Study location	Ireland, ATU Mayo
Type	Undergraduate, full-time
Nominal duration	4 years (240 ECTS)
Study language	English
Awards	BA (Hons) (Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care)
Course code	0125/0185

Tuition fee	€12,000 per year

Entry qualification

High school / secondary education (or higher) Qualifications must meet the equivalent of the Irish Leaving Cert level 5 NFQ The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. This includes a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original. If your Documents are not in English, please upload a translated version You must take the original entry qualification documents along with you when you finally go to the university.

Language requirements	English Accepted proof of proficiency: FCE or CAE, IELTS 5.5+, TOEFL 69+ or Duolingo English Test 90+ More Information

More information	gmit.ie/..rly-childhood-education-and-care

Overview

This degree provides experiences, insights and knowledge into early childhood education and care. Early childhood educators work with children from infancy to primary school. Our programme aims to develop well-informed, articulate professionals who are passionate about early childhood education and care.

There is a strong focus on play and learning, the close relationship to nature and outdoor experiences and children’s rights to participation. This firm academic foundation is cemented by a strong emphasis on practical application of theory.

Students will spend 12 hours weekly in practice placement in order to provide them with an opportunity to link theory to practice. Students receive on-going support through placement by an experienced educator.

Career opportunities

There is growing recognition that Early Childhood Education and Care is a distinctive specialty with its own career pathways. It will offer enhanced employability within the rapidly professionalising sector, furthermore, the degree will offer graduates a gateway to a number of careers including:

Early childhood educator
Manager in an early years centre
Early years inspector
Early years specialist
Entrepreneur in the ECE field
Opportunities also exist for further education at masters level to pursue careers in research, psychology, speech and language therapy, primary teaching among others.

The course is designed to attract both school-leavers, mature learners and international learners and is designed for people working towards careers in services for children, young people and their families. It caters for the demand for highly qualified early years and childhood professionals, while also developing future researchers in the field.