MA/PG Dip Youth Work and Community Development

Overview

Created for graduates and practitioners, this professionally validated programme in Youth Work and Community Development allows you to work as a registered youth practitioner in the UK.

This programme is recognised by the JNC.

Designed for graduates or existing practitioners, this course helps you to gain extensive knowledge of working with young people and community groups alongside providing professional qualifications to practise as a youth and community development worker in the UK.

Professionally validated by the National Youth Agency and the Endorsement and Quality Standards Board for Community Development Learning, this course will help you master skills to support young people and communities and handle the complexities of social justice. Our programme is ideal if you’d like to pursue a career in areas such as education, sexual health, housing and homelessness, and mental health.

Benefit from inter-professional learning, with the course attracting professionals from a variety of settings including youth work, parenting education, children’s centres, sexual health, drug abuse, housing and homelessness, youth offending, mental health, community development and domestic violence.

On this programme you’ll explore the theory and practice of a range of topics including community development, anti-oppressive practice, and health and social research methods. You’ll also develop your practical and professional skills by putting theory in to practice with dedicated work placement modules and a range of specialist option modules which have been specifically designed for staff in local authorities, the NHS, voluntary, third sector and non-governmental organisations, ensuring your learning is relevant to current practice.

Teaching and assessment

All core modules and most optional modules are launched during one of two block teaching weeks held each year (usually in October and January). Attendance at launch days is compulsory. These are supported by a wide variety of written material, individual and organisational tasks.

You are required to engage in a number of online seminars in each module, and you are required to identify a supervisor who will primarily support your field practice, but may also provide a dialogue partner to discuss wider issues arising from the course. You will complete a minimum of 600 hours of field practice, of which 450 hours will be based in your own workplace, paid or voluntary, and 150 hours must be outside of your employing agency.

Through flexible distance learning, you will engage in a supportive learning community.

Assessment is usually by written assignment of 4,000 words per 15-credit module. Field practice assessment requires written evidence, assignments and reports of competence from the supervisor.

Graduate careers

Graduates go into a wide range of senior posts in youth work and community development work and in other related health and educational services in both the public and voluntary sector, all over the world.

An MA is a recommended qualification for workers who want to hold senior positions.