Course overview
Develop your understanding of how to empower young people and the community, challenge marginalisation and create positive opportunities for their personal development. Explore key areas of knowledge and practice-based learning as you develop professional resilience and learn to lead and manage the evolving and complex demands of employers.
Elevate your professional practice, demonstrating competence and capacity to improve through continued personal and professional development. You develop collaborative working practices, preparing you for professional interactions within youth-based organisations to evaluate the impact of policies and quality processes.
Engage with the youth workers’ standards, developing the skills to motivate and inspire young people to succeed and progress through creative intervention. Learn how to implement a range of inclusive, innovative and adaptive informal education strategies. You become a confident, critical, articulate and creative leader as you develop your ability to link theory to your evidence-based practice.
Gain critical awareness of current issues in the field of community and youth work, developing skills such as reflective learning, professional responsibility and ethics. Much of the work with young people and the wider community can be project-based, addressing issues like support into education, developing life skills, making healthy choices and empowerment, drugs and subsense use, mental well-being, sexual health, poverty, sexual exploitation, mentoring, knife crime, advisory work, homelessness, worklessness, intimate partner violence, arts, sport and music projects.
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
Inclusive Approaches to Leadership and Management with Young People in the Community
Explore best practice in ever-changing political, cultural and socio-economic environments and develop your understanding of complex problems and potential solutions. Gain knowledge and skills to successfully lead and manage in community and youth work settings.
Working with Young People and Others in the Community
Develop your understanding of the history and evolution of youth and community work, questioning theory, policy, practice and approaches. Explore contemporary issues in youth and community work, and consider anti-discriminatory practice and social inclusion, applying your learning to the experiences of individuals and communities.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn through lectures, seminars, discussions and workshops. Online discussion groups are held one evening a week to explore and consolidate your learning.
You also complete two work-based placements in the field of youth and community work, equating to 400 hours of assessed practice. Both placement modules allow you to apply your learning to practice placements.
How you are assessed
You are assessed through professional placements, essay plans, essays, case studies, group work, vlogs or podcasts, portfolios, and written or filmed interviews. Your assessments reflect the challenges within each module and allow you to develop academically and professionally.
Professional placements are assessed through completion of placement hours, participation in meetings with your supervisor and tutor, providing evidence of competence to meet National Occupational Standards, and evidence of consideration of youth work values and ethical practice.
Entry requirements
To apply you need:
- a first degree (minimum of 2:2). If you do not meet this criteria but can demonstrate significant experience and/or further study, you may be considered
- a personal statement demonstrating relevant work or voluntary experience with young people or adults in a community setting.
- complete and pass a formal interview and written exercise
- confirm your ability to complete 400 practice placement hours in an appropriate context during your first year (200 hours each semester)
- demonstrate intellectual and academic suitability for the course
- demonstrate the appropriate attitudes and values expected of someone working with young people or adults in a community setting
- be able to communicate clearly and accurately in standard English
- complete a satisfactory Occupational Health Clearance (further details will be provided)
- complete a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- provide a completed Declaration of Suitability for Youth Work form
- confirm you have basic IT skills including word-processing, internet browsing and email.
For this course, there may be a need/requirement for you to undertake an occupational health/work-based risk assessment check. If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism spectrum condition, sensory impairment or medical condition that may require reasonable adjustments during an external placement or in the university or in a clinical practice area, this must be declared as part of the enrolment process. If you are unsure, you can contact the relevant admissions or course tutor for guidance.
International students
You should have the equivalent of a 2:2 undergraduate degree in any discipline and a minimum overall IELTS (academic) score of 6.5 with 6 in each component (or approved equivalent).
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
Employability
Career opportunities
You gain the skills you need to establish a career in youth and community work, and further academic study. This qualification is acknowledged and valued regionally and nationally, allowing you to compete in a continually evolving and challenging job market.
This course supports you to take up roles in management, leadership, development, entrepreneurship, networking, teaching and facilitating learning. Employers of youth and community workers include local authority, education departments, faith-based, voluntary and charitable organisations and a wealth of community, awareness and health-based projects.
Work placement
Your learning on the placement supports your professional practice. There are two placement modules linked to taught modules, strengthening the link between theory and practice.
During both practice placement modules, you are supported by university staff and placement supervisors to reflect on your learning. You collect information from your placements to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of practice issues, collated in a professional practice evidence and development portfolio.
You may use current employment as a placement activity if this meets the criteria to satisfy professional youth work standards.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
Select your country:
Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.
