BA Early Childhood Teaching & Learning | Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth - Nurturing Skills Learner Fund
The Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education at Maynooth University offers both full-time and flexible Level 8 Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Early Childhood Teaching & Learning (Honours). The programmes cover all main areas of working with babies, toddlers and young children, their families and communities.
- The flexible degree (MH004) may be attractive to practising educators who wish to study at evenings and weekends while working - delivered over four years, one evening per week, one Saturday per month and some block weeks. It is a blended programme with some lectures delivered online and some delivered on campus.
- The full-time degree (MH003) offers a more immersive student experience (Monday to Friday), while also allowing extensive engagement with the early childhood education and care sector through placement.
- Both degrees run over 4 years (240 credits). Students with a full Level 6 Early Childhood qualification may apply for direct admission to year 2. These programmes are approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (instituted to review Level 7 and Level 8 Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care Sector) as meeting the requirements of the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines standards.
- Graduates emerge as teaching professionals in early years settings. Career progression within this sector is expanding rapidly to include opportunities within policy development and evaluation agencies, Government departments and roles with local development agencies within the early childhood sector both nationally and internationally.
- Graduates may also apply for a range of postgraduate courses including a postgraduate route into Primary Teaching through the PME Professional Master of Education (Primary) subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth - Nurturing Skills Learner Fund
On 8th December, 2023 the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, announced a pilot of a new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund.
The Nurturing Skills Learner Fund pilot will make a significant contribution to course fees that early years educators face while pursuing QAB-approved ELC qualifications at levels 7 and 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications. The funding will be paid directly to the higher education institution on behalf of the early years educator in order to minimise the financial and administrative barrier the educator faces when seeking to undertake further studies.
More information about the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund pilot is available on the Department's webpages:
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
More information about the MH003 and MH004 degrees is available on the Froebel Department's webpages:
Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education