Child and Youth Studies
Child and youth studies is a discipline concerned with understanding the lives, development, rights, and needs of children and young people from birth through to early adulthood. It draws on developmental psychology, sociology, social policy, education, and health science to examine how children grow and learn, how social structures and inequalities shape their experiences, what rights and protections they are entitled to, and how practitioners, organisations, and governments can best support their flourishing. As awareness of children's rights and the complexity of childhood experience has grown, so has demand for well-trained practitioners who understand these issues with both intellectual rigour and human empathy.
At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this part-time programme allows you to develop your knowledge and understanding of children and young people at a pace that fits alongside other commitments, whether you are already working in a children's service, education, or health setting, or are building the qualifications to enter these fields. You will study child development, the sociology of childhood, children's rights, play and learning, family policy, and the professional contexts in which practitioners work with children and young people, from schools and nurseries to social work, health, and community settings.
The flexibility of the part-time structure is suited to those combining study with work, care responsibilities, or other demands, and UHI's distributed model across the Highlands and Islands means you can study from a range of locations.
Graduates from child and youth studies programmes pursue careers in early years education, primary teaching, social work, youth work, health visiting, family support, children's charities, play work, and policy roles in local authorities and government. The degree provides a foundation for professional training in social work, teaching, or health, and postgraduate study in education, social work, or child and adolescent mental health is a natural route for those who wish to specialise.