MSc Education, Children & Youth
Dublin, Ireland
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 22,600 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* fee per year EUR 9100 for EU students
Introduction
The MSc Education, Children and Youth is an interdisciplinary programme specialising in research, policy and practice relating to children and young people.
The MSc Education, Children & Youth is an interdisciplinary programme specialising in research, policy and practice about children and young people. Set in the context of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the programme explores key aspects of the welfare and well-being of children and young people from a multi-disciplinary perspective. It does so recognising the complexity and interdependence of issues facing contemporary childhoods and youth. The programme encourages students to develop along a trajectory of critical thinking and independent learning through a series of tailored reading programmes matched to programme aims. Content is covered through a combination of lectures, laboratory work, seminars and tutorials with a strong emphasis on collaborative group work and active learning, including the use of online resources and discussion. A range of assessment strategies are incorporated including essay, presentation, mind mapping and group project work.
Ideal Students
Who should apply?
Full-Time option suitable for:
- Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
- International (Non-EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes
Part-Time option suitable for:
- Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
- International (Non-EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes
This is suited to those working with children and young people across a range of professional and public services including education, psychology, social work, health, law, social policy, NGO and research settings. It is also suitable for people wanting a career change to working with children and youth.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please contact our Admissions team!
Curriculum
Stage 1 Core Modules
- EDUC41520 | Children's Rights & Participation
- EDUC42890 | Research Methods (Blended)
- EDUC42910 | Research Methods 2 (Blended)
- EDUC42920 | Children & Youth Dissertation
Stage 1 Options - A) Min 1 of:
Students must take at least one, but not necessarily both from the list below. They may take both.
- EDUC42590 | Equalities, Social Justice and Children's Learning
- EDUC43250 | Wellbeing of Children and Youth
Stage 1 Options - C) Min 2 of:
Option Modules
- EDUC40310 | Education Sciences: Psychology Applied to Schools
- EDUC41500 | Critical Policy Analysis
- EDUC44150 | Education for the 21st Century
- EDUC50190 | Key Issues in Second Language Development
- EDUC40420 | Inclusive Education for Pupils with Additional Support Needs
- EDUC42980 | History of Childhood & Learning
- EDUC43870 | Global Development Education
Program Outcome
- Have the ability to integrate knowledge and to reflect on wider disciplinary, scientific, professional, social and ethical responsibilities in conducting a research dissertation on a defined aspect of the lives of children and young people.
- Demonstrate and develop skills in self-directed and autonomous/self-directed learning through the completion of academic assignments and reports.
- Develop appropriate academic writing and communicative skills, engage in group work and presentation of core ideas, concepts and research findings.
- Show critical awareness of current policy and practice about children’s rights, (especially as articulated in the UNCRC) and well-being and its application to a range of contexts across education, health and other sectors.
- Show critical awareness of the cognitive, social and personal development of children and young people and how concepts related to time, space, generation, agency, structure and identities shape understanding of children’s everyday lives.
- Deepen insights and critically consider issues of equality and social justice in the experiences of different groups of children and young people across a range of settings and contexts.
- Show familiarity with the concepts of agency and competency of children and young people and critically consider implications for their active participation and voice across a range of settings.
- Show critical awareness of debates policy and practice working with diverse groups of children including those with additional support needs, migrant children, and children across different cultural, economic and societal contexts.
- Show familiarity with the main research traditions in researching the lives of children and young people, including quantitative qualitative and mixed methodological approaches, as well as child participatory approaches that prioritize children.
- Demonstrate familiarity with the Growing Up In Ireland data sets (quantitative and qualitative) and capacity to analyse and apply findings in the context of international studies.
- Be thoroughly familiar with ethical issues about research with children and young people.
- On completion, students should: Demonstrate detailed conceptual knowledge and understanding of the field of childhood and youth-related research and childhood as a social phenomenon and draw on a range of disciplinary perspectives.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
This fast-growing area is suited to those working with children and youth across a range of professional and public services including education, psychology, social work, health, law, social policy, NGO and research settings. It is also suitable for people wanting a career change to working with children and youth.