision, to complement the approximately 561-563 hours of self-study.

Contact hours for optional modules taken outside of the course may vary.

Assessment

This course is assessed by a combination of essays, reports, presentations, research proposals and case studies. Your assessment methods will be determined by your choice of optional modules. The dissertation is an extended piece of writing of 16,000 words.

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Structure

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. You will take modules totalling 180-190 credits.

If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying part-time, your course will be delivered over two years, and you will normally study the four taught modules in Year 1, and research methods training and the dissertation in Year 2. There is some flexibility and you may prefer to study three taught modules in Year 1 and the remaining modules in Year 2.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on this course page for updates.

• Children’s Rights (30 credits)
• Child Protection (30 credits)
• Dissertation (60 credits)

In addition, you are required to select modules totalling 60-70 credits from a wide range of optional modules that may typically include:

• Child Health & Development (30 credits)
• Global Childhoods (30 credits)
• Research Methods (30 credits)
• Internship Module (30 credits)
• You may take up to 30-40 credits of relevant option modules from another course, subject to approval from the Programme Director.

Your 60-70 optional module credits may include one ‘Education’ module from the following list of typical modules:

• Psychology & Learning (30 credits)
• The Social Context of Education (30 credits)