Early childhood education and care (ECEC) reflects a holistic view of the education (e.g. early stimulation, education, developmental activities) and care (e.g. health, nutrition, hygiene, safety and security, responsive caregiving) of young children from 0 to 6 years of age. Therefore, this course is designed to equip graduates with the essential core knowledge, practices and values to fulfil the role of a professional early childhood educator.
The course is practical and applied, supporting graduates to become professional, reflective educators with an integrated approach to ECEC. Students will acquire skills in relevant areas, such as learning through play and creativity, children’s development through art, literature and music, as well as psychology, sociology and social policy. A supervised work placement in years 2 and 3 in various early years settings enables students to apply their theoretical knowledge and learn from practice, which are key elements of the course.
The course design and content have been guided by this sector’s policy and regulatory frameworks, such as Aistear, Síólta, First 5 and the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines. It is an innovative practiceled course where students learn how to combine theory and practice and develop as reflective practitioners. An active learning environment is achieved through lectures, seminars, workshops and enquiry-based learning with children’s learning materials.
Professional Accreditation
In 2022 this degree completed programmic review and continues to be officially recognised as meeting the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines for Initial Professional Education (Level 7 and Level 8) Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care Sector in Ireland. TUS is currently list under the QAB Approved List of courses
