Youth Work
BA(Hons)

Course summary and entry requirements

Course duration
Part-time: 4.5 years

UCAS code not applicable. Apply direct to the university.

Professional accreditation
The course is undergoing re-endorsement by the National Youth Agency (NYA). Successful students will be deemed to be professionally qualified as youth workers according to the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) framework for youth and community workers.

About the course

This course meets the needs of trainee and part-time youth workers wishing to gain a professional qualification. It is delivered in partnership with local authority and third sector youth service providers, this ensures the syllabus is directly relevant to your work.
Youth work experience provides the focus for the course via the primary placement (your current work setting) and there are three additional placements in the third and fourth year (75 hours each). Your youth work practice and university-based work is closely linked throughout the course.

Typical entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are for students starting their course in 2014. Entry requirements for students thinking about starting a course in 2013 can be found in the online prospectus. Individual offers may vary
For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.0 overall, 6.0 in writing.
Other:
Applicants are normally expected to meet the following requirements. Significant experience (normally one to two years) working as a youth worker or other relevant experience. Current employment for at least six hours per week as a youth worker in a paid or voluntary capacity; successful completion of foundation-level youth work training or related recognition of skills and understanding in youth work (normally assessed at NVQ levels 2 or 3). Computer access with word processing facilities and internet. You will need a qualified and experienced mentor for each full year. If the cost is not met by your sponsoring employer, you may need to pay up to #600-#700 per year in addition to your course fees. Consent from your employer to support mentoring, assessment and workplace learning opportunities is required.
Course content

Course structure

The course is part-time and runs over four years and three months part-time (beginning in the summer term April-June plus three or four academic years September-June). The final stage of the course can be studied over one or two years, in consultation with the course leader.
Each year of study includes a block of approximately three study days in April, regular weekday sessions (Tuesday mornings) and one Saturday per month.
As well as attending university, you will spend one day per week on work-based activities, reflection and private study.

Syllabus

Year 1 (April-July)
Studying in HE for Professional Development in Working with Children and Young People
Children and Young People's Learning and Development
Year 2 (September-June)
Relationships and Interventions
Contemporary Issues for Young People
Informal Education and the Youth Work Curriculum
Safeguarding Children and Young People
Reflective Professional Practice
Year 3 (September-June)
Working with Young People in Groups
Young People, Transitions and Change
Managing People and Provision
Social Policy, Equality and Inclusion
Further Reflective Professional Practice
Year 4 (September-July)
Understanding Participation and
Community Development
Quality Assurance in Services for Young People
Inter-Disciplinary Critical Practice in Learning and Development
Year 5 (September-July)
Understanding Educational Research
Professional Enquiry: Informal learning and Development

You can view the programme specification for this course as a PDF file by clicking on the link below:

Programme Specification
Fees and costs

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2013-14. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or criminal record checks, field trips or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply please check with the school that provides your course using the contact details on the left of this page for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

Our website www.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

BA(Hons) Youth Work

Please contact us directly for exact tuition fees for this course.
Location

Location Falmer

Our Falmer campus is located on the edge of the South Downs National Park on the outskirts of Brighton. Approximately 7,000 students are based here.
View campus maps and directions
Living in Brighton
Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.
Social scene
Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Arts
The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.
Sports
Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.
Student views

Jay Blackwood

Youth Work BA(Hons)

After school I trained as a sound engineer. I originally got into youth work so that I could start a degree in social work, but I found the youth work role so rewarding I stuck with it. I started by teaching young people how to DJ and it grew from there.

Positive feedback

I chose the School of Education because of positive feedback from friends who had studied here. They said that the course was well put-together and the tutors experienced and up-to-speed with current issues.

I attended an open day and was pleasantly surprised by the facilities and welcoming nature of the university. It was very easy to make my choice after that.

Support

The tutors are supportive. It feels less like a classroom and more like a training session. This allows students to be more relaxed and open to discussion and friendly debate. The course materials are relevant and reflect current events outside the classroom.

I have recently discovered I have dyslexia. The tutors have supported me by providing extra support and guidance and supplying course materials which help me to focus.

Now and the future

The course has given me the confidence and initiative to develop youth projects. I am currently leading a club session for fostered young people and young carers. I am also working on a project for young people to learn music production.

Sarah Pain

Youth Work BA(Hons)

My first degree was a BSc in Psychology and Fine Art at Oxford Brookes.   I have been a youth worker since moving to Brighton 10 years ago.

Course and location

I wanted to qualify as a youth worker, push myself and gain professional status. The School of Education at University of Brighton offered a really good course. I live in Brighton and would have hated commuting to London to study.

Practical experience

It’s great that everything you learn on the course is relevant to your work. The placements have been really good and I have learned about other work settings and about different young people.

The taught sessions are really varied. It's good to have lectures but also the opportunity to discuss issues with your classmates and learn about their working environments and experiences.

Support

The course tutors have all worked within the youth sector. They are a fountain of knowledge.

Now and the future

The course has challenged and encouraged me to take on more responsibility and I am now in charge of a youth project. I intend to continue supporting vulnerable young people and help them to have a voice, to develop and achieve.

Steve Anyiwo

Youth Work BA(Hons)

Retraining after recession

I am a 40 year old south Londoner from Nigerian descent. I worked in the publishing sector for 18 years.

My personal interests have always been music, culture and working with young people so when the recession bit deep into my employment sector, I decided to retrain as a teacher of post-16 students.

I completed my initial teacher training but, after volunteering for many organisations, I decided the classroom was not where my future lay. My volunteering led to my becoming a full-time youth support worker.

Recommendation

A colleague who had studied Youth Work at the University of Brighton recommended the course. I then learned that the University of Brighton is one the top universities for education practitioners. It was my one and only application and I enrolled in 2011.

Variety

I like the variety of topics we cover. But most important to me is the fact that every session I learn something I can implement into my working day. I also like the fact that every student’s opinion is considered valid and open to discussion.

Support

The tutors have helped immensely. I feared I would be out of my depth returning to education after so many years away, but I have had lots of encouragement.

Plans for the future

Our children and young people deserve the best, so my goal is to aim high, be equipped, and deliver the best Youth Work I can for as long as I am able. From there who knows.
Career opportunities

Local authorities and many voluntary and independent sector employers use the JNC benchmark when recruiting for positions with a certain level of responsibility. With this professional qualification you can expect greater employment opportunities and better pay and conditions of service.

Visit the careers service website.